Freezing injuries to flower buds and their influence on yield of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) and peach (Prunus persica L.)

Szymajda M., Pruski, K., Żurawicz, E. and Sitarek, M. 2013. Freezing injuries to flower buds and their influence on yield of apricot ( Prunus armeniaca L.) and peach ( Prunus persica L.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 191–198. Each spring, for 3 consecutive years, 2009–2011, the degree of freezing injury to overwintering flower buds of selected cultivars and clones of apricot and peach was evaluated at the Dąbrowice Research Institute of the Horticulture E$xperimental Orchard (District of Skierniewice, Poland). Apricot flower buds were damaged less severely than those of peach during the winter of 2009/2010 when the lowest temperatures (maximum drop in temperature) coincided with the full dormancy stage of the trees. Conversely, peach flower buds were less damaged than buds of apricot when the maximum drop in temperature occurred after the late winter thaw in both 2008/2009 and 2010/2011. Under Polish climatic conditions, peach proved to be more reliable than apricot in consistency to produce fruit. Results have shown that the most hardy apricot and peach cultivars can develop very strong winter hardiness allowing the trees to survive temperatures as low as −28°C, as long as there are no severe temperature fluctuations during late winter.

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Peer review report 2 On “Understanding dormancy release in apricot flower buds (Prunus armeniaca L.) using several process-based phenological models”

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology ◽

10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.08.109 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 201 ◽

pp. 362

Author(s):

Anonymous

Keyword(s):

Peer Review ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Dormancy Release ◽

Flower Buds ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L

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Understanding dormancy release in apricot flower buds (Prunus armeniaca L.) using several process-based phenological models

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology ◽

10.1016/j.agrformet.2013.10.005 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 184 ◽

pp. 210-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Lucia Andreini ◽

Inaki García de Cortázar-Atauri ◽

Isabelle Chuine ◽

Raffaella Viti ◽

Susanna Bartolini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Dormancy Release ◽

Flower Buds ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L

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Characterisation of cell wall polysaccharide profiles of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.), peaches (Prunus persica L.), and pumpkins (Cucurbita sp.) for the evaluation of fruit product authenticity

Food Chemistry ◽

10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.05.078 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 106 (1) ◽

pp. 421-430 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Christina Kurz ◽

Reinhold Carle ◽

Andreas Schieber

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Prunus Persica ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Cell Wall Polysaccharide ◽

Product Authenticity ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L

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Peer review report 1 On “Understanding dormancy release in apricot flower buds (Prunus armeniaca L.) using several process-based phenological models”

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology ◽

10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.08.108 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 201 ◽

pp. 360

Author(s):

Anonymous

Keyword(s):

Peer Review ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Dormancy Release ◽

Flower Buds ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L

Download Full-text

660 Reducing Floral Initiation and Return Bloom in Stone Fruit Trees: Applications and Implications in Fruit Production

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.34.3.561f ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 561F-562

Author(s):

Stephen M. Southwick

Keyword(s):

Prunus Persica ◽

Fruit Set ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Fruit Production ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Stone Fruit ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Flower Number ◽

Prunus Salicina

Commercially grown apricots (Prunus armeniaca), peaches (Prunus persica), nectarines (Prunus persica), plums (Prunus salicina and Prunus domestica), and pluots (Prunus salicina × Prunus armeniaca) have a tendency to produce high numbers of flowers. These flowers often set and produce more fruit than trees can adequately size to meet market standards. When excessive fruit set occurs, removal of fruit by hand-thinning is common to ensure that fruit size meets market standards. Over the years there have been numerous attempts to find chemical or physical techniques that would help to reduce costs associated with and improve efficiencies of hand-thinning; however, using alternate strategies to hand-thinning have not been widely adopted in stone fruit production. In the past 10 years, through the continuing efforts of scientists throughout the world in public and private institutions and business, it appears that there are chemical sprays capable of reducing the need for hand-thinning in stone fruit. Management of flowering by reducing the number of flowers on apricot, peach, nectarine, plum, and prune has shown promise under climatic conditions such as those found in the San Joaquin Valley of California. By applying gibberellins during May through July, flowers in many stone fruit cultivars can be reduced in the following season. The reduction in flower number does not generally lead to an increase in fruit set. As a result, fruit numbers are reduced, the need for hand thinning can be reduced, and in some cases eliminated. There are risks associated with reducing flower number before climatic conditions during bloom or final fruit set are known. However, given the changes in labor costs and market demands, especially in the developed world, the benefits may outweigh the risks. The application and implications of these summer gibberellin applications toward reducing flower numbers will be discussed as it relates to commercial stone fruit growing.

