Vol. 70 No: 5

Title:
The Influence of Temperature and Water Supply on Apple Fruit Growth and the Development of Orchard-Grown Trees

Authors:
C.J. ATKINSON, L. TAYLOR and J.M. TAYLOR

pp: 691-704

Abstract:
The growth of ‘Cox's Orange Pippin’ apples in an orchard was studied in relation to temperature and irrigation. Temperature around a number of trees was raised by the use of polythene tunnels from bloom in May until harvest in September. These trees within the polytunnels received irrigation, while for comparative purposes some trees outside did not. Continuous measurements of the canopy environment, particularly temperature, were made until harvest. Throughout the growing season fruit size was repeatedly measured, non-destructively, on a large number of selected fruit. Despite differences in mean temperature and accumulated day-degrees between trees inside and outside the polytunnels, there was no benefit to fruit size from raised temperatures. Supplemental irrigation did have a number of effects; spur leaf area was enhanced without significant change in total leaf area, while in the absence of irrigation, final shoot length was greater. This greater shoot production was however associated with a smaller crop load per tree. The pattern of the calculated fruit growth with time, for each treatment, was similar and reflected bulk measurements made at harvest. Differences in the growth curves appeared to be likely to be due to irrigation enhancing the rate of fruit maturity. Fruit dry-matter content declined with supplemental irrigation and was increased by fruit thinning in June. The most marked effect of temperature on the fruit storage potential was a considerable reduction in nitrogen concentration.

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