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- Author or Editor: James Flore x
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Crop load (CL) is a critical regulator of production and quality on apple. It affects leaf photosynthetic rate and usually an increase is detected in leaves close to developing sinks. The objective of this work was to test if 13C discrimination during photosynthesis could be an indicator of carbon sink limitation. The natural plant carbon isotope composition (13C/12C ratio: d13C) is an indicator of water use efficiency and it is an effective tool to study environmental stresses in plants. Seven-year-old trees of Imperial Gala/Bud 9 (n=30), field-grown at the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station in Michigan, were hand-thinned to five levels of CL manipulating the leaf to fruit ratio (LFR: 4, 8, 16, 32, 64) after June drop. Net photosynthetic rate (A) of leaves was monitored daily during the season and elevated rates were observed in low LFR. The A was inhibited in low CL trees (LFR 32 and 64) more in the afternoon (from 20% to 42% in relation to normal CL: LFR 16) than in the morning (from 5% to 20%), and stomatal conductance declined over the afternoon. Shoot and fruit growth were affected (fruit size –11/+11%, shoot length –13/+18% from normal CL; LFR 16). Variations of the stable carbon isotope composition of leaves show a significant reduction of 13C discrimination in low CL trees (–3.2%: d13C –25.82) and an increase of 13C discrimination (+2.7%: d13C –27.38) in relation to normal CL trees (LFR 15.63). The results were similar to those reported in 2004, which imply isotopic discrimination in relation to source limitation. This is the opposite of what you would expect under water stress conditions. Although trees were well-watered during the season, the effect of water stress on apple trees and its interaction with source limitation will be discussed.
Fruit of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) crack during or after rain due, in part, to absorption of water through the fruit surface driven by the water potential gradient. In 1972, J. Vittrup-Christensen suggested that overhead misting of calcium salts during precipitation may be an effective way to prevent cherry cracking by reducing the water potential gradient. We tested this hypothesis by designing a computer-controlled irrigation system to intermittently spray a 10% CaCl2 solution on trees during rain events. Spray emitters were placed in the middle and at the top of the canopy. The program turned the system on for 90 s at each 0.3 mm of rain and monitored daily rainfall and accumulated mist times. Two `Emperor Francis' and two `Ulster' were treated with equal number of controls. Intact and cracked cherries were counted on four branches per tree at three times when cherries were susceptible to cracking. Overall, cracking was reduced from 33% to 11% by the CaCl2 spray at the end of the experiment. Treated `Ulster' had 9% cracked fruit, while control had 43% cracked fruit. Differences for `Emperor Francis' were not significant. Phytotoxicity was estimated at about 15 % of leaf area. This system will be reevaluated in 1995 with the added objective of quantifying and reducing phytotoxicity.
Ground-based infrared thermal imagery was applied for early detection of plant water deficit, i.e., before photosynthetic activity is depressed and before growth processes are negatively affected by water shortage. Remote and real-time sensing of radiative canopy surface temperature was performed in Michigan in Summer 1999 on peach and apple orchards, using a digital IR imaging radiometer. Still images and videos were acquired on single canopies of well-watered plants and plants subjected to water depletion. Atmospheric parameters were monitored simultaneously. On apple trees, the apparent canopy temperature showed a wider thermal dispersion [10 °C], compared to peach tree canopies [2–5 °C]. Central tendency and shape parameters describing the canopy thermal distribution could identify, even for apple canopies, the thermal signal [1–2 °C] of plant water deficit, before changes in leaf net photosynthetic rate and fruit diameter were observed. The results of this study support the application of digital infrared thermal imagery and image processing for early recognition of plant water deficit. The decrease of the cost of available thermographic cameras makes their use feasible.
