Title page, table of contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / Almond, Prunus dulcis, is a tree nut crop that originated in central Asia and is now grown commercially worldwide. Within Australia there exists huge potential gain from optimisation of almond cultivars better suited to Australian conditions. This is the ultimate goal of the Australian Almond Breeding Program, which was established in 1997 at the University of Adelaide. As part of this breeding program a unique hybrid population was developed from a cross between the American self-incompatible cultivar 'Nonpareil' (NP) and European self-compatible cultivar 'Lauranne' (LA). The F₁ population derived from this cross is the focus of this study, the population consisted of 181 individuals, of which 93 were selected for use in the mapping study. Investigation of a number of DNA extraction techniques was performed in order to optimise DNA extraction quality and integrity from almond leaves for future applications in molecular work. To determine if the purported F₁ hybrids were true hybrids, derived from a cross between the cultivars NP and LA, both DNA fingerprinting with cluster analysis and S-allele identification was performed, and the majority of F₁ putative hybrids clustered between the two parents when analysed using the simple matching coefficient and UPGMA. The genetic similarity between individuals comprising the mapping population ranged from 70% to 93% while the parents were 72% similar in comparison to each other. This indicated high genetic variability available for studying heritabilities and for production of a genetic map. Analysing the S-allele complement of all the F₁ hybrids was also performed to offer a more robust method for hybrid determination, since individuals in a breeding population with aberrant S-allele inheritance can be considered non-related. The inheritance of the self-fertility gene is important in breeding programs, since the majority of almond cultivars are self-incompatible, tracking the inheritance of this allele in breeding programs is therefore highly desirable. A detailed morphological study was performed on the whole population over three growing seasons, 2001, 2002, and 2003. In 2001 tree characters such as disease prevalence, bare branches, close internodes, level of upright branches, leaf size and colour were measured. For all the seasons a number of other traits were also measured including: yield, bloom time, self-compatibility, percentage of double kernels, shell hardness, kernel weight, shape, taste, pubescence, and colour. The heritability, genetic variance, segregation and raw correlations between traits were calculated and used to establish a mode of inheritance for these traits. Rainfall and temperature maximum, minimum and monthly averages were collected and used to compare trends in the collected morphological data with these climatic data. A preliminary investigation was undertaken to determine if the cellular structure of the kernel testa epidermis was responsible for the pubescent versus smooth mouth feel of the F₁ hybrids. Light and scanning electron microscopy identified the presence of cellular protuberances arising from the epidermis as a potential cause of the pubescent mouthfeel in almonds. Bulked segregant analysis using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers identified a potential marker linked to the pubescent trait which was converted to a sequence characterised amplified region (SCAR), which was also used to screen twelve almond cultivars for this trait. In addition to the use of BSA for the development of markers linked to traits of interest, the development of genetic linkage maps has the potential to greatly enhance current and future breeding programs by MAS. This study produced a genetic linkage map for this population, constructed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), ISSR, and simple sequence repeats (SSR), with the mapping program Joinmap 3.0. Two parental maps were constructed, which coalesced into seven linkage groups for the female parent and eight linkage groups for the male parent, corresponding to the chromosome number of eight for almond. The marker density was 9.4 cM/marker for NP and 9.6 cM/marker for LA, covering 65% for the female and male parental maps in compalison to the highly saturated peach x almond map produced by the European Prunus Mapping Program (EPMP). Fourteen markers segregating in both parents were used to produce an integrated parental map for this cross, which coalesced into six linkage groups with a marker density of 11.6 cM/marker. The presence of anchor loci common to the EPMP map allowed homologolls linkage groups to be