Differences in Flower and Spur Characteristics of Apple Cultivars

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 582d-582
Author(s):  
D.C. Ferree ◽  
J.R. Schupp ◽  
D.S. Tustin ◽  
W. Cashmore

Flower and spur characteristics of eight apple cultivars were determined at bloom and following cell division and related to fruit growth over the season. Flower number per spur was higher in `Jonagold', `Fiesta', `Southern Snap', `Royal Gala', than in `Red Chief Delicious', `Pacific Rose' and `Fuji', and the latter three cultivars also had the lowest total flower dry weight per spur. Generally, pedicel length of the king flower was shorter than the lateral, with `Fuji' having the longest king flower pedicel and `Red Chief' and `Pacific Rose' the shortest. At full bloom, `Jonagold' and `Fiesta' had the most leaves/spur, followed by `Fuji', `Southern Snap', `Royal Gala', `Pacific Rose', with `Red Chief' having fewer leaves/spur than all other cultivars. Leaf area/spur was highest in `Jonagold', `Fiesta', `Royal Gala', and `Fuji', followed by `Southern Snap', with `Red Chief' and `Pacific Rose' having lower leaf areas and fruit set than all other cultivars. At the end of cell division, `Fuji' and `Jonagold' had the highest leaf area per spur and `Fuji' and `Royal Gala' the highest bourse leaf area. `Braeburn' and `Red Chief' had lower bourse leaf areas than all other cultivars. `Royal Gala', `Southern Snap', and `Fuji' had the longest bourse shoots and `Red Chief' the shortest.

1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Howie ◽  
J Lloyd

Flowering, fruit set and fruit growth of 'Washington Navel' orange fruit was monitored on 24-year-old Citrus sinensis trees on Sweet orange rootstocks that had been irrigated with either 5 or 20 mol m-3 NaCl for 5 years preceding measurements.Trees irrigated with high salinity water had reduced flowering intensities and lower rates of fruit set. This resulted in final fruit numbers for trees irrigated with 20 mol m-3 being 38% those of trees irrigated with 5 mol m-3 NaCl. Final fruit numbers were quantitatively related to canopy leaf area for both salinity treatments.Despite little difference between trees in terms of leaf area/fruit number ratio, slower rates of fruit growth were initially observed on high salinity trees. This effect was not apparent during the latter stages of fruit development. Consequently, fruit on trees irrigated with 20 mol m-3 NaCl grew to the same size as fruit on trees irrigated with 5 mol m-3 NaCl, but achieved this size at a later date. Measurements of Brix/acid ratios showed that fruit on high salinity trees reached maturity standards 25 days after fruit on low salinity trees.Unimpaired growth of fruit on high salinity trees during summer and autumn occurred, despite appreciable leaf abscission, suggesting that reserve carbohydrate was utilized for growth during this period. Twigs on high salinity trees had much reduced starch content at the time of floral differentiation in winter. Twig starch content and extent of floral differentiation varied in a similar way when examined as a function of leaf abscission. This suggests that reduced flowering and fruit set in salinized citrus trees is due to low levels of reserve starch, most of which has been utilized to support fruit growth in the absence of carbohydrate production during summer and autumn.


2004 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahya K. Al-Hinai ◽  
Teryl R. Roper

The effects of rootstock on growth of fruit cell number and size of `Gala' apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh) were investigated over three consecutive seasons (2000-02) growing on Malling 26 (M.26), Ottawa-3, Pajam-1, and Vineland (V)-605 rootstocks at the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station near Sturgeon Bay, WI. Fruit growth as a function of cell division and expansion was monitored from full bloom until harvest using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cell count and cell size measurements showed that rootstock had no affect on fruit growth and final size even when crop load effects were removed. Cell division ceased about 5 to 6 weeks after full bloom (WAFB) followed by cell expansion. Fruit size was positively correlated (r2 = 0.85) with cell size, suggesting that differences in fruit size were primarily a result of changes in cell size rather than cell number or intercellular space (IS).


HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 734a-734
Author(s):  
W.D. Scott

Greenhouse and field studies were conducted using research coolers to expose 4 week old `Superstar' muskmelons, planted into 1 liter plastic containers, to chilling temperatures. Temperatures of 1, 5, & 9 °C were arranged in factorial combination with lengths of exposures 6, 12, & 24 hours and number of exposures 1, 3, & 5. In the Greenhouse studies single plant experimental units were allowed to grow for 2 weeks following application of the chilling treatments, then growth data was taken. In field studies, exposed muskmelons were planted into 8 plants/plot units when all plants had received chilling treatments. Leaf area and plant dry weight of `Superstar' melons were significantly reduced by both the interaction of temperature and length of exposure and times exposed and temperature, with dramatic reductions in leaf area occurring at 24 hours of exposure or 5 times exposed at 1 °C. A significant interaction was found between times exposed or length of exposure and temperature on vine length, flower number and type measurements taken 4 weeks after chilled transplants were established in the field. Additionally, fruit number and mean melon weight were reduced by ether exposure to 10C, exposure of 24 hours or 3 times exposed.


HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 789F-789
Author(s):  
J.T.A Proctor ◽  
J.W. Palmer

The development of a complete and healthy early season canopy of spur leaves, and later addition of bourse leaves, is essential for fruit set, fruit growth and quality in apple. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the temporal role of spur leaves and bourse shoots on fruit set, growth and return bloom in three apple cultivars and fruit Ca Level at harvest in two cultivars. Individual flowering spurs on mature wood of “Cox's Orange Pippin”, “Golden Delicious” and “Crispin” apple trees were modified by removing the spur leaves, the bourse shoot, or both, at full bloom and two, four and eight weeks afterwards. Leaf removal reduced fruit set, yield (as fruit number and not size), fruit calcium level at harvest, and return bloom. Defoliationhad its greatest effect on fruit calcium level when done early in the season and plots of this against treatment time suggested a curvilinear relationship. Return bloom was dependent on the presence of the bourse shoots on the spur but not on spur leaves. Return bloom of all three cultivars declined with the number of fruitlets per spur four weeks after full bloom.


HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1048A-1048
Author(s):  
Justine E. Vanden Heuvel ◽  
Carolyn J. DeMoranville

Competition between fruit and upright growth in cranberry has not been previously studied, but negative correlations reported between upright length/dry weight and yield indicate that sink demand from vegetative tissues may reduce fruit production. `Stevens', `Howes', and `Early Black' uprights and fruit were collected on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis through the growing seasons of 2002–04. The data indicated a shifting of resource allocation from leaf area and dry weight accumulation to fruit growth when about 1500 growing degree days (GDD, base 4.5 °C) had accumulated. Following the initial surge in fruit growth, leaf area and dry weight accumulation resumed at roughly 2300 GDD, resulting in a competition for resources with the developing fruit until after 3000 GDD. A lag phase in fruit diameter and dry weight accumulation was noted in some cultivars in some years, and may be partially due to the resumption of leaf growth. Roots, uprights, and fruit may all compete for resources during the hottest portion of the growing season.


2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1613-1623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Renaudin ◽  
Cynthia Deluche ◽  
Catherine Cheniclet ◽  
Christian Chevalier ◽  
Nathalie Frangne

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 456c-456
Author(s):  
Sanliang Gu ◽  
Leslie H. Fuchigami ◽  
Lailiang Cheng ◽  
Sung H. Guak ◽  
Charles C.H. Shin

Seedling plugs of `Early Girl' tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were potted in peatmoss and perlite (60:40% by volume) medium, fertilized with 8, 16, 24, or 32 g NutriCote Total controlled-release fertilizer (type 100, 13N–5.67P–10.79K plus micronutrients) per pot (2.81 L), and treated with 0%, 2.5%, 5%, or 7.5% antitranspirant GLK-8924 solution, at the four true-leaf stage. Plants were tipped at the second inflorescence and laterals were removed upon emergence. Flowering of both clusters were advanced by higher fertilization rates and depressed by GLK-8924. Increasing rates of fertilization increased flower and fruit number of the lower cluster and fruit set of upper cluster. GLK-8924 had no effect on flower number, fruit number, and fruit set. Fertilization increased the biomass production of all plant parts while GLK-8924 reduced the biomass production of leaves and fruit only. Root and stem biomass was not influenced by GLK-8924. The effect of GLK-8924 on fruit dry weight was dependent on the position of the cluster and GLK-8924 concentration. Fertilization did not interact with GLK-8924 to influence flowering, fruiting, and biomass production.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Hafuz Domi ◽  
Telat Spahiu ◽  
Endrit Kullaj ◽  
Fadil Thomaj