Infrared thermometry was applied to estimate the canopy temperature of apple trees with the aim to detect a water stress condition early by remote sensing. The measurements were taken in Michigan during Summer 1998 in a 4-year-old apple orchard. Digital thermo-images of the canopy were taken using a IR imaging radiometer on well-watered trees and trees in a water shortage condition. The images were taken considering the geometrical relationship among camera position, canopy, and sun position. During the measurements, environmental (air and soil) conditions were also monitored. A software program was developed to analyze the thermal data, to show the thermal frequency distribution and to estimate the statistical parameters, which are able to represent the physiological condition of the trees. An increase of the canopy surface temperature (connected to the partial stomatal closure that is affecting the leaf energy balance) was detected early in the non-irrigated plants, compared to the well-irrigated trees, already when physiological responses as photosynthetic activity and fruit growth were not yet negatively affected by water deficit. The study confirms that there are the theoretical basis to use infrared thermometry and digital image processing to early detect the water stress on fruit trees.
The naturally occurring carbon isotope composition (or 13C: 12C ratio, expressed with the notation d13C) of plant tissue may be used as an indicator of water use efficiency during plant growth. d13C has been shown to be an effective tool to study physiological response of plant to environmental conditions, especially water stress. The objective of this work was to test if d13C could be an indicator of carbon limitations or a low source: sink ratio. Trees of `Imperial Gala'/Bud 9 (n = 12), 6-years-old, field grown at the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station (Clarksville, Miss.), were assessed with different crop load (LCL = Low Crop Load, 0.76 ± 0.44 fruit per trunk sectional area (TCA); NCL = Normal Crop Load, 7.25 ± 1.83 fruit/TCA; HCL = High Crop Load, 15.83 ± 1.76 fruit/TCA) and leaf: fruit ratio (LCL: 52.78 ± 8.55, NCL: 13.33 ± 3.06, HCL; 4.31 ± 0.68) immediately following June drop. Net photosynthetic rate of leaves were monitored during the season and elevated rates were observed in NCL and HCL and correlated with the fruiting process. Photosynthesis was inhibited in LCL more in the afternoon (from 20% to 42% in relation to NCL) than in the morning (from 5% to 20%) and this was positively correlated with crop sink strength. Variations of the stable carbon isotope composition of roots (fine and coarse), fruit, leaves, and current-year stems were examined. The d13C varied by tissue (fruit > shoot and leaf > root) and in relation to the level of crop load (d13C‰ in fruit: LCL –23.513 ± 0.248, NCL –24.891 ± 0.594; and HCL –24.935 ± 0.375). These results may have implications for analysis of isotopic signals in carbohydrate stress and fractionation steps will be discussed.
This study demonstrates that thermal image analysis can be used to localize stomatal opening and closing on leaves of apple, and cherry. An attached leaf was placed in an environmental chamber used for gas exchange and leaf temperature was monitored with cromel-constantan thermocouples, (0.08 mm) pressed against the underside of the leaf, or with an Inframetrics 600 thermal image analyzer that was focused on the upper side of the leaf. Radiation was monitored in the 8–12 μm range and the image was recorded on video tape. A two-degree temperature difference due to stomatal opening was detected. Stomatal opening as monitored by gas exchange was correlated significantly with leaf temperature. Under steady state conditions, stomata from cherry oscillated at 20-minute intervals. Stomata opened and closed uniformly. Factors investigated were light, carbon dioxide, ABA, and water stress. In all cases changes in temperature correlated with stomatal opening and closing. Response time to a change in environment was less than 10 minutes. The practical implications of this study are discussed.
