The number of leaves required for floral induction and translocation of the florigenic promoter in mango (Mangifera indica L.) in a tropical climate

Mango flowering appears to be determined by a temperature-regulated florigenic promoter (FP) synthesized in leaves and translocated to buds in phloem. The number of leaves required for flowering was investigated in ‘Keitt’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango trees exposed to tropical conditions in Colombia. Data were compared with a previous study conducted under cool, floral-inductive conditions in Florida (Davenport et al., 2006). Leaf-number treatments consisted of 0, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, or 4 leaves on each of 20–40 stems per branch. The long distance translocation experiment consisted of a terminal donor stem and five defoliated receiver stems on each treatment branch. Treatments were 0, 1, 3, or 5 leaves on the donor stem. Every treatment branch in both experiments was girdled to isolate it from the rest of the tree, and developing panicles were removed to stimulate lateral shoot initiation at a time when conditions were right for floral induction in those buds. Treatment stems bearing no leaves produced only vegetative shoots in both cultivars in both experiments. The minimum number of leaves per stem (1/8 of a leaf and 1/4 of a leaf) was sufficient to induce 6% and 1% reproductive shoots with 94% and 99% vegetative shoots in Tommy Atkins’ and ‘Keitt’ stems, respectively. Branches bearing 4 leaves per stem in ‘Tommy Atkins’ trees produced the maximum mean flowering response with 45% reproductive shoots and 55% vegetative shoots. The maximum ‘Keitt’ response was 22% reproductive and 78% vegetative shoots with 4 leaves per stem. The donor stem of the 1-leaf treatment and the donor and first receiver stem of the 3-leaf treatment in the translocation experiment were induced to flower in ‘Tommy Atkins’ trees. The more distal receiver stems from the donor were vegetative. The 5-leaf donor treatment-induced reproductive shoots as far as the third leafless receiver stem located 52 cm from the donor. Proportions of flowering shoots decreased with distance from the donor, and the level of the FP was apparently insufficient to reach the fourth and fifth receivers since their shoot responses were vegetative. Only vegetative shoot responses were obtained in the translocation experiment conducted in ‘Keitt’ trees. The leaf number and translocation experiment results support the hypothesis that far less FP is synthesized in both ‘Tommy Atkins’ and ‘Keitt’ leaves during warm, tropical conditions than is synthesized in ‘Keitt’ leaves exposed to cool, subtropical conditions.     

Evidence for a translocatable florigenic promoter in mango

Movement of a putative florigenic promoter from leaves to buds was investigated in two cultivars of mango (Mangifera indica L.) over two flowering seasons through examination of the minimum number of leaves on each stem necessary for floral induction and movement of this component over various distances from stem to stem in isolated branches. The minimum number of leaves on individual stems necessary to induce flowering was less than 1/4 of a cross-cut leaf per stem. The putative florigenic promoter moved from donor stems bearing as few as one leaf to induce flowering in five receiver stems located as far down branches as 100 cm from the donor stem. Evidence suggests that movement of the putative florigenic promoter occurs in phloem and that far more of this component is available in trees than is necessary for floral induction of initiating shoots during cool, floral-inductive conditions of the subtropics.     

干旱胁迫对果树开花的诱导及对生理生化性状的影响

干旱胁迫是许多热带、亚热带果树花芽诱导的有效措施,现就干旱胁迫对果树开花诱导的效果以及对果树生理生化过程的影响进行讨论.认为干旱胁迫明显降低果树的营养生长,影响果树体内碳水化合物以及含氮化合物的含量水平和相对比例,明显调节果树体内内源激素含量状况,并有效促进部分果树的开花.同时对干旱诱导的时间、强度以及今后控水促花研究中尚需解决的问题进行了讨论.     