established between the two populations. This study has contributed to the understanding of key morphological traits important in almond breeding programs. The expression and influence of biotic factors on the expression of these traits was also investigated. Understanding factors responsible for kernel taste is also an important objective and this study has contributed to this knowledge. The development of a genetic linkage map will serve as a permanent and practical resource for almond breeders in Australia, and contribute important data to the EPMP. This has significant benefit for Prunus breeders worldwide, and further enhances knowledge on an economically important nut crop / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1141951 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture and Wine, 2004

Title page, table of contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / Almond, Prunus dulcis, is a tree nut crop that originated in central Asia and is now grown commercially worldwide. Within Australia there exists huge potential gain from optimisation of almond cultivars better suited to Australian conditions. This is the ultimate goal of the Australian Almond Breeding Program, which was established in 1997 at the University of Adelaide. As part of this breeding program a unique hybrid population was developed from a cross between the American self-incompatible cultivar 'Nonpareil' (NP) and European self-compatible cultivar 'Lauranne' (LA). The F₁ population derived from this cross is the focus of this study, the population consisted of 181 individuals, of which 93 were selected for use in the mapping study. Investigation of a number of DNA extraction techniques was performed in order to optimise DNA extraction quality and integrity from almond leaves for future applications in molecular work. To determine if the purported F₁ hybrids were true hybrids, derived from a cross between the cultivars NP and LA, both DNA fingerprinting with cluster analysis and S-allele identification was performed, and the majority of F₁ putative hybrids clustered between the two parents when analysed using the simple matching coefficient and UPGMA. The genetic similarity between individuals comprising the mapping population ranged from 70% to 93% while the parents were 72% similar in comparison to each other. This indicated high genetic variability available for studying heritabilities and for production of a genetic map. Analysing the S-allele complement of all the F₁ hybrids was also performed to offer a more robust method for hybrid determination, since individuals in a breeding population with aberrant S-allele inheritance can be considered non-related. The inheritance of the self-fertility gene is important in breeding programs, since the majority of almond cultivars are self-incompatible, tracking the inheritance of this allele in breeding programs is therefore highly desirable. A detailed morphological study was performed on the whole population over three growing seasons, 2001, 2002, and 2003. In 2001 tree characters such as disease prevalence, bare branches, close internodes, level of upright branches, leaf size and colour were measured. For all the seasons a number of other traits were also measured including: yield, bloom time, self-compatibility, percentage of double kernels, shell hardness, kernel weight, shape, taste, pubescence, and colour. The heritability, genetic variance, segregation and raw correlations between traits were calculated and used to establish a mode of inheritance for these traits. Rainfall and temperature maximum, minimum and monthly averages were collected and used to compare trends in the collected morphological data with these climatic data. A preliminary investigation was undertaken to determine if the cellular structure of the kernel testa epidermis was responsible for the pubescent versus smooth mouth feel of the F₁ hybrids. Light and scanning electron microscopy identified the presence of cellular protuberances arising from the epidermis as a potential cause of the pubescent mouthfeel in almonds. Bulked segregant analysis using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers identified a potential marker linked to the pubescent trait which was converted to a sequence characterised amplified region (SCAR), which was also used to screen twelve almond cultivars for this trait. In addition to the use of BSA for the development of markers linked to traits of interest, the development of genetic linkage maps has the potential to greatly enhance current and future breeding programs by MAS. This study produced a genetic linkage map for this population, constructed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), ISSR, and