Effects of Nutritional Factors on Regular Cropping of Apple

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 555a-555
Author(s):  
Warren C. Stiles

Any mineral nutrient deficiency or toxicity that adversely influences the normal biochemical and physiological processes in the tree can be expected to impact regularity of cropping. Deficiency of N limits growth and flowering of young trees and increases potential for biennial bearing in mature trees while excess N may stimulate excessive vegetative growth that results in shading of spurs and development of weak flowers with reduced set potential. B, Zn, and Cu shortages influence regularity of cropping through effects on flower development, pollination and/or fertilization. Effects of K, Mg, Mn, Fe, or S appear to be indirect, principally as consequences of limited carbohydrate production/availability. Crop load/vegetative growth relationships in one season can exert significant influences on nutrient status within the tree that may influence potential for cropping in the next season. Environmental stress may limit nutrient availability of various nutrient elements at critical times during the flower development and fruit setting sequence. Effects of nutritional factors on regularity of cropping must be considered in relation to their interaction with all other components of the fruit production system. Maintaining appropriate essential mineral nutrient supply and availability to avoid potential deficiencies or toxicities is critical to regular cropping of apple trees.

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 543c-543
Author(s):  
Ami N. Erickson ◽  
Albert H. Markhart

Fruit yield reduction due to high temperatures has been widely observed in Solanaceous crops. Our past experiments have demonstrated that Capsicum annuum cultivars Ace and Bell Boy completely fail to produce fruit when grown at constant 33 °C. However, flowers are produced, continually. To determine which stages of flower development are sensitive to high temperatures, pepper buds, ranging in size from 1 mm to anthesis, were exposed to high temperatures for 6 hr, 48 hr, 5 days, or for the duration of the experiment. Fruit set for each bud size was determined. Exposure to high temperatures at anthesis and at the 2-mm size stage for 2 or more days significantly reduced fruit production. To determine whether inhibition of pollination, inhibition of fertilization, and/or injury to the female or male structures prevents fruit production at high temperatures, flowers from pepper cultivars Ace and Bell Boy were grown until flowers on the 8th or 9th node were 11 mm in length. Plants were divided between 25 °C and 33 °C constant growth chambers for 2 to 4 days until anthesis. At anthesis, flowers from both treatments were cross-pollinated in all combination, and crosses were equally divided between 33 or 25 °C growth chambers until fruit set or flowers abscised. All flower crosses resulted in 80% to 100% fruit set when post-pollination temperatures were 25 °C. However, post-pollination temperatures of 33 °C significantly reduced fruit production. Reduced fruit set by flowers exposed to high temperatures during anthesis and pollination is not a result of inviable pollen or ovule, but an inhibition of fertilization or initial fruit development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 76-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodica Soare ◽  
Maria Dinu ◽  
Cristina Babeanu

This study was aimed at observing the effect of the grafting of tomato plants on morphological (vegetative growth), production and nutritive characteristics (quantity and quality of production). For this purpose, the ‘Lorely F1’ cultivar was used as a scion grafted onto the ‘Beaufort’ rootstock. Plants were cultivated with a stem and two stems. The observations collected in this study were concerned with the characteristics of plant growth. The studied morphological characteristics were plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves, and the studied production characteristics were the characteristics of fructification and productivity (the average number of fruit per plant, the average weight of the fruit, production per plant). Particular attention was paid to the nutritional characteristics of the fruit, to the fruit quality (total soluble solids, total sugar, acidity, vitamin C, antioxidant activity (by the Trolox method) and the contents of lycopene and beta-carotene). The results showed that grafting positively influenced the growth and production characteristics. Grafting of tomato plants had an appreciable effect on the vegetative growth of the variant 2-grafted tomatoes with a stem. The best option in terms of productivity and production was the variant 3-grafted tomatoes with two stems, which yielded 9.2 kg per plant. Fruit quality was not improved in any of the grafted variants. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
James E. Altland ◽  
James C. Locke ◽  
Wendy L. Zellner