Year around off season flower induction in longan (Dimocarpus longan,Lour.) trees by KClO3 applications: potentials and problems

Off season induction of flowering and fruit production is a desirable economical and scientific goal with many subtropical fruit trees. Both objectives have been accomplished by the application of gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitors with mango and a few other fruit trees. Recently the same was achieved with longan trees (Dimocarpus longan, Lour.) after treatment with potassium chlorate. This treatment allows the efficient induction of flowering and fruit production all over the year in an obviously species-specific manner.Experiments are described that investigated several aspects of this KClO₃ treatments, such as methods of application, seasonal effects, reactiveness of different cvs. toward the chemical, influence of leaf age, etc. The results are discussed with respect to the practical application of KClO₃ for off season fruit production, but also under the aspect of its use for more basic investigations into the endogenous regulation of the flowering induction process in perennial fruit trees.     

Interaction of temperature and vegetative flush maturity influences shoot structure and development of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)

Potted lychee trees (cv. Tai so) of varying vegetative flush maturity were grown under a range of temperature regimes and monitored for subsequent shoot structure and development. A combination of low temperature (15/17 or 18/13 °C day/night) and high vegetative flush maturity was necessary for floral initiation to occur. Exposure to high temperatures (28/23 °C) invariably resulted in the production of vegetative shoots, irrespective of flush maturity. Strong floral initiation was marked by the emergence of terminal panicles and accompanying axillary panicles. A decrease in vegetative flush maturity or increase in temperature (e.g. 23/18 °C) resulted in a decrease in axillary shoot formation and the production of several intermediate shoot structures. These included leafy panicles, stunted panicles, partially emerged buds and non-emergent swollen buds, often produced on the same tree. At 23/18 °C, closer synchronisation of initial flush maturity was required for the production of a consistent shoot-type. Trees with synchronised mature flushes (I-2) at 23/18 °C resulted in the production of swollen terminal buds. Healthy trees were maintained in this state for at least 11 months. These results indicate that both temperature and flush maturity can influence subsequent shoot structure of lychee. In the absence of either a strong floral temperature (18/13 °C) or strong vegetative temperature (28/23 °C), slight differences in initial flush maturity have greater impact on the type of emerging shoot formed.     

Floral induction in tropical fruit trees: Effects of temperature and water supply

Summary

Floral induction in tropical trees generally follows a check in vegetative growth. However, it is not easy to identify the environmental factors involved in flowering, which normally occurs during the dry season when temperatures are also often lower. The separate and combined effects of temperature and water supply on floral induction were investigated in ‘Hass’ avocado (Persea americana), ‘Lisbon’ lemon (Citrus limon). ‘Wai Chee’ litchi (Litchi chinensis) and ‘Sensation’ mango (Mangifera indica). Low temperatures (15°/10°C or 15°/10°C and 20°/15°C compared with 30°/25°C and 25°/20°C) generally decreased vegetative growth and induced flowering in well-watered avocado, litchi and mango. A pre-dawn leaf water potential (ψ_L) of ?1.7 to ?3.5 MPa compared with ?0.4 to ?0.7 MPa in control avocado and litchi, and a pre-dawn relative water content (R.W.C.) of 90-93% compared with 97% or above in control mango plants also reduced or eliminated vegetative growth, but did not induce flowering. Low temperatures (15°/10°C compared with 20°/5°C, 25°/20°C or 30°/25°C) and water stress (pre-dawn ψ_L of ?2.0 to ?3.5 MPa compared with ?0.7 to ?0.8 MPa in controls) reduced or eliminated vegetative growth in lemon. In contrast to the response in avocado, litchi and mango, flowering in lemon was very weak in the absence of water stress at 15°/10°C or outdoors in Brisbane in subtropical Australia (Lat. 28°S), and was greatest after a period of water stress. The number of flowers increased with the severity and duration of water stress (two, four or eight weeks) and was generally greater after constant rather than with cyclic water stress. In lemon and litchi, net photosynthesis declined with increasing water stress reaching zero with a midday ψ_L of ?3.5 to ?4.0 MPa. This decline in carbon assimilation appeared to be almost entirely due to stomatal closure. Despite the reduction in midday CO₂ assimilation, starch concentration increased during water stress, especially in the branches, trunk and roots of lemon. Leaf starch was uniformly low. The number of flowers per tree in lemon was strongly correlated with starch in the branches (r²=77%, P<0.01) and roots (r²=74%, P<0.001). In litchi, starch was lower than in lemon roots and was not related to flowering.