simple sequence repeats (SSR), with the mapping program Joinmap 3.0. Two parental maps were constructed, which coalesced into seven linkage groups for the female parent and eight linkage groups for the male parent, corresponding to the chromosome number of eight for almond. The marker density was 9.4 cM/marker for NP and 9.6 cM/marker for LA, covering 65% for the female and male parental maps in compalison to the highly saturated peach x almond map produced by the European Prunus Mapping Program (EPMP). Fourteen markers segregating in both parents were used to produce an integrated parental map for this cross, which coalesced into six linkage groups with a marker density of 11.6 cM/marker. The presence of anchor loci common to the EPMP map allowed homologolls linkage groups to be established between the two populations. This study has contributed to the understanding of key morphological traits important in almond breeding programs. The expression and influence of biotic factors on the expression of these traits was also investigated. Understanding factors responsible for kernel taste is also an important objective and this study has contributed to this knowledge. The development of a genetic linkage map will serve as a permanent and practical resource for almond breeders in Australia, and contribute important data to the EPMP. This has significant benefit for Prunus breeders worldwide, and further enhances knowledge on an economically important nut crop / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1141951 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture and Wine, 2004

Tesis por compendio / [ES] Se desarrolló un ensayo qPCR para la detección y cuantificación de inóculo aéreo de D. amygdali, incluyendo el diseño de un par de cebadores específicos para esta especie. Esta metodología se utilizó para estudiar la dinámica del inóculo de D. amygdali en trampas de esporas colocadas en dos huertos de almendros de diferentes ubicaciones, en dos temporadas de crecimiento. Con los datos climáticos registrados se construyó un modelo Hurdle de dos partes; la primera parte relacionó la presencia o ausencia de ADN de D. amygdali (Bernoulli o cualitativa) y la otra consideró la concentración promedio de ADN del hongo (Gamma o cuantitativa). El efecto de la temperatura estuvo relacionado con la amplitud térmica diaria; los rangos térmicos más amplios redujeron la concentración de ADN, mientras que los rangos térmicos más estrechos aumentaron la detección de ADN. Los días con un promedio de humedad relativa superior al 80% tuvieron un efecto negativo en la concentración de ADN de D. amygdali. Las precipitaciones tuvieron una influencia positiva en ambas partes del modelo, confirmando la contribución de la lluvia en la dispersión del inóculo. Finalmente, la variable velocidad del viento influyó positivamente en ambas partes del modelo, en ambas temporadas de crecimiento. En ensayos de laboratorio, se inocularon ramitas de 25 cultivares de almendro con cuatro aislados de D. amygdali, mientras que las inoculaciones de campo implicaron la inoculación de brotes en crecimiento de cultivares de almendro injertados en el portainjerto 'GF-677', durante cuatro años. En ambos tipos de experimentos, el inóculo consistió en discos de agar con micelio, que se insertaron debajo de la corteza y se midió la longitud de las lesiones causadas por el hongo. Todos los cultivares evaluados mostraron lesiones necróticas en respuesta a D. amygdali, confirmando su susceptibilidad. El análisis de conglomerados clasificó los cultivares como susceptibles o muy susceptibles. Las características agronómicas, como el tiempo de floración y maduración, se vincularon con la susceptibilidad de los cultivares. Los cultivares de floración tardía, muy tardía y de maduración temprana a media, mostraron una alta susceptibilidad. Se realizaron prospecciones entre 2018 y 2020 en seis provincias españolas, para recolectar e identificar oomicetos asociados con síntomas de pudrición de raíz y cuello en almendros. Se obtuvieron un total de 104 aislados de oomicetos procedentes de árboles enfermos, y la secuenciación de la región espaciadora transcrita interna (ITS) identificó especies de diferentes géneros. Phytopythium vexans y Ph. niederhauserii fueron las especies más frecuentes. Las pruebas de patogenicidad en plantas de almendro de un año de edad injertadas en el portainjerto 'Garnem' mostraron síntomas graves, como defoliación, marchitez y muerte regresiva, y algunas plantas murieron cuando se inocularon con Pp. vexans y Ph. niederhauserii. Algunos aislados de Ph. niederhauserii redujeron significativamente el peso seco de las raíces en comparación