Steel slag is a byproduct of the steel industry that can be used as a liming agent, but also has a high mineral nutrient content. While micronutrients are present in steel slag, it is not known if the mineral form of the micronutrients would render them available for plant uptake. The objective of this research was to determine if steel slag could be used as the sole micronutrient source for container-grown nursery crops. Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Delight’) and rose (Rosa ‘Radrazz’) were grown in #3 (3 gal) containers in a base substrate composed of pine bark and peatmoss (80:20, by vol). The base substrate was amended with the following treatments: with a complete controlled release fertilizer (CRF) including micronutrients (C-control), a substrate amended with a different CRF containing only N, P, and K along with a granular micronutrient package (M-control), and three additional treatments amended with the CRF (N, P, and K only) and either 1.2, 2.4, or 4.8 kg·m−3 (2, 4, and 8 lb·yd−3) of steel slag. Plants were harvested at 2 and 4 months after potting (MAP). None of the plants displayed any sign of nutrient deficiency or toxicity throughout the experiment. However, plants grown in the substrate amended with the highest slag rate [4.8 kg·m−3 (8 lb·yd−3)] had lower shoot dry weight (SDW) than both control groups. Substrate pH increased with increasing slag rate, which may have affected micronutrient availability in those substrates. Among the micronutrients analyzed, only Copper (Cu) was consistently deficient in both the substrate and foliar tissue of slag-amended treatments. Steel slag either does not provide a sufficient quantity of Cu or the concomitant increase in pH with increasing rates of steel slag renders Cu unavailable for plant uptake. Steel slag should not be used as the sole source of micronutrients for shrubs grown in pine bark-based substrates.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Bouain ◽  
Arthur Korte ◽  
Santosh B. Satbhai ◽  
Seung Y. Rhee ◽  
Wolfgang Busch ◽  
...  

AbstractThe molecular genetic mechanisms by which plants modulate their root growth rate (RGR) in response to nutrient deficiency are largely unknown. Using a panel of Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions, we provide a comprehensive combinatorial analysis of RGR variation under macro- and micronutrient deficiency, namely phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn), which affect root growth in opposite directions. We found that while -P stimulates early RGR of most accessions, -Fe or -Zn reduces it. The combination of either -P-Fe or -P-Zn leads to suppression of the growth inhibition exerted by -Fe or -Zn alone. Surprisingly, Arabidopsis reference accession Columbia (Col-0) is not representative of the species under -P and -Zn. Using a genome wide association study, we identify candidate genes that control RGR under the assayed nutrient deficiency conditions. By using a network biology driven search using these candidate genes, we further identify a functional module enriched in regulation of cell cycle, DNA replication and chromatin modification that possibly underlies the suppression of root growth reduction in -P-Fe conditions. Collectively, our findings provide a framework for understanding the regulation of RGR under nutrient deficiency, and open new routes for the identification of both large effect genes and favorable allelic variations to improve root growth.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 141-152
Author(s):  
J. Pecháček ◽  
D. Vavříček ◽  
P. Samec

The main objective of this study was to investigate the causes of nutrient deficiency symptoms in Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) underplantings in the Hrub&yacute; Jesen&iacute;k Mts. In the area concerned 19 research plots were established, representing the ridge sites of the 8th FAZ of acid edaphic categories. On these plots samples were taken from topmost soil horizons and needle samples were collected in two series &ndash; from healthy and from damaged trees. The results of this study demonstrate that the nutrient deficiency symptoms and reduced vitality of evaluated underplantings were caused by the insufficient uptake of main nutrients (Mg, P, K, N<sub>t</sub>). High contents of toxic elements Al, S in damaged needles are another factor that negatively influences the health status of these underplantings.<br />A statistical survey showed that damage to underplantings increased with decreasing proportions of main nutrients (N<sub>t</sub>, Mg, Ca, K) in organomineral horizons. At the same time the content of basic nutrients (N<sub>t</sub>, Mg, Ca, K) was found to increase in this horizon with an increasing proportion of oxidizable organic carbon (C<sub>ox</sub>). The proportion of humus substances and the content of basic nutrients (N<sub>t</sub>, Mg, Ca, K) in organomineral horizons become a limiting factor for the normal growth and development of Norway spruce plantings in the ridge part of the Hrub&yacute; Jesen&iacute;k Mts.


1988 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Abadia ◽  
I. Madhusudana Rao ◽  
N. Terry

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
JS Day ◽  
BR Loveys ◽  
D Aspinall

The flowering responses of Boronia megastigma Nees (Rutacae) and Hypocalymma angustifolium Endl. (Myrtaceae) to different photoperiod and temperature regimes were similar despite the fact that these species are from different families. No flowers reached anthesis in a temperature regime of 25°C day/17°C night but flowering of both species occurred in a cool temperatures (17°C day/9°C night). Photoperiod had no effect on flowering at the temperatures tested. Ten weeks of cool temperatures (17°C day/9°C night) were required for a maximum number of flowers to reach anthesis on H. angustifolium plants whereas B. megastigma plants required 15 weeks. Flower development in both species was inhibited by a large difference between day and night temperature (21°C day/5°C night) and promoted if the day/night difference was reversed (9°C day/17°C night). The temperature of the aerial parts of the plant controlled flowering, whereas vegetative growth was controlled by root temperature. Therefore, while a reduction in vegetative growth naturally coincides with the production of flowers, these events are not necessarily linked.


1980 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michihiko Yatazawa ◽  
Naoki Tomomatsu ◽  
Noriyo Hosoda ◽  
Katsunori Nunome

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