Crop load and water stress effects on daily stem growth in peach (Prunus persica)

Abstract

We investigated crop load and water stress effects on diurnal stem extension growth of field-grown peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) trees. Neither the presence of fruit nor reduced irrigation significantly altered the timing of diurnal fluctuations in stem growth rate. Stems with subtending fruit had significantly reduced growth compared to stems with no subtending fruit. Crop load had no significant effect on relative stem extension rates and the majority of the reduction in absolute growth was the result of a smaller zone of elongation in fruit-bearing stems than in stems with no subtending fruit. Fruit removal did not increase growth rates within 24 h. When irrigation was reduced, the length of the stem elongation zone and total daily stem growth were significantly decreased relative to well-irrigated controls and the decreases were highly correlated with stem water potential. Compared with well-irrigated controls, relative stem extension rates of water-stressed trees were reduced at several times during the 24-h period, but the degree of reduction was not proportional to the difference in stem water potentials between the treatments.

A comparison of seed-propagated and micropropagated Amelanchier alnifolia (saskatoon): Yield and yield components in relation to crown architecture characteristics

“…Lauri et al (1996) suggested that, unless it is excessive, increased vegetative growth tends to promote flowering and fruit development. On the other hand it has been shown in certain fruit crops that an increase in fruiting is correlated with shorter bearing shoots (Berman and DeJong 1997). It should be pointed out that the relationships between fruit yield and shoot length in the present study were based on the 1-yr-old shoots, not bearing shoots.…”

The Crop Load Affects Brown Rot Progression in Fruit Orchards: High Fruit Densities Facilitate Fruit Exposure to Spores but Reduce the Infection Rate by Decreasing Fruit Growth and Cuticle Cracking

“…This is not surprising and in accordance with previous findings, not only on peaches, showing that a lower crop load releases fruit competition for resources and induces higher growth rates in the remaining fruits (Burge et al, 1987;DeJong and Grossman, 1995;Berman and DeJong, 1997;Miras-Avalos et al, 2013).…”

Deciphering the ontogeny of a sympodial tree

“…In our dataset, flowering occurrence after a minimum number of nodes can also be interpreted with respect to alternate flowering which is a specificity of perennial plants resulting from the absence of flowering induction in particular years. The particular status of flowering in tree ontogeny may arise from the high carbon cost of flower and fruit production (Bustan and Goldschmidt 1998) and competition with current vegetative growth (Cannell 1985;Berman and DeJong 1997). The terminal position of flowering and subsequent sympodial branching may also be involved in the reduction in vegetative growth since they induce a rupture in vascular connections and probably in hydraulic conductance, and this is assumed to be responsible for age-related decline in trees (Martinez-Vilalta et al 2007).…”