In separate experiments to test the interaction between temperature and water supply, low day/night temperatures (23°/18° and 18°/15°C compared with 29°/25°C) reduced vegetative growth and induced flowering in avocado, litchi and mango. None of these species flowered at 29°/25°C or as a result of water stress (ψ_L of ?1.5 MPa compared with ?0.3 MPa for avocado and ?2.0 MPa compared with ?0.5 MPa for litchi, and R.W.C, of 90-93% compared with 95-96% in mango). In contrast, in lemon, flowering was very weak (<10 flowers per tree) in the absence of water stress (pre-dawn ψ_L of ?2.0 MPa compared with ?0.5 MPa) and was only heavy (>35 flowers per tree) after stressed trees were rewatered. There were slightly more flowers at 18°/15°C than at 23°/18° and 29°/25°C in control plants, but no effect of temperature in stressed plants. Starch concentration in the roots of avocado, lemon, litchi and mango was generally higher at 18°/15°C and 23°/18°C than at 29°/25°C. Water stress increased the starch concentration in the roots of lemon and litchi and decreased it in avocado. There was no effect in mango. There was a weak relation (r²=57%, P<0.05) between the number of flowers per tree in lemon and the concentration of starch in the roots. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between flowering and starch levels under the various temperature and water regimes in the other species. In another experiment, only vegetative growth in litchi and mango occurred at 30°/25°C and only flowering at 15°/10°C. Six weeks of water stress (pre-dawn ψ_L of ?2.5 MPa compared with ?1.0 MPa or higher in litchi, and R.W.C, of 90-93% compared with 95% or higher in mango) in a heated glasshouse (30°C days/20°C night minimum) before these temperature treatments did not induce flowering.

Temperatures below 25°C for avocado and below 20°C for litchi and mango are essential for flowering and cannot be replaced by water stress. The control of flowering in lemon over the range of day temperatures from 18°C to 30°C differed from that of the other species in being mainly determined by water stress. Flowering was generally weak in well-watered plants even with days at 18°C. Starch did not appear to control flowering.     

Synchronization of anthesis and enhancement of vegetative growth in coffee (Coffea arabica L.) following water stress during floral initiation

SUMMARY

The possibility of using water stress during floral initiation and development, to synchronize flowering in potted coffee trees of cvs Catuai Rojo and Mundo Novo was investigated. Moderate and severe cyclic and constant water stress had little effect on vegetative growth during floral initiation. However, upon rewatering, shoot growth was significantly greater in plants where leaf water potential [¨,] had declined to -2.5 MPa compared with plants where ¨, was maintained above -0.5 MPa. The period of floral initiation was not influenced by water stress and occurred only under short days (<12 h). In contrast, a y, of -2.5 MPa significantly reduced the number of inflorescences compared with plants maintained at a ¨| of -0.5 or -1.5 MPa. This reduction was associated with leaf drop in stressed plants. Therefore, regular irrigation during the period of floral initiation is recommended. Water stress (¨, of -1.5 or -2.5 MPa compared with -0.5 MPa) accelerated floral development with no deleterious effects on floral differentiation. Once flower buds are fully differentiated they enter dormancy and reach anthesis only if trees are stressed and rewa-tered. Flower buds remain dormant if trees are watered regularly or a constant water stress provided. A constant period of water stress in the late stages of floral development after floral initiation is complete provides a means of increasing the proportion of fully differentiated dormant flower buds (mature buds). This could represent a practical method to achieve synchronized flowering in field conditions where there is irrigation and a reliable dry season in the late stages of floral development.     

