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Abstract
A poststorage application of TAL Pro-long reduced the softening of low-oxygen-(LO) stored ‘McIntosh’ and controlled-atmosphere-(CA) stored ‘Delicious’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh) during a 21-day shelf-life period at 15°C and 90% to 95% RH. The treatment did not affect fruit firmness of CA-stored ‘McIntosh’ or ‘Empire’ apples but did retard the loss of ground color in ‘McIntosh’. No physiological disorder was found in any treated fruit.
Abstract
Five cultivars of apples (Malus domesticus Borkh.) were sampled weekly during the harvest season for 3 consecutive years. The ethylene concentrations in the atmosphere from the apple core cavities were measured using a gas chromatograph. Each cultivar exhibited an individual range of internal ethylene concentration over the harvest season. Depending on the cultivar, the rate of increase in internal ethylene concentration varied from year to year. A single ethylene concentration cannot be used to estimate harvest maturity. Cultivar characteristics of internal ethylene concentrations and their yearly variation are two significant factors in interpreting ethylene measurements used for maturity estimations.
Our study found that storage temperature, storage atmosphere and growing region interactively affect the probability of internal browning disorder in `McIntosh' apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). Higher incidence of internal browning occurred in apples stored for 6 months at 1 °C (34 °F) in controlled atmosphere (CA) with 2.5% O2 + 1.5% CO2 or in CA with 1.0% O2 + 0.5% CO2 than apples stored at 1 °C in air or stored at 3 °C (37 °F) in air or CA conditions. The magnitude of the incidence of internal browning varied among apples harvested from different growing regions. Apples from London, Ontario, Canada were less tolerant to these two storage conditions and therefore greater number of fruit developed internal browning than apples from other regions. In addition, apples from the London growing region and stored at 1 °C in CA with 1.0% O2 + 0.5% CO2 had greater probability of internal browning than apples stored at 1 °C in CA with 2.5% O2 + 1.5% CO2. However, there was no difference between these two CA storage conditions in causing internal browning among apples harvested from other three growing regions. Few apples showed internal browning when they were stored at 3 °C, no matter of what storage atmosphere was used. Therefore, internal browning disorder can be avoided or significantly reduced by storing apples at 3 instead of 1 °C, in these two CA conditions. Internal browning disorder will not be a risk if apples are stored in air at 1 or 3 °C.
An efficient micropropagation system is being investigated to produce low cost and high quality miniature rose plants. Dormant literal buds of miniature roses were cultured on media containing MS, 30 g·l-1 sucrose, 8 g·l-1, and 25 combinations of NAA and BA. Initial explant growth was achieved on a medium containing NAA at 0.001-0.01 ppm and BA at 0.1 ppm. The highest multiplication rate was achieved when explants were subcultured on a medium containing MS, NAA at 0.01 ppm, BA at 2 ppm, and sucrose at 30 g·l-1. Growth was enhanced after culturing when dormant buds had more parental stem tissue. In addition, explants from the lowest two nodes with the shortest internode length exhibited the poorest growth. The higher the photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) (5 to 40 μmol·s-1m-2), the more quickly explants grew and aged. The most optimal PPF for initial growth was 20 μmol·s-1m-2. Subculture microcuttings of one cm or more in length grew vigorously one month after cuttings were dipped in 1000 ppm IBA and placed on a mist bench. Our results indicate that micropropagation of miniature roses has high potential for use in commercial industry.
Fumigation with 1 mg·L-1 of thymol vapor retarded mycelial growth of Monilinia fructicola (G. Wint.) Honey. Mean colony diameter was reduced from 49 mm in the control to 13 mm when the conidia were cultured on potato dextrose agar. Fumigation of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) with 2 mg·L-1 of thymol vapor reduced the germination of M. fructicola conidia to 2% compared with 98% on untreated fruit. Microscopic observations showed that the spores fumigated with thymol were shrunken and had collapsed protoplasts. In in vivo experiments, surface-sterilized apricots and plums (Prunus salicina L.) were inoculated with conidia of M. fructicola by applying 20 μL of a spore suspension to wounds on the fruit, and then were fumigated with thymol or acetic acid. The incidence of brown rot was reduced to 3% and 32% when `Manch' apricots were fumigated with thymol or acetic acid at 5 mg·L-1, respectively, compared with 64% incidence in untreated fruit. Fumigation of `Violette' plums with thymol or acetic acid at 8 mg·L-1 reduced brown rot from 88% in the control to 24% and 25%, respectively. Fumigation of `Veeblue' plums with thymol at 4 mg·L-1 reduced brown rot from 56% in the control to 14%. Fumigation of apricots with thymol resulted in firmer fruit and higher surface browning, but total soluble solids and titratable acidity were not affected. Fumigation of plum with thymol resulted in higher total soluble solids, but firmness and titratable acidity were not affected. Thymol fumigation caused phytotoxicity on apricots but not on plums.