In the last decade, apple has been intensively cultivated in the western coast of Albania. The scope of this research was to study the influence of M9 rootstock on the reproductive behaviour of apple cultivars ‘M. Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Starking’, ‘Fuji’ and ‘Pink Lady’. The trial was conducted from 2010 – 2011 in 5-year old orchards with 2,250 trees/ha grown as French axe and in full production located in Lushnja. The following indicators were measured: diameter of two main branches, number of fruits/branch, fruit growth dynamic and sugar content (%). Global radiation, temperature and humidity were recorded. The reproduction behaviour has also been measured by fruiting spurs in the general structure of the canopy as well as the number of fruits formed for each cultivar. The results have shown that in terms of fruit set, cultivars are ranked as follows: ‘M. Gala’ with the highest number of fruits, then ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Starking’, respectively. The dynamic of fruit dropping shows that ‘Starking’, having the lowest fruit set, after the June drop is more stable while ‘M. Gala’, with the highest fruit set, besides an abundant June drop, had another drop in July.  This is due to higher competition among the fruits and failure of the rootstock to supply the adequate quantities of sap. In terms of fruit growth dynamic, it was observed that intensive growth was measured for all the cultivars during the end of July after which fruit growth slowed down. Changes between cultivars were observed in relation to the maturation period of each cultivar, with ‘M. Gala’ maturing in August, ‘Fuji’ and ‘Pink Lady’ in October and November. ‘Starking and ‘Golden Delicious’ cultivars had a more rapid maturation (20 September), accompanied with a higher sugar content which is far more related to climatic factor rather than M9 rootstock. In conclusion, it was found that the cultivars under study have different reproductive behaviour with M9 rootstock. It can also be stated that ‘Starking’ is not appropriate for this coastal region due to inadequate fruiting behaviour.


HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1113c-1113
Author(s):  
Terence L. Robinson ◽  
Zhongbo Ren

Eleven year-old Empire/M.7 apple trees were shaded continously for 4 years with half-tree shading cages. Shading reduced primary spur leaf duration, bourse shoot leaf area, specific leaf weight, spur diameter and bud diameter. Over the four years, shaded spurs continued to increase in length but spur diameter increased very little resulting in long and brittle spurs. However, shaded spurs continued to flower and set fruit. Leaf area development was similar inside and outside the cages at one week after bloom but by 2 weeks after bloom, spurs inside the cages had significantly lower leaf area. Shading reduced fruit set, fruit size, fruit color, fruit soluble solids and fruit dry matter. Fruit growth rate was reduced by shading early in the season but was no different than the unshaded controls by 4 weeks after full bloom.In an attempt to reverse the negative effects of shading on spur vigor, foliar urea, zinc-EDTA and solubor were sprayed 3 times during the early growing season each year. Rather than increasing spur leaf area, foliar nutrient sprays significantly reduced bourse shoot leaf area and did not increase the duration of primary spur leaves. Although foliar nutrients reduced total spur leaf area, they improved fruit size, color and soluble solids slightly.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 797D-797
Author(s):  
Alireza Talaie* ◽  
Ahmad Ershadi ◽  
Ali Vezvaei

In order to study pollination and fruit set and determine the best pollinizers for two Iranian apple cultivars, Golab Kohanz and Shafiabadi, experiments were conducted during two years. Different pollen sources including pollen of cultivars Golab Isfahan, Golab Kohanz, Mashhad Nouri, Shafiabadi and also open pollination were used. Pollen sources had significant effects on fruit set, fruit weight, diameter, shape, dry weight, total soluble solids (TSS), sugar and seed contents in cv. Golab Kohanz. Trees pollinated by pollen of Shafiabadi had highest fruit set, fruit weight, diameter, shape, dry weight, TSS., sugar, and seed content. Pollen sources significantly affected fruit set, fruit weight, diameter, shape, and seed content in cv. Shafiabadi. The highest fruit set, fruit weight, diameter, and seed content was resulted from flowers pollinated by Golab Kohanz. Golab Kohanz and Shafiabadi had 3.3% and 0.5% fruit set from self pollination, respectively, and seemed to be completely incompatible. Fruit resulted from self pollination were generally small and of low quality. Regardless to fruits obtained from pollination, different pollen sources had small effects on fruit quality. The results indicated that cvs. Shafiabadi and Mashad Nouri are the best pollinizers for Golab Kohanz and Golab Kohanz was superior pollinizers for Shafiabadi.


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