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- Author or Editor: Ian Warrington x
- Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science x
‘Royal Gala’ apple scions (Malus ×domestica) were grafted onto 1-year-old rootstock stools of ‘M.9’ (M.9), ‘M.M.106’ (MM.106), ‘Merton 793’ (M.793), and ‘Royal Gala’ [R.G (control)] to elucidate how the dwarfing apple rootstock (M.9) modified scion architecture, the time from grafting when this started, and whether changes in scion architecture were explained by some endogenous hormones present within the scion. At the end of the first season of growth (April), the final length and node number of the primary shoot were similar for scions on M.9 and R.G. However, M.9 appeared to limit the number of secondary shoots formed on the primary shoot during summer. In addition, the proportion of secondary shoots that were actively extending in fall was lower for M.9; consequently, the final mean length of the secondary shoots was slightly shorter for M.9 compared with R.G. Collectively, these subtle effects of M.9 significantly reduced the final total shoot length of the scion compared with R.G. The final dry weight of the scion and root system was also lower for M.9 than MM.106, M.793, and R.G. The mean rate of indole-3-acetic acid diffusing from the apex of the primary shoot progressively declined from February onward irrespective of rootstock, whereas the mean concentration of zeatin riboside (ZR) in the xylem sap increased during the same period, and these events appeared to coincide with cumulative increases in the number of axillary growing points formed on the scion. Despite this general trend, M.9 had a greater concentration of ZR in the xylem sap during February compared with R.G, but the primary shoot on M.9 did not develop more axillary growing points, indicating that other endogenous hormonal signals were also involved in regulating scion branching. By March, M.9 lowered gibberellin A19 (GA19) concentration in the xylem sap of the scion significantly compared with R.G. We conclude that dwarfing apple rootstocks may limit root-produced GA19 supplied to shoot apices of the scion, where GA19 may be a precursor of bioactive gibberellin A1 required for shoot extension growth.
Abstract
Fruiting laterals were tagged within the inner and outer canopy zones of the basal, mid, and upper tiers of dormant, mature central-leader ‘Granny Smith’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) trees and were classified into pendant (>120°), horizontal (30°-120°), and vertical (0°-30°) types. Transmission of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) to spur sites on tagged laterals was measured in mid-season and fruits from these sites were harvested at commercial maturity for assessment of fresh weight, soluble solids concentration (SSC), starch pattern index, and background color. Pendant laterals produced fewer, smaller, and greener fruit per flowering spur than horizontal or vertical laterals. Fruit fresh weight and soluble solids concentration increased with increasing height in the canopy and were higher in the outer compared with the inner horizontal canopy position. Background color followed a trend opposite to that of fresh weight and soluble solids concentration, with fruit from the lower inner canopy regions being greenest. Both fresh weight and SSC showed highly positive correlations with the percentage transmission of PPF. Fruit set showed a positive correlation with PPF, although the relationship was weaker than that for fresh weight or SSC. PPF penetration was lower to pendant laterals than to horizontal and vertical laterals and declined from upper to lower and from outer to inner canopy positions. Pendant fruiting laterals received < 15% of PPF, irrespective of location within the canopy.
Photosynthetic activity of individual leaves of Zantedeschia Spreng. `Best Gold' aff. Z. pentlandii (Wats.) Wittm. [syn. Richardia pentlandii Wats.] (`Best Gold'), were quantified with leaf expansion and diurnally, under a range of temperature and photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) regimes. Predictive models incorporating PPF, day temperature, and percentage leaf area expansion accounted for 78% and 81% of variation in net photosynthetic rate (Pn) before, and postattainment of, 75% maximum leaf area, respectively. Minimal changes in Pn occurred during the photoperiod when environmental conditions were stable. Maximum Pn (10.9μmol·m-2·s-1 or 13.3 μmol·g-1·s-1) occurred for plants grown under high PPF (694 μmol·m-2·s-1) and day temperature (28 °C). Acclimation of Pn was less than complete, with any gain through a greater light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Pmax) at high PPF also resulting in a reduction in quantum yield. Similarly, any gain in acclimation through increased quantum yield under low PPF occurred concurrently with reduced Pmax. It was concluded that Zantedeschia `Best Gold' is a shade tolerant selection, adapted to optimize photosynthetic rate under the climate of its natural habitat, by not having obligate adaptation to sun or shade habitats.