This study was conducted to determine whether standard and dwarfing sweet cherry rootstocks under water deficit conditions respond differently relative to plant growth and gas exchange parameters, water-use efficiency, and leaf carbon isotope composition. One-year-old potted sweet cherry cv. `Rainier' grafted on the standard rootstock `Mazzard' and on the dwarfing rootstock `Gisela 5' were compared under two different water treatments: 1) well-watered, which received daily 100% of the amount of water lost by ET, and 2) a water deficit treatment, which received 50% of the water applied to the control. Relative shoot growth rate, leaf emergence rate and cumulative leaf area were recorded every three to seven days during the experiment. Leaf net carbon dioxide assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, internal CO2 concentration, and WUE were measured daily for the duration of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, leaf samples were collected to determine leaf carbon isotope composition. The growth parameters measured were affected similarly in the two rootstocks indicating a similar degree of sensitivity to water deficit in the genotypes tested. Cumulative leaf area was affected earlier by water deficit than relative shoot growth, and leaf emergence rate. Gas exchange parameters were affected earlier than growth parameters. Overall, WUE was not significantly different between dwarfing and standard rootstocks, and did not appear to increase under water deficit condition, indicating that irrigation should be considered as an important practice in sweet cherry orchards, especially when dwarfing rootstocks are selected.
In Michigan boron (B) deficiencies in sour cherry have resulted in routine use of B sprays to enhance fruit set and increase fruit yield. However, field observations indicate that high B levels are associated with premature softening, making fruit unacceptable for processing. Our fertilization studies show that fruit B levels are higher, but B generally has little or no effect on fruit size, maturity, color, or pull force. However, at some locations, B applications increase the number of soft fruit, especially when harvest is delayed well after the optimum maturity date (as indicated by pull force). B-induced yield increases can be achieved without inducing excessive fruit softening by careful monitoring of fruit maturation and prompt harvest. Leaf and fruit B levels will be presented.
Photosynthetic rates (A) in celery-(Apium graveolens L.) and other polyol-synthesizers are sometimes high for C, species. In celery such rates have been related to a low CO2 compensation point typical of C4 and C3-C4 intermediate spp, although other data show celery photosynthesis as typically C3 Therefore, celery gas exchange was here reanalyzed, and while A was high (CO2 assimilation rates were 21.2 and 27.6 μ mol m-2s-1, average and maximum, photosynthesis was otherwise C,: CO, comp pt of 3.5-5.0 Pa, carboxylation efficiency of 0.99 μmol CO2m-2s-1Pa-1, light comp pt of 8-36 μ mol photon m-1s-1, optimum temp of 22-27°C for Amax. High A may relate to a capacity to synthesize both mannitol and sucrose. 14C pulse-chase studies, with different A obtained by imposing light gradients across opposite leaflets, showed 1-10% increases in mannitoll sucrose labelling. Higher A may reflect carbon partitioning into mannitol, agreeing with a hypothesis that polyol synthesis effectively recycles reductant in the cytosol.
Instrumentation to measure soil respiration is currently readily available. However, the relationship between soil respiration and root activity or root mass is not known. Herein we report on preliminary result using a 13CO2 pulse to the foliage to determine if 13C respiration can be related to either root activity or root mass. An experiment was performed in the field on a 5-year-old apple tree (cv. Jonagold on M7). The tree canopy was enclosed in a Mylar® balloon and 2.1 g 13CO2 were pulsed in the balloon for 1 hr. After the pulse, air emitted by the soil and selected roots was collected every 6 hr for 8 days, by bubbling it in 2 M NaOH. 13C/12C ratios were measured with the mass spectrometer. The emission of 13CO2 from the roots gradually increased after the pulse reaching a peak after 100 hr. The emission trend was not linear, but it seemed related to soil temperature. Leaves and fruit were also collected daily. 13C content in leaves was 1.15% right after the pulse, but it progressively decreased to 1.09% at the end of the experiment. The experiment was then repeated on 12 potted apple trees (cv. Redcort on M7) in greenhouse conditions. Six of them were maintained well-watered, whereas six plants were subjected to a mild water stress, by watering them with half of the volume of water used for well-watered plants. After the two soil moisture levels were achieved, the tree canopies of all the 12 trees were pulsed. Leaves, stems, and roots were ground and run in the mass spectrometer. The results of root emission rate were found to be similar to the field experiment. Results also indicated that, in our experiment, stress did not affect root respiration rate. Specific details of the physiology data will be presented.