Water deficits promote flowering in Rhododendron via regulation of pre and post initiation development

Flowering is generally considered to be advanced by water deficits in many woody perennial species. A long-standing paradigm being that as a plant senses severe environmental conditions resources are diverted away from vegetative growth and towards reproduction before death. It is demonstrated that in Rhododendron flowering is promoted under water deficit treatments. However, the promotion of flowering is not achieved via an increase in floral initiation, but through separate developmental responses. If regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is imposed prior to the time of initiation, fewer vegetative nodes are formed before the apical meristems switch to floral initiation, and chronologically, floral initiation occurs earlier. Both RDI and partial rootzone drying (PRD) treatments stimulate the development of more flowers on each inflorescence if the treatments are continued after the plant has undergone floral initiation. However, floral initiation is inhibited by soil water deficits. If the soil water deficit continues beyond the stages of floral development then anthesis can occur prematurely on the fully formed floral buds without a need for a winter chilling treatment. It is hypothesised that inhibition of floral initiation in plants experiencing severe soil water deficits results from the inhibitory action of ABA transportation to the apical meristem from stressed roots. It is demonstrated that ABA applications to well-watered Rhododendron inhibit floral initiation.     

Regulated deficit irrigation in ‘Clementina de Nules’ citrus trees. II: Vegetative growth

Summary

An experiment on Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) was performed during 1995 and 1996 in an orchard planted with drip-irrigated ‘Clementina de Nules’/Carrizo Citrange in Moncada (Valencia) Spain. Treatments consisted of a control, irrigated during the whole year at 125% ET_lys and RDI treatments where irrigation was reduced to 25% or to 50% of crop evapotranspiration measured by a weighing lysimeter (ET_lys) during one of the following periods: I) flowering and fruit set (spring); II) initial fruit enlargement phase (summer) and III) final fruit growth and maturation phases (end of summer-autumn). An additional treatment, denominated 50%-Year, was irrigated at 50% ET_lys during the whole year. The effects of RDI treatments in relation to tree water status (pre-dawn Ψ^pd and midday Ψ^md leaf water potential, as well as their integral with time) show a good relation between total shoot emergence in the different growth flushes and the stress intensity reached (Ψ^pd) (r² = 0.80). This correlation was mainly due to the number of floral shoots (r² = 0.86) and not to vegetative ones (r² = 0.22). Similar results were observed between the stress integral at pre-dawn in each period and the former sprouting variables. In all cases, correlation was better with pre-dawn leaf water potential or with pre-dawn stress integral than with those at midday. RDI during spring reduced shoot length of the first growth flush (A1) and increased fruitlet fall after restarting normal irrigation. It also produced “off-season” flowering in the second flush growth (A2) and increased shoot emergence of the third flush growth (A3) with about 10% of them being floral. Summer RDI treatments did not alter vegetative growth, and although they produced off-season flowering (A3) it was much smaller than that of autumn RDI treatments, which in addition reduced vegetative growth with respect to the control. These effects, together with those of yield and fruit quality presented elsewhere, show that summer is the more appropriate period to apply RDI in “Clementina de Nules” mandarin trees.     

Further studies on graft-induced off-season flowering and fruiting in mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Summary

Defoliated shoots of cvs Alphonso, Dashehari, Totapari etc. (receptors), could be induced to flower within four weeks during the off-season by veneer grafting them to leafy shoots of the off-season flowering cv. Royal Special (donor) during the non-flowering season. Experiments on defoliating the donor and receptor shoots revealed the crucial dual role of the leaves in flowering. In the ‘floral cycle’, leaves from the donor promoted flowering, whereas leaves on the receptors, in the vegative phase, were inhibitory, and prevented graft-induction of the receptors. Thus, for graft induction, leafy donors and defoliation of receptors were essential. The inhibitory effect of the leaves on the receptors was localized and did not affect flowering of the donor shoots’ The similarity between these findings and those in the herbaceous, day-length sensitive species strengthens the view that flower formation is controlled in the same way in herbaceous and in woody perennial species. A minimum threshold of the floral stimulus appeared to be another requirement for an optimum flowering response. This was concluded from an experiment in which the leafy receptors were defoliated on different dates during the off-season flowering cycle. At the end of cycle, the defoliated receptors produced small panicles, and finally only vegetative shoots, probably indicating sub-threshold levels of the stimulus. Bud activity at the apex in the receptor was also an important pre-requisite for graft-induction. Some veneer-grafted scions which remained dormant during the flowering cycle of the donor and which sprouted much later after the completion of off-season flowering, ‘escaped’ the stimulus and invariably turned out to be vegetative. It is postulated that the cyclic synthesis of the floral stimulus in the leaves in an inductive cycle, and the gap between two such cycles, mainly decides the flowering behaviour of mango cultivars—biennial, annual and multiflowering. Two other requiremets are the absence of non-induced leaves and the synchronization of meristematic activity in the bud with the inductive cycle. Juvenile shoots from one to four year old seedlings could not be graft-induced—unlike the shoots from mature, six year old seeding trees. This juvenility effect continued into the second year when defoliation of the receptor shoots had no effect and failed to induce them to flower.     

