Is There Daily Growth Hysteresis versus Vapor Pressure Deficit in Cherry Fruit?

Abstract

The growth of cherry fruit is generally described using a double sigmoid model, divided into four growth stages. Abiotic factors are considered to be significant components in modifying fruit growth, and among these, the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is deemed the most effective. In this study, we investigated sweet cherry fruit growth through the continuous, hourly monitoring of fruit transversal diameter over two consecutive years (2019 and 2020), from the beginning of the third stage to maturation (forth stage). Extensometers were used in the field and VPD was calculated from weather data. The fruit growth pattern up to the end of the third stage demonstrated three critical steps during non-rainy days: shrinkage, stabilization and expansion. In the third stage of fruit growth, a partial clockwise hysteresis curve of circadian growth, as a response to VPD, appeared on random days. The pattern of fruit growth during rainy days was not distinctive, but the amount and duration of rain caused a consequent decrease in the VPD and indirectly boosted fruit growth. At the beginning of the fourth stage, the circadian growth changed and the daily transversal diameter vs VPD formed fully clockwise hysteresis curves for most of this stage. Our findings indicate that hysteresis can be employed to evaluate the initial phenological phase of fruit maturation, as a fully clockwise hysteresis curve was observable only in the fourth stage of fruit growth. There are additional opportunities for its use in the management of fruit production, such as in precision fruit farming.

Continuous Monitoring of Olive Fruit Growth by Automatic Extensimeter in Response to Vapor Pressure Deficit from Pit Hardening to Harvest

“…According to this research, there was a completely different mechanism of leaf and fruit water exchange in response to increasing water deficit in the two cultivars, which might be driven by different osmotic adjustments, cell-wall elasticity and tissue water content [35]. Recently, in the cherry fruit growth relationship with VPD, full hysteresis was found only during the maturation phase while during fruit extension phase the hysteresis was null or partial [11].…”

“…where x is the normalized value, x is the value of the existing data, and x min and x max are the minimum and maximum values of the data, respectively [11].…”

“…One of its main research foci in pomology consist in monitoring of fruit transversal diameter by an application of sensors, to represent fruit growth. Observation of circadian cycles applied to fruit growth contributes to gathering information regarding this phenological stage and to yield more data for developing precision farming technologies [10,11].…”

Feature Papers in Horticulturae

“…Zucchini et al [8] determined whether there is a daily growth hysteresis versus vapor pressure deficit in cherry (Prunus cerasus) fruit. Their results indicated that hysteresis can be employed to evaluate the initial phenological phase of fruit maturation, as a fully clockwise hysteresis curve was observable only in the fourth stage of fruit growth.…”