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A low-pressure injection method for introducing chemical formulations into trees is presented. The apparatus consists of a plastic injector and a tube providing a pressure of 60 to 80 kPa, which is below the injurious level for the xylem. The efficiency of the method was determined by injecting PTS, a marker of apoplastic flux dye solutions, and rubidium chloride into young trees, main scaffolds, or tree trunks. The depth of the hole drilled) and the number of injections necessary to distribute the solutions was also determined. The injected solutions moved mainly upward through the older rings of the xylem, suggesting that uptake is directly controlled by the transpiration rate. A single injection was enough to distribute solutions in scaffolds with a diameter of 8 cm, but two injections were necessary for 17-cm-diameter trunks. According to the results, the injection method was effective in introducing chemicals into olive (Olea europaea L.) trees. The method is easy to use, safe and economical and does not involve special equipment. Chemical name used: trisodium, 3-hydroxi-5,8,10-pyrenetrisulfonate (PTS).
GA3 scaffold injections applied between May and November to nonbearing olive (Olea europea L.) trees inhibited flowering the following year, increased shoot width when applied in May, June, and July, and increased inflorescence length when applied in November and February. Fruit removal and seed destruction were effective in improving the return bloom in `Manzanillo' olives when done before endocarp sclerification. Depending on-the year, endocarp sclerification takes place 7 to 8 weeks after full bloom (AFB), usually about 1 July. Fruit removal had no effect on flowering when done after this time. Scaffold injection of paclobutrazol applied to bearing trees between May and September did not affect flowering the following year. The results of our research supports the hypothesis that olive flower induction occurs around the time of endocarp sclerification. Chemical names used: gibberellic acid (GA3), (2RS,3RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-dimethyl-2-1,2-4-triazol-1-yl) pentan-3-ol(paclobutrazol).
Abstract
A 30 to 50% frequency of successful grafts was obtained by using 2-week-old dark grown seedlings as rootstocks and 0.14 to 0.18 mm long shoot tips as scions. The shoot tip was inserted into an inverted-T made at the top of the decapitated rootstock epicotyl. Most scion cultivars gave satisfactory grafts on ‘Troyer’ citrange, whereas lemon, lime and citron yielded successful grafts only on ‘Rough’ lemon. The grafted plants were allowed to develop in vitro under 16 hr daily exposure to 1000 lux Grow Lux illumination and were provided with a nutrient solution containing a high concentration (7.5%) of sucrose. The best source of shoot tips was the flush from defoliated branches of field trees or glasshouse plants. It was also possible to use shoot tips from flushes arising in excised lateral buds cultured in vitro. Grafted plants were transplantable to soil 5 to 8 weeks after grafting with over 95% survival. Preliminary data indicated recovery of cultivars freed from tristeza and psorosis viruses, stubborn spiroplasma and exocortis viroid. Pathogen-free plants showed no reversion to the juvenile phase.
Daminozide is a growth retardant used in potted plant production as a foliar spray to inhibit shoot elongation. It has its greatest inhibitory effect immediately after application, becoming less pronounced thereafter; continued retardation is accomplished by reapplication at 7to 14-day intervals. A model for this retardation effect is useful in developing decision support tools, as well as in optimizing (perhaps minimizing) the use of this growth retardant. Such a model, as developed and described earlier, simulates the effect of a foliar spray application of daminozide at various concentrations on various days during the production cycle. The objective of this work was to validate this model for various varieties of chrysanthemum. Using the model to simulate the effect of one application of daminozide resulted in predicted plant heights very close to the observed heights for most of the varieties tested. Of four methods used to implement the multiple-application effect, two resulted in very good simulation of the observed plant heights. In summary, the model was shown to be valid for all the varieties of chrysanthemum tested.