Vol. 75 No: 6

Title:
Nucleotide synthesis capability as a marker of the petiole elongation of strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)

Authors:
F. ROBERT and G. PÉTEL

pp: 690-696

Abstract:
Vegetative growth of strawberry plants, estimated by leaf blade and petiole sizes, influences fruit development notably through carbohydrate synthesis. Improvement in fruit production requires the control of internal and external vegetative growth factors. For a better knowledge of the internal causes of vegetative growth, we evaluated cell elongation, cell size and cell number in petioles of 'Elsanta' strawberry plants observed under natural conditions. Nucleotide synthesis potentialities of these petioles were also measured as well as adenosine kinase activity, an enzyme of the nucleotide metabolism. A growth area near the leaf blade was identified by these measurements. At the cellular level, elongation of petioles was a concomitant effect of size increase and multiplication of cells which primarily took place in the upper part of the petiole. Synthesis capabilities of nucleotide and adenosine kinase activity were high at the beginning of petiole growth, when cell development was important. The correlation established between these morphological and biochemical measurements suggest that the measurement of nucleotide synthesis potentialities and adenosine kinase activity could be used as markers for vegetative growth of strawberry plants.

Full text: JHSB Subscribers     ISHS members & other users
(PDF 475904 bytes)

Go back to previous page