con el control, pero este efecto no se observó en plantas inoculadas con Pp. vexans. Se evaluó la patogenicidad de 12 especies de oomicetos presentes en el suelo en tres portainjertos híbridos de Prunus utilizados frecuentemente en la cuenca mediterránea. Se realizaron pruebas de patogenicidad con 15 aislados de oomicetos en plantas de portainjertos de 1 año de edad. Noventa días después de la inoculación se evaluaron los síntomas de la enfermedad con una escala de severidad y se calculó el AUDPC y la probabilidad de supervivencia de las plantas inoculadas. Todos los aislados fueron patógenos para las plántulas de los portainjertos y se volvieron a aislar de las lesiones de las raíces. Para cada portainjerto se detectaron grandes diferencias en virulencia entre las diferentes especies de oomicetos y aislados de Ph. niederhauserii. Phytophthora multivora y Pp. helicoides fueron generalmente los más virulentos. / [CA] Es va desenvolupar un assaig qPCR per a la detecció i quantificació d'inòcul aeri de D. amygdali, inclòs el disseny d'un parell d'encebadors específics per a aquesta espècie. Aquesta metodologia es va utilitzar per estudiar la dinàmica de l'inòcul de D. amygdali en trampes d'espores col·locades en dos horts d'ametllers de diferents indrets en dues temporades de creixement. Es va construir un model Hurdle de dues parts amb les dades climàtiques registrades; la primera part relacionava la presència o absència d'ADN de D. amygdali (Bernoulli o qualitatiu) i l'altra considerava la concentració mitjana d'ADN del fong (Gamma o quantitativa). L'efecte de la temperatura estava relacionat amb l'amplitud tèrmica diària; rangs tèrmics més amplis van reduir la concentració d'ADN, mentre que rangs tèrmics més estrets van augmentar la detecció d'ADN. Els dies amb una mitjana d'humitat relativa superior al 80% van tenir un efecte negatiu en la concentració d'ADN de D. amygdali. Les precipitacions van tenir una influència positiva en ambdues parts del model, confirmant la contribució de la pluja en la dispersió de l'inòcul. Finalment, la variable de velocitat del vent va influir positivament en ambdues parts del model, en ambdues temporades de creixement. En proves de laboratori, es van inocular branquetes de 25 cultivars d'ametller amb quatre aïllats de D. amygdali, mentre que les inoculacions de camp van implicar la inoculació de brots en creixement de cultivars d'ametller empeltats al portaempelt 'GF-677' durant quatre anys. En ambdós tipus d'experiments, l'inòcul consistia en discs d'agar amb miceli, que s'introduïen sota l'escorça i es mesuraven les longituds de les lesions provocades pel fong. Tots els cultivars avaluats van mostrar lesions necròtiques en resposta a D. amygdali, confirmant la seva susceptibilitat. L'anàlisi de conglomerats va categoritzar els cultivars com a susceptibles o molt susceptibles. Els trets agronòmics, com ara els temps de floració i maduració, estaven relacionats amb la susceptibilitat del conreu. Els cultivars de floració tardana, molt tardana i de maduració precoç a mitjana van mostrar una alta susceptibilitat. Entre el 2018 i el 2020 s'han realitzat prospeccions a 6 províncies d'Espanya per recollir i identificar oomicets associats a símptomes de podridura de l'arrel i del coll d'ametllers. Es van obtenir un total de 104 aïllats d'oomicets d'arbres malalts i la seqüenciació de la regió de l'espaiador transcrit intern (ITS) va identificar espècies de diferents gèneres. Phytopythium vexans i Ph. niederhauserii eren les espècies més comunes. Les proves de patogenicitat en plàntules d'ametller d'un any empeltades en el portaempelts 'Garnem' van revelar símptomes greus, com ara defoliació, marciment i mort, amb algunes plantes que van morir quan es van inocular amb Pp. vexans i Ph. niederhauserii. Alguns aïllats de Ph. niederhauserii van reduir significativament el pes sec de les arrels en comparació amb el control, però aquest efecte no es va observar en les plàntules inoculades amb Pp. vexans. Es va avaluar la patogenicitat de 12 espècies d'oomicets del sòl en tres portaempelts híbrids de Prunus d'ús habitual a la conca mediterrània. Es van realitzar proves de patogenicitat amb 15 aïllats d'oomicets en plàntules de portaempelt d'un any. Noranta dies després de la inoculació, es van avaluar els símptomes de la malaltia en una escala de gravetat i es va calcular AUDPC i la probabilitat de supervivència de les plàntules inoculades. Tots els aïllats van ser patògens per a les plàntules de portaempelt i es van tornar a aïllar de les lesions de les arrels. Per a cada portaempelt es van detectar grans diferències de virulència entre les diferents espècies d'oomicets i aïllats de Ph. niederhauserii. Phytophthora