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Influence of Blossom and Fruit Thinning on Peach Flower Bud Tolerance to an Early Spring Freeze

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.29.3.146 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 146-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ross E. Byers ◽

R.P. Marini

Keyword(s):

Prunus Persica ◽

Fruit Set ◽

Unit Length ◽

Early Spring ◽

Late Winter ◽

Flower Buds ◽

Flower Bud ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fruit Thinning ◽

Crop Density

Peach trees [Prunus persica (L.) BatSch.] blossom-thinned by hand were overthinned due to poor fruit set of the remaining flowers; however, their yield was equivalent to trees hand-thinned 38 or 68 days after full bloom (AFB). Blossom-thinned trees had three times the number of flower buds per unit length of shoot and had more than two times the percentage of live buds after a March freeze that had occurred at early bud swell the following spring. Blossom-thinned trees were more vigorous; their pruning weight increased 45%. For blossom-thinned trees, the number of flowers per square centimeter limb cross-sectional area (CSA) was two times that of hand-thinned trees and four times that of the control trees for the next season. Fruit set of blossom-thinned trees was increased four times. Flower buds on the bottom half of shoots on blossom-thinned trees were more cold tolerant than when hand-thinned 68 days AFB. Fruit set per square centimeter limb CSA was 400% greater the following year on blossom-thinned trees compared to controls. Removing strong upright shoots on scaffold limbs and at renewal points early in their development decreased dormant pruning time and weight and increased red pigmentation of fruit at the second picking. The number of flower buds per unit shoot length and percent live buds after the spring freeze were negatively related to crop density the previous season for trees that had been hand-thinned to varying crop densities at 48 days AFB. According to these results, blossom thinning and fruit thinning to moderate crop densities can influence the cold tolerance of peach flower buds in late winter.

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The effect of summer shading on flower bud morphogenesis in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.)

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.2478/s11535-012-0109-1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 54-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Susanna Bartolini ◽

Raffaella Viti ◽

Lucia Andreini

Keyword(s):

Fruit Set ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Regular Growth ◽

Xylem Differentiation ◽

Flower Bud ◽

Primary Xylem ◽

Floral Differentiation ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L ◽

Bud Growth

AbstractThe aim of this investigation was to assess whether imposed summer shading treatments in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) can affect the main phenological phases related to the floral morphogenesis (floral differentiation, xylogenesis), flower bud growth and quality in terms of bud capacity to set fruit. Experimental trials were carried out on fully-grown trees of ‘San Castrese’ and ‘Stark Early Orange’ cultivars characterized by different biological and agronomical traits to which shadings were imposed in July and August. Histological analysis was carried out from summer onwards in order to determine the evolution of floral bud differentiation, and the acropetal progression of primary xylem differentiation along the flower bud axis. Periodical recordings to evaluate the bud drop, blooming time, flowering and fruit set rates were performed also. These shade treatments determined a temporary shutdown of floral differentiation, slowed xylem progression up to the resumption of flower bud growth and a reduced entity of flowering and fruit set. These events were particularly marked in ‘San Castrese’ cultivar, which is well known for its adaptability to different climatic conditions. These findings suggest that adequate light penetration within the canopy during the summer season could be the determining factor when defining the qualitative traits of flower buds and their regular growth, and ultimately to obtain good and constant crops.

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