<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Cork oak (<italic>Quercus suber</italic> L.) grows in the Mediterranean basis including Portugal and is the main species producing cork which is used prevailingly in stopper industry. In our paper, cork from <italic>Quercus suber</italic> L. over three consecutive harvests from a traditional rainfed plot, between 1999 and 2017, and cork from an irrigated plot, harvested in 2017, were studied. We applied two X–ray image analysis technologies – X–ray micro-computed tomography and X–ray microdensitometry. Cork development, related with intern porosity, growth and density was studied with the objective of understanding the cork characteristics evolution over the years and with a different water regime. The outcomes of this study suggested an increase in density and porosity over harvests and a slight decrease of the cork growth. Cork samples from the irrigated plot, compared with cork from the same year of extraction in the rainfed plot, showed higher growth rate and higher porosity. The results demonstrated the contribution of climatic factor of precipitation as well as the silviculture model in cork characteristics, showing the relevance of the present work for the definition of the management practices. These may be determinant for enhancing cork quality and quantity production through silviculture measures. Our findings can be particularly useful for stakeholders especially under the conditions of Portugal in terms of increasing the value of the industrial chain of cork.</p></abstract>

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) grows in the Mediterranean basis including Portugal and is the main species producing cork which is used prevailingly in stopper industry. In our paper, cork from Quercus suber L. over three consecutive harvests from a traditional rainfed plot, between 1999 and 2017, and cork from an irrigated plot, harvested in 2017, were studied. We applied two X–ray image analysis technologies – X–ray micro-computed tomography and X–ray microdensitometry. Cork development, related with intern porosity, growth and density was studied with the objective of understanding the cork characteristics evolution over the years and with a different water regime. The outcomes of this study suggested an increase in density and porosity over harvests and a slight decrease of the cork growth. Cork samples from the irrigated plot, compared with cork from the same year of extraction in the rainfed plot, showed higher growth rate and higher porosity. The results demonstrated the contribution of climatic factor of precipitation as well as the silviculture model in cork characteristics, showing the relevance of the present work for the definition of the management practices. These may be determinant for enhancing cork quality and quantity production through silviculture measures. Our findings can be particularly useful for stakeholders especially under the conditions of Portugal in terms of increasing the value of the industrial chain of cork.

Influence of water supply on cork increment and quality in <italic>Quercus suber</italic> L.

Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED) & Department of Plant Science, School of Sciences and Technology

Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED) & Veterinary Department

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Department of Forest Management

University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

Department of Forestry Sciences and Landscape Architecture

Institute of Earth Sciences (ICT) & Department of Plant Science, School of Sciences and Technology

Central European Forestry Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Influence of water supply on cork increment and quality in  L.

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) grows in the Mediterranean basis including Portugal and is the main species producing cork which is used prevailingly in stopper...

Influence of water supply on cork increment and quality in Quercus suber L.

Published Online: Mar 08, 2022

Page range: 3 - 14

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2021-0024

Keywords
cork oak, cork characteristics, image analysis, X–ray micro-computed tomography, X–ray microdensitometry

© 2022 Ana Patrícia Poeiras et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Influence of water supply on cork increment and quality in Quercus suber L.

Published Online: Mar 08, 2022

Page range: 3 - 14

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2021-0024

Keywordscork oak, cork characteristics, image analysis, X–ray micro-computed tomography, X–ray microdensitometry

© 2022 Ana Patrícia Poeiras et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
cork oak, cork characteristics, image analysis, X–ray micro-computed tomography, X–ray microdensitometry