Dr. Melissa Venturi from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences in Bologna, Italy, recently completed a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) as part of the FruitCREWS COST Action. Her STSM took place at the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology (IRNAS) in Seville from September 18th to October 15th, 2023.
During her mission, Dr. Venturi conducted midday physiological measurements, specifically looking at leaf water exchanges, water potentials, and vegetative growth in an olive orchard. She also had the opportunity to observe ongoing studies on almond, citrus, and olive trees in a multi-species orchard and familiarized herself with devices used for monitoring plant water status.
In the laboratory, she gained knowledge about sensor utilization and the modification of the Li-Cor 6400 chamber for soil respiration assessments, essential for future trials. Dr. Venturi also had valuable meetings with experts on various topics, enhancing her knowledge and skills.
Dr. Venturi‘s STSM contributed to FruitCREWS‘s objectives, especially in terms of creating a database and organizing a workshop. Additionally, she expanded her professional network and has ongoing trials that could lead to methodological papers and publications.