Water use and fruit yield of mango (Mangifera indica L.) grown in a subtropical Mediterranean climate

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most important fruit crops in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. On the coast of Granada and Malaga (SE Spain), irrigated subtropical fruit species have been introduced and cultivated on terraces with a considerable economic importance as the only European production region. The subtropical fruit production in this zone is possible with intensive irrigation on terraces, which are economically more profitable than traditional rainfed crops (almond and olive), which have been replaced or abandoned. A 2-year monitoring period was conducted using drainage lysimeters to determine the crop coefficients (Kc) and fruit yield in mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Osteen) orchards. Also, some quality parameters such as titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and vitamin C were evaluated under these conditions. The averaged Kc values of mango trees varied within production cycle of 0.43, 0.67, and 0.63 at flowering, fruit set, and fruit growth, respectively. In this study, the fruit yield under full water requirements (100% ET_C) averaged 24.1 kg tree^?1, amounting to 21.2 kg ha^?1 mm^?1 in terms of water-use efficiency. The quality parameters of the mango fruits harvested in the study area were satisfactory. Thus, this study highlights the need to optimize the irrigation-water use according to actual mango requirements, thereby achieving more sustainable Mediterranean subtropical farming in orchard terraces.     

Gibberellin-mediated suppression of floral initiation in the long-day plant Rhododendron cv. Hatsugiri

In a number of woody perennial species a decrease in gibberellins concentrations in the apical meristems is required for floral initiation to occur. In Rhododendron, applied gibberellins inhibit flowering and gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitors promote flowering. However, unlike previous reports on other Rhododendron cultivars, Rhododendron cv. Hatsugiri is a faculatitive LDP. It was therefore unknown how gibberellins regulate flowering in this cultivar and if non-inductive short daylengths stimulate the productions of endogenous gibberellins to suppress flowering. By inhibiting floral initiation while not stimulating vegetative growth we found applications of GA₅ to best match the natural response of Rhododendron cv. Hatsugiri under short-day regimes. GA₅-mediated effects on flowering have previously been reported to be due to conversion to GA₆, however, GA₅ was found to be present in tissue samples at up to 0.57 ng g⁻¹ FW, while GA₆ was never found. In addition, foliar applications of [¹⁴C] GA₅ were not found to have metabolised to GA₆. In line with the hypothesis that gibberellins inhibit floral initiation in short days in Rhododendron cv. Hatsugiri, the concentration of GA₂₀, a precursor to many bioactive gibberellins, was higher in leaf tissues from plants in short days, compared to those in permissive long days when analysed using GC–MS.     

Effects of pruning intensity on the biochemical status of shoot buds in three mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars planted at high density

