The relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index, rainfall, and potential evapotranspiration in a banana plantation of Venezuela

Abstract

<p>The water supply for rainfed crops such as bananas in the Aragua state of Venezuela is often uncertain, particularly towards the beginning of the rainy season (April-May). Where climatic conditions are seasonal, the temporal evolution of the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) closely accompanies the interannual variation of vegetation growth in response to thermal and hydric factors. The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between NDVI, rainfall and potential evapotranspiration during the period of January/2016 to December/2017 in a Venezuelan banana plantation. In this study, the NDVI derived from the GIMMS MODIS Terra product, the daily accumulated precipitation data (mm) and the daily mean air temperature (°C) were used as the only way to estimate the potential evapotranspiration. The results showed that the GMOD09Q1-based NDVI reflects reasonably well the spatiotemporal variation in biomass accumulation. Besides, this provides information on the water stress conditions in banana plants at the plot level. The influence of Precipitation and potential evapotranspiration on the NDVI was more evident when a lag of 1 month was considered in terms of the Spearman r, implying that there is a delay in the banana phonological response to rainfall changes and dryness conditions. However, due to its low spatial resolution (i.e. 250 m), it is not adequate for the identification of banana wilt disease. Therefore, future studies are needed to assess other satellite-derived spectral indices for monitoring the health of banana plants over different sites in Venezuela.</p>

Expression Analysis of MaTGA8 Transcription Factor in Banana and Its Defence Functional Analysis by Overexpression in Arabidopsis

“…Our results could serve as the basis for future lines of research by molecular plant sciences pioneers in Colombia and Peru where Fusarium wilt in bananas (TR4) has recently been located according to Olivares et al [45]; This would also be an essential contribution in adjacent banana areas of Latin America according to Olivares [46] in order to Previously, the AtTGA1-AtTGA7 of Arabidopsis plants were divided into three clades related to plant defense based on sequence homology [43]. Class II TGAs can interact with glutaredoxin GRX480 and can mediate the inhibitory effect of SA on the JA signaling pathway marker gene PDF1.2.…”

“…Our results could serve as the basis for future lines of research by molecular plant sciences pioneers in Colombia and Peru where Fusarium wilt in bananas (TR4) has recently been located according to Olivares et al [45]; This would also be an essential contribution in adjacent banana areas of Latin America according to Olivares [46] in order to avoid the spread and devastation of banana plantations.…”

Mixtures of Biological Control Agents and Organic Additives Improve Physiological Behavior in Cape Gooseberry Plants under Vascular Wilt Disease

“…It is convenient to indicate that the external spores in the parts that remain above ground level (field conditions) are dispersed by the wind, water, people and equipment, and by the movement of soil particles that contain the fungus, hence the importance and benefit of considering the presence of Fusarium wilt in commercially important crops and favorable environmental conditions such as soil, climate, management, agronomic, among others [91]. Our results could serve as a basis for future lines of research by pioneers in Plant Protection sciences and biotic interactions in Colombia and others countries, where Fusarium wilt has been a big issue in crop protection of different crops such as banana (TR4) [92,93]. These findings also be a fundamental contribution to avoid the spread and devastation of plantations of commercially important crops such as Cape gooseberry.…”

Effects of the Speed of Mechanical Tillage on the Structure of Ferralitic Soil

“…This can make the soil less fertile and less able to support plant growth. Another effect of plowing is the disruption of the soil's natural microbial communities [32,33]. These communities play a critical role in nutrient cycling and the overall health of the soil.…”