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Plant water status indicators have been increasingly used for scheduling irrigation. Different variables may be used to do this, depending on personal preferences and the resources available. Many studies have suggested that selection of an indicator should take into account plant behavior in relation to isohydricity. In two Iberian studies, deficit irrigation (DI) was applied in a vineyard and in a plum orchard while plant water status and fluxes were monitored. These case-studies are discussed with special focus on the use of predawn leaf water potential (Ψ pd ) versus stem water potential (Ψ st ) to determine whether Ψ st performed better and would therefore be the preferred stress indicator for plants exhibiting anisohydric behavior. In contrast, in plants with isohydric behavior, Ψ pd would be generally preferred. This hypothesis seems to be supported by the present results obtained and by prior studies. The cultivars used and the intensity of stress applied have an important influence on the results. This suggests that, if no specific information is available from the existing literature, daily preliminary studies would be recommended prior to application in order to select the most appropriate plant water stress indicators.

Hydraulic redistribution plays a relevant role in the water relations of trees in climates with alternation between warm/dry and cold/wet periods. We aim to illustrate the ability of Mediterranean deep‐rooted rainfed olive trees to maintain transpiration during the hot dry season and to redistribute soil water through roots, tending to temporarily homogenize soil moisture vertically. Sap flow was monitored by the heat field deformation method for 2·5 years in the stem, lignotuber, medium and shallow roots of an olive tree tracing the long‐term variations in the patterns of transpiration, water uptake and hydraulic redistribution. During the same period, soil water content and meteorological data were measured and related to sap flow. Results show that hydraulic redistribution within the rhizosphere buffers the seasonal and long‐term water deficits. Under high evaporative demand during the dry summer, the deeper roots connected to stem through the lignotuber uptake water supporting transpiration needs and reducing the intensive drying of the upper soil layers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.