Vol. 73 No: 4

Title:
Within and Between Tree Variability in Fruit Characteristics Associated with Bitter Pit Incidence of ‘Braeburn’ Apple

Authors:
F.D. BROOM, G.S. SMITH, D.B. MILES and T.G.A. GREEN

pp: 555-562

Abstract:
The variability of fruit populations from six ‘Braeburn’ apple trees was studied. Fruit size, calcium concentration and seed number were investigated at a tree level, and within trees in terms of position in the canopy and according to fruiting wood type. When tree mean values were compared, fruit size (weight) and fruit calcium concentration exhibited a typical inverse relationship. However, within trees, these two attributes were positively related with a high degree of variability at an individual fruit level. Increases in the number of full seeds were associated with increases in fruit size and calcium concentration of individual fruit. An increase in the number of flat seeds was associated with decreases in fruit weight and calcium. This association was not only a result of the relationship between full and flat seeds, as flat seeds themselves were associated with negative effects on fruit quality, irrespective of full seed number.

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