multivora i Pp. helicoides eren en general els més virulents. / [EN] A qPCR assay for the detection and quantification of aerial inoculum of D. amygdali, including the design of a pair of specific primers for this species, was developed. This methodology was used to study the dynamics of D. amygdali inoculum in spore traps placed at two almond orchards from different locations in two growing seasons. A two-part Hurdle model was built with the recorded climatic data; the first part related the presence or absence of D. amygdali DNA (Bernoulli or qualitative) and the other considered the average concentration of DNA of the fungus (Gamma or quantitative). The temperature effect was related to daily thermal amplitude; wider thermal ranges reduced DNA concentration, while narrower thermal ranges increased DNA detection. The days with average relative humidity higher than 80% had a negative effect on the concentration of D. amygdali DNA. Rainfall had a positive influence on both parts of the model, confirming the contribution of precipitation in the dispersal of inoculum. Finally, wind speed variable positively influenced both parts of the model, in both growing seasons. In laboratory tests, twigs from 25 almond cultivars were inoculated with four isolates of D. amygdali, while field inoculations involved the inoculation of growing shoots of almond cultivars grafted onto 'GF-677' rootstock over four years. In both type of experiments, inoculum consisted of agar plugs with mycelium, which were inserted underneath the bark and the lesion lengths caused by the fungus were measured. All evaluated cultivars showed necrotic lesions in response to D. amygdali, confirming their susceptibility. Cluster analysis categorized cultivars as susceptible or very susceptible. Agronomic traits, such as blooming and ripening times, were linked to cultivar susceptibility. Late blooming, very late blooming, and early to medium ripening cultivars exhibited high susceptibility. Surveys were carried out between 2018 and 2020 in 6 provinces of Spain to collect and identify oomycetes associated with root and crown rot symptoms on almond trees. A total of 104 oomycete isolates were obtained from diseased trees, and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region identified species from different genera. Phytopythium vexans and Ph. niederhauserii were the most common species. Pathogenicity tests on one-year-old almond seedlings of 'Garnem' rootstock revealed severe symptoms, including defoliation, wilting, and dieback, with some plants dying when inoculated with Pp. vexans and Ph. niederhauserii. Some isolates of Ph. niederhauserii significantly reduced the dry weight of the roots compared with the control, but this effect was not observed in seedlings inoculated with Pp. vexans. Pathogenicity of 12 soil-borne oomycete species on three commonly used Prunus hybrid rootstocks in the Mediterranean Basin was evaluated. Pathogenicity tests with 15 oomycete isolates were conducted on 1-year-old rootstock seedlings. Ninety days after inoculation, disease symptoms were evaluated on a severity scale, and the AUDPC and the survival probability of the inoculated seedlings were calculated. All the isolates were pathogenic to the rootstock seedlings and were re-isolated from root lesions. For each rootstock large differences in virulence were detected among the different oomycete species and isolates of Ph. niederhauserii. Phytophthora multivora and Pp. helicoides were generally the most virulent. / Francisco Beluzán was supported by Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo/Subdirección de Capital Humano/Doctorado Becas Chile en el Extranjero/72200145. / Beluzán Flores, FJ. (2024). Study of Diseases Caused by Diaporthe Amygdali and Oomycetes on Almond Crops [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/204445 / Compendio

Tesis por compendio / [ES] Uno de los mayores retos en los que incurre la producción agrícola hoy en día reside en alimentar de forma sostenible a una población creciente a la vez que concentra sus esfuerzos en hacerlo con el menor impacto ecológico posible. El actual sistema agroalimentario no solo impacta negativamente desde la perspectiva de la emisión de gases invernadero, sino que también favorece otros ámbitos como la degradación de los productos naturales, la pérdida de la biodiversidad o los cambios en el uso del suelo. La evidencia de este proceso de deterioro a escala mundial requiere de la puesta en marcha de planes de acción basados tanto en la mitigación del cambio climático (mediante la reducción de los gases de efecto invernadero) como en la adaptación al mismo mediante buenas prácticas agrícolas que consigan reducir la