Bearing Habits of Acer truncatum and the Relationship Between Its Branch Characteristics and Fruiting Performance

Abstract

In recent years, seeds of the Shantung maple have attracted attention for their economic and medicinal value due to the high nervonic acid content in their seed oil, which has a curative effect on some demyelinating diseases. However, few studies have investigated its fruiting habits and branch characteristics; therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the fruit bearing habits of A. truncatum and analyze the relationship between its branch characteristics and fruiting performance to provide a basis for management. The branch structure, flower-bearing position, and continuous fruiting ability of 200 A. truncatum individuals were recorded from 2014-2017. The results showed that parent and bearing shoots of A. truncatum were usually short (less than 10 cm) with fruit developed by terminal mixed buds of the parent shoot. A. truncatum can form a Y-shaped branch group with continuous fruiting ability for many years via a lateral shoot of the bearing shoot. The position and slenderness of the parent shoot had a significant influence on the yield of the bearing shoot and seed weight, length, and thickness. The top and basal diameters of the parent shoot had a significant influence on the yield of the bearing shoot. Group comparison results showed that the most effective and convenient method for the selection of parent shoots with high fruiting performance was based on the position and top diameter of the parent shoots, among which the parent shoots with a top diameter thicker than 3.08 mm developed by a lateral bud in a vegetative branch had greater yield, number of fruit, and seed weight.