Abstract
Ethylene production of 470 ‘Hi-Early Red Delicious’ apples harvested from primary, secondary, tertiary, etc., branches of 4 uniform trees of Malus domestica Borkh. was measured to determine pattern of ripening in relation to fruit position on the tree. Considerable variation was noted between and within branches. Some fruits showed surprisingly high ethylene (about 200 ppm at 155 days and up to 500 ppm at 160 days after full bloom) while others measured less than 5 ppm. Regression analysis revealed a linear trend between primary branches from base to apex of the tree. Delayed ethylene production of fruits below terminal shoots suggests ripening regulators in shoot tissue are interacting to delay ethylene synthesis.
Abstract
Foliar daminozide (DZ) and paclobutrazol (PBZ) applications delayed apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) fruit maturation and ripening at harvest the year of treatment. There was little effect on juice soluble solids or mean fruit weight. Following 24 weeks of air storage, treated fruit were firmer and displayed less core browning than those untreated. Trunk-drench or soil-spray applications of PBZ had little or no effect on any of these quality or physiological parameters of the fruit. In the year after treatment there were no residual effects of either DZ or PBZ on any fruit physiological parameters, despite significant PBZ-induced reductions in shoot growth, fruit size, seed number, pedicel length, and alterations in fruit shape. Chemical names used: butanedioic acid mono(2,2-dimethylhydrazide) (daminozide); β-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-α-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol (paclobutrazol).
Foliar daminozide (DZ) applications to `McIntosh' apple trees (Malus domestics Borkh.) increased fruit color, reduced preharvest drop, resulted in greater firmness at harvest and after air storage, delayed starch hydrolysis, and reduced fruit ethylene production at harvest and after storage. Foliar paclobutrazol (PBZ) reduced preharvest drop and flesh firmness loss if applied within 5 weeks after full bloom (WAFB). Later applications had no effect. PBZ did not influence the progress of starch hydrolysis or ethylene production at harvest but reduced poststorage ethylene production in one season. Stem-cavity browning and brown core were increased by PBZ applied at 5 and 9 WAFB in 1987. In 1988, fruit soluble solids content (SSC) was reduced by a double application of PBZ and by uniconazole (UCZ). UCZ had little effect on `McIntosh' fruit other than the reduction in SSC. PBZ applications were less consistent in their effects than DZ. Chemical names used: butanedioic acid mono(2,2-dimethylhydrazide) (daminozide); ß-[(4-chlorophenyl) methyl]-α- -(l,l-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol (paclobutrazol); ß-[(4-chlorophenyl)methylene]-α-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol (uniconazole).
The sensitivity of easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum) to either ethylene or methane (products of incomplete burning in gas-fired unit heaters) was tested during rooting [3 weeks at 18 °C (65 °F)], vernalization [6 weeks at 6 °C (43 °F)] and subsequent greenhouse forcing (15 weeks at 18 °C). Starting at planting, easter lilies were exposed for one of seven consecutive 3-week periods (short-term), or for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, or 21 weeks starting at planting (long-term) to either ethylene or methane at an average concentration of 2.4 and 2.5 μL·L-1(ppm), respectively. Short- or long-term exposure to ethylene during rooting and vernalization had no effect on the number of buds, leaves, or plant height but increased the number of days to flower. Short-term exposure within 6 weeks after vernalization reduced the number of buds by 1 bud/plant compared to the control (no ethylene exposure). However, extensive bud abortion occurred when plants were exposed to ethylene during the flower development phase. Long-term exposure to ethylene from planting until after the flower initiation period resulted in only two to three buds being initiated, while continued long-term exposure until flowering caused all flower buds to abort. Short-term exposure to methane at any time had no effect on leaf yellowing, bud number, bud abortion, or height and had only a marginal effect on production time. Long-term exposure to methane from planting until the end of vernalization increased both the number of buds, leaves and height without affecting forcing time, leaf yellowing or bud abortion.