Summary

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) trees grown at high density show a decline in flowering and fruiting after good fruiting years as a result of various factors. Annual pruning can restore production and productivity in such trees. Chlorophyll, total sugars (TS), total phenolics (TP), and proline contents as well as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities, were measured in the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 seasons in shoot buds with a few leaves in three mango cultivars (‘Amrapali’, ‘Mallika’, and ‘Dashehari’). Trees were grown at high density in an orchard and the aforesaid parameters were measured 1 month after different degrees of pruning (Stage I) and after subsequent fruit bud differentiation (FBD; Stage II). Severely-pruned mango trees had the highest contents of chlorophyll a, while chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll contents were found to be highest in moderately-pruned trees. Lightly-pruned trees had the highest contents of reducing sugars (RS), whereas TS contents were highest in severely-pruned trees. The contents of RS and TS increased in shoot buds during the FBD stage. A moderate intensity of pruning significantly increased TP contents, while the lowest TP contents were recorded in non-pruned trees. ‘Off’-year shoots had higher TP contents than ‘on’-year shoots. Irrespective of pruning intensity, shoot buds of ‘Mallika’ trees had the highest PPO activities, with lower levels in ‘Amrapali’ and ‘Dashehari’ shoot buds. PPO activities were reduced at the FBD stage in ‘on’-year shoots. Severely-pruned trees had the highest PPO activities, while the lowest PPO activities were recorded in lightly-pruned trees. Shoot bud proline contents were found to be highest in non-pruned trees, and decreased with increasing pruning intensity. Thus moderate pruning can be adopted in high density orchards to obtain sustainable production with improved maintenance of canopy architecture.     

Environmental control of growth and flowering of Rubus idaeus L. cv. Glen Ample

Environmental control of the annual growth cycle of ‘Glen Ample’ raspberry has been studied in order to facilitate crop manipulation for out-of-season production. Plants propagated from root buds were raised in long days (LD) at 21 °C and then exposed to different temperature and daylength conditions at varying ages. Shoot growth was monitored by weekly measurements and floral initiation by regular sampling and examination of axillary bud #5. Under natural summer daylight conditions at 60°N shoot growth was nearly doubled at 21 °C compared with 15 °C, while at 9 °C one half of the plants ceased growing and formed flower buds at midsummer. Developing shoots have a juvenile phase and could not be induced to flower before the 15-leaf stage. No significant reduction in induction requirements was found in larger plants. Plants exposed to natural light conditions from 10th August, had an immediate growth suppression at 9 and 12 °C with complete cessation after 4 weeks (by September 7). This coincided with the first appearance of floral primordia. At 15 °C both growth cessation and floral initiation occurred 2 weeks later (by September 21), while at 18 °C continuous growth with no floral initiation was maintained until early November when the photoperiod had fallen below 9 h. The critical photoperiod for growth cessation and floral initiation at 15 °C was 15 h. Plants exposed to 10-h photoperiods at 9 °C for 2–4 weeks had a transient growth suppression followed by resumed growth under subsequent high temperature and LD conditions, while exposure for 5 or 6 weeks resulted in complete growth cessation and dormancy induction. The critical induction period for floral initiation was 3 weeks although no transitional changes were visible in the bud before week 4. When exposed to inductive conditions for marginal periods of 3 or 4 weeks, an increasing proportion of the plants (20% and 67%, respectively), behaved as primocane flowering cultivars with recurrent growth and terminal flowering. It is concluded that growth cessation and floral initiation in raspberry are jointly controlled by low temperature and short day conditions and coincide in time as parallel outputs from the same internal induction mechanism.     

Flowering and Fruiting in ‘Arbequina’ Olives in Subtropical Climates Where Olives Normally Remain Vegetative

Abstract

It is generally assumed that lack of flowering and fruiting in olives in subtropical climates of southern Texas (e.g. Weslaco Texas area; N 26.16° Latitude 97.96° Longitude) is due to fewer chilling days (<7.2°C) during winter than most olive growing areas of the world. However using controlled environmental chambers we have recently shown that flowering and fruiting in the ‘Arbequina’ cultivar of olives can be achieved without any chilling days. This raised the question of why olive trees don't flower in southern Texas where they do experience some chilling days. We hypothesize that the absence of flowering in olives growing in southern Texas and a similar climate elsewhere is due not to the lack of enough chilling days but most likely due to high temperatures during the day (≥°C) that inhibit flowering. To test our hypothesis we provided cooling to olive trees growing under Weslaco Texas climate by simple shading or by evaporative cooling. These treatments resulted in good flowering and fruiting in ‘Arbequina’ olives in Weslaco Texas after a typical winter period although normally olive trees in this subtropical climate remain vegetative even after winter months.     