vulnerabilidad de los cultivos. Los objetivos de esta tesis se enmarcan en las vías de actuación definidas como prioritarias por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas "Transformar nuestro mundo: la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible". Más concretamente, en la mejora de la sostenibilidad del cultivo del almendro (Prunus dulcis Miller) prestando especial atención a la respuesta del sistema radical y su capacidad para mejorar la adaptación del cultivo a los nuevos escenarios derivados del proceso de cambio climático. En esta tesis se caracterizaron química y morfométricamente tres patrones de almendro. Se observaron diferencias significativas tanto en los sistemas radiculares como vegetativos de los mismos siendo el patrón GN el más vigoroso, el GF 677 el que presentó mayor número de raíces principales y el RP-R secundarias. Además, GN destacó por presentar mayor poder antioxidante y mayor contenido en fenoles, pudiendo estas propiedades influir en los mecanismos de defensa de la planta al inducir resistencia frente a determinados estreses. Los patrones se sometieron a diferentes medios de cultivo mediante el uso de dos sustratos. Las plantas cultivadas bajo fibra de coco presentaron un aumento masivo de raíces absorbentes y un engrosamiento del tronco mientras que las plantas cultivadas en la mezcla de turba y arena presentaron mayor longitud del sistema radical. Se estudió la respuesta de los patrones frente al aporte de bioestimulantes de raíz en vistas a contribuir a un manejo más racional y sostenible del cultivo. La fertilización mediante bioestimulantes tuvo un impacto significativo en el desarrollo de las plantas tanto a nivel aéreo como radicular y consiguió acortar los plazos de vivero, logrando plantas con mejor o más rápida capacidad de adaptación al campo. A grandes rasgos los mejores resultados se obtuvieron con el bioestimulante compuesto por materia orgánica, aminoácidos y extractos de algas. Adicionalmente y en respuesta a los retos medioambientales actuales se analizaron las propiedades energéticas del almendro y el posible uso de sus residuos como fuente de energía renovable atendiendo a diferentes factores que podrían influir sus propiedades energéticas como son la variedad, el patrón o el tipo de fertilización. Observamos que las variables que más influyeron en el poder calorífico del material fueron la variedad, el patrón y la interacción entre ambos. Siendo el cultivar Marcona y el patrón GF 305 los que presentaron mejores propiedades energéticas. / [CA] Un dels majors reptes en els quals incorre la producció agrícola hui dia resideix a alimentar de manera sostenible a una població creixent alhora que concentra els seus esforços a fer-ho amb el menor impacte ecològic possible. L'actual sistema agroalimentari no sols impacta negativament des de la perspectiva de l'emissió de gasos amb efecte d'hivernacle, sinó que també afavoreix altres àmbits com la degradació dels productes naturals, la pèrdua de la biodiversitat o els canvis en l'ús del sòl. L'evidència d'aquest procés de deterioració a escala mundial requereix de la posada en marxa de plans d'acció basats tant en la mitigació del canvi climàtic (mitjançant la reducció dels gasos d'efecte d'hivernacle) com en l'adaptació al mateix mitjançant bones pràctiques agrícoles que aconseguisquen reduir la vulnerabilitat dels cultius. Els objectius d'aquesta tesi s'emmarquen en les vies d'actuació definides com a prioritàries per l'Assemblea General de les Nacions Unides "Transformar el nostre món: l'Agenda 2030 per al Desenvolupament Sostenible". Més concretament, en la millora de la sostenibilitat del cultiu de l'ametler (Prunus dulcis Miller) prestant especial atenció a la resposta del sistema radical i la seua capacitat per a millorar l'adaptació del cultiu als nous escenaris derivats del procés de canvi climàtic. En aquesta tesi es van caracteritzar química i morfométricament tres patrons d'ametler. Es van observar diferències significatives tant en els sistemes radiculars com vegetatius dels mateixos sent el patró GN el més vigorós, el GF 677 el que va presentar major nombre d'arrels principals i el RP-R secundàries. A més, GN va destacar per presentar major poder antioxidant i major contingut en fenols, podent aquestes propietats influir en els mecanismes de defensa de la planta en induir resistència enfront de determinats estressos. Els patrons es van sotmetre a diferents mitjans de cultiu mitjançant l'ús de dos substrats. Les plantes cultivades sota fibra de coco van presentar un augment massiu d'arrels absorbents i un engruiximent del tronc mentre que les plantes cultivades en la mescla de torba i arena van presentar major