Dry matter accumulation and partitioning in plants of Zantedeschia Spreng. `Best Gold' aff. Z. pentlandii (Wats.) Wittm. (syn. Richardia pentlandii Wats.) were quantified under a range of temperature and photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) regimes using plant growth analysis. The relative rate of dry matter accumulation [relative growth rate (RGRM), g·g-1·d-1] was highly correlated with the partitioning of the daily increment of dry matter into leaf tissue [leaf matter partitioning (LMP), g·d-1 per g·d-1]. In contrast, a poor correlation existed between RGRM and net assimilation rate (NAR, g·m-2·d-1). Maximum values of RGRM increased linearly with increasing temperature (from 13 to 28 °C), with a base temperature of 2.1 ± 2.7 °C. The optimum temperature for growth was PPF dependent with maximum total plant dry mass occurring under high PPF (694 μmol·m-2·s-1) at 25 °C. However, as the plant responded to PPF by altering LMP, final total plant dry mass was actually greater under the low PPF regime (348 μmol·m-2·s-1) at temperatures <22 °C. The optimum temperature for dry matter accumulation was close to the average daily air temperature during the growing season for the natural habitat of the parent species. Similarly, the greater dry matter accumulation under the combination of either low PPF and cooler temperatures or high PPF and warmer temperatures was paralleled by the diversity of PPF habitats in the natural open grassland and forest margin the parent species occupies. It is therefore suggested that Zantedeschia `Best Gold' is well adapted to optimize growth under these environmental conditions.
Abstract
Clonally produced plants of Cymbidium Astronaut ‘Rajah’ (3.5 years exflask) were assigned to three day/night temperature regimes (20°C day/12° night, 26°/12°, and 26°/18°) at two nitrogen fertilizer rates (17 and 170 ppm N in the daily nutrient feed) in controlled environment rooms in Oct. 1984. Plants were removed at seven regular intervals between 29 Oct. 1984 and 15 Apr. 1985 and destructively harvested for assessment of bud development. There were, on average, 4.4 renewal vegetative buds (≥25 mm long) per plant produced over the 6-month experimental period with no apparent effect of temperature or nitrogen treatments on this cultivar. Of all vegetative renewal buds, 73% occurred on the bottom two nodes of the pseudobulb, whereas only 36% of reproductive buds grew from the bottom two nodes. Reproductive buds occurred up to the eighth node. By harvest 7, the 26°/12° temperature regime resulted in 5.9 reproductive buds per plant, with only 0.8 and 1.7 reproductive buds per plant, respectively, observed for the 20°/12° and 26°/18° temperature treatments. There was no effect of nitrogen fertilizer on floral bud numbers.
The characteristics of 1-year-old vegetative spurs growing on 2-year-old branches were measured on 28 `Delicious' apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) strains growing on M.7 rootstocks at Clarksville, Mich., and on 23 strains of `Delicious' on M.7a rootstocks at Kearneysville, W.Va. Spur-type strains typically had densities >20 to 21 spurs/m, and high spur leaf numbers, leaf areas per spur, leaf areas per leaf, and terminal bud diameters, whereas values for standard strains were generally lower. However, for most spur quality characteristics, there was a continuous range of values between the extremes rather than any distinct grouping into either spur or standard type. At both sites, spur density was significantly and positively correlated with yield efficiency. In a related study, the spur characteristics of `Starkspur Supreme' were measured on nine rootstocks: M.7 EMLA, M.9 EMLA, M.26 EMLA, M.27 EMLA, M.9, MAC 9, MAC 24, OAR 1, and Ottawa 3. Spur leaf number and spur leaf area were both high with vigorous rootstocks, whereas spur density was low. The rootstocks MAC 9, M.9, and M.9 EMLA had the highest yield efficiencies.