Pathogenesis-related (PR)-proteins: Chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in defense mechanism against malformation in mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Mango, the king of fruits in India is cultivated commercially in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Undoubtedly, mango malformation is a serious disease affecting mango production in India and many other countries around the world. It is now shown that the malady is inflicted by Fusarium, a fungus, and also that the plants have the capacity to suppress or reduce pathogen attack by inducing the synthesis of antimicrobial metabolites such as chitinase and/or the synthesis of lignin, both of which may enhance plant defense system. The present study was aimed at investigating the variability and relationship between activities of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase and content of lignin in the leaves using 12 mango cultivars with the different degree of resistance to floral malformation. Results revealed that the activity of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in the leaves were significantly high in mango cultivars resistant to malformation (r = −0.90 and r = −0.91, respectively) during the flowering period, whereas lignin content did not show a significant correlation with malformation. The highest activity of chitinase (1.977–2.011 units) and β-1,3-glucanase (80.54–82.06 units) was recorded in resistant mango cultivars Bhadauran and Elaichi. In contrast, these activities were less than 1.010 and 25.21 respectively in highly susceptible mango cultivars such as Amrapali, Eldon and Neelum. Lignin content was highest in resistant cultivar Bhadauran, but it did not show significant relation to the malformation intensity of the cultivars. Thus, leaf chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase may be contributing towards resistance to malformation in mango and that the relative activities of these enzymes can be used as a criterion to predict and screen the mango germplasm and cultivars for resistance to floral malformation.     

Effects of fruit load on flower bud initiation and development in peach

Summary

This study aims to quantify the effects of fruit crop-load on flowering and to determine the relationships between flowering and phloem sap carbohydrate and nitrogen content fractions from budding to dormancy in ‘Zincal 5’ nectarine. Fruit load significantly reduced the number of flowers per tree both indirectly, by reducing the number of shoots per tree and the number of nodes per shoot, and directly, by reducing the number of floral buds per node. The intensity of the response depended on the number of fruits developed per tree. Trees that kept all fruits up to senescence flowered 35% less than trees thinned by hand to 40% of fruits at pit hardening, and 55% less than trees completely thinned in bloom by hand. Trees that kept all fruits had significantly lower glucose and sorbitol contents in the phloem sap of mixed branches up to harvest date and full vegetative growth, respectively, but no significant relationships were found between the concentrations of these carbohydrates and flowering intensity in the following Spring. Sucrose and fructose did not show any significant difference in regard to crop-load. In fibrous roots, starch content was not related to fruit load up to dormancy, indicating that starch content is not associated with flower bud induction and differentiation. The nitrate-nitrogen fraction was significantly higher, and the ammonium-nitrogen fraction was significantly lower, in trees that tended to flower less, suggesting some disturbance in nitrate reduction in these trees.     

以阶段观剖视荔枝的花芽分化

以阶段观剖视荔枝的花芽分化,重新审视了相关研究资料,对影响成花的关键因子作了阐释,廓清了一些概念性问题。引进了俗称的“白点”(拟改称“白小米粒”)作为“成花诱导期”和“花穗发端发育期”的分界标识。指出水分胁迫对于秋梢的停止生长和成熟是必需的,但对于花诱导本身则非所必需,因为尚无证据可证明干旱能够代替荔枝的低温成花诱导。荔枝成花诱导期需要低温,而花穗发端发育期则需要适度升温和水分。低温的成花诱导的效果不会被随后的水分增多所逆转。茎端感受诱导性低温时处于非细胞分裂的“静止”状态,而“白小米粒”的出现标志着茎端进入了细胞分裂的活跃状态。充分成熟的秋梢接受成花诱导的效果最佳,但未充分成熟的秋梢上处于“静止”状态的芽也可以感受诱导性低温,只是抽发的带叶花穗率往往较高。花穗发端发育期气温过高会导致花穗上叶原基的进一步发育成叶片和花序原基的萎缩,即俗称的“冲梢”。若诱导期经受的低温不足,则此情况会更甚。