longitud del sistema radical. Es va estudiar la resposta dels patrons enfront de l'aportació de bioestimulants d'arrel en vistes a contribuir a un maneig més racional i sostenible del cultiu. La fertilització mitjançant bioestimulants va tindre un impacte significatiu en el desenvolupament de les plantes tant a nivell aeri com radicular i va aconseguir acurtar els terminis de viver, aconseguint plantes amb millor o més ràpida capacitat d'adaptació al camp. A grans trets els millors resultats es van obtindre amb el bioestimulant compost per matèria orgànica, aminoàcids i extractes d'algues. Addicionalment i en resposta als reptes mediambientals actuals es van analitzar les propietats energètiques de l'ametler i el possible ús dels seus residus com a font d'energia renovable atenent a diferents factors que podrien influir en les seues propietats energètiques com són la varietat, el patró o el tipus de fertilització. Observem que les variables que més van influir en el poder calorífic del material van ser la varietat, el patró i la interacció entre tots dos. Sent el cultivar Marcona i el patró GF 305 els que van presentar millors propietats energètiques. / [EN] One of the greatest challenges that agricultural production is facing today lies in sustainably feeding a growing population while concentrating on doing so with the least possible ecological impact. The current agri-food system not only has a negative impact from the perspective of greenhouse gas emissions, but also favors other areas such as the degradation of natural products, the loss of biodiversity or the changes in land use. The evidence of this process of deterioration on a global scale requires the implementation of action plans based on both climate change mitigation (by reducing greenhouse gases) and climate adaptation through good agricultural practices that manage to reduce the vulnerability of crops. The objectives of this thesis are framed in the courses of action defined as priorities by the General Assembly of the United Nations "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". More specifically, in improving the sustainability of almond (Prunus dulcis Miller) cultivation, paying special attention to the response of the root system and its ability to improve the adaptation of the crop to the new scenarios derived from the process of climate change. In this thesis, three almond rootstocks were chemically and morphometrically characterized. Significant differences were observed both in their root and vegetative systems, with the GN rootstock being the most vigorous, the GF 677 the one with the highest number of main roots, and the RP-R the one showing more secondary roots. In addition, GN stood out for presenting greater antioxidant power and higher phenol content, these properties being able to influence the plant's defense mechanisms by inducing resistance to certain stresses. The rootstocks were subjected to different culture media by using two substrates. The plants grown under coconut fiber showed a massive increase in absorbent roots and a thickening of the trunk, while the plants grown in the mixture of peat and sand showed greater length of the root system. The response of rootstocks to the contribution of root biostimulants was studied to contribute to a more rational and sustainable management of the crop. Fertilization using biostimulants had a significant impact on the development of plants both at aerial and root levels and managed to shorten nursery periods, achieving plants with a better or faster capacity to adapt to the field. Broadly, the best results were obtained with the biostimulant composed of organic matter, amino acids and algae extracts. Additionally, and in response to current environmental challenges, the energy properties of the almond tree and the possible use of its residues as a source of renewable energy were analyzed considering different factors that could influence its energy properties, such as the variety, rootstock, or type of fertilization. We observed that the variables that most influenced the calorific power of the material were the variety, the rootstock and the interaction between both. The Marcona variety and the GF 305 rootstock were the ones that presented the best energy properties. / This work was funded by Project 20170734. Development of methods of quantification of riparian vegetation biomass for the management of channels of the Comunitat Valencianaect . Dirección General de Universidades. Generalitat Valenciana (Spain). / Mondragón Valero, A. (2022). Caracterización de materiales de almendro y mejora del desarrollo de planta joven [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/184486 / TESIS / Compendio