Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T18:18:59.700Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Water stress and crop load effects on vegetative and fruit growth of ‘Elegant Lady’ peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batch] trees

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2005

Ahmed Mahhou ,
Theodore M. DeJong ,
Tiesen Cao  and
Ken S. Shackel
Ahmed Mahhou
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture IAV Hassan II, BP 6202, Rabat, Morocco
Theodore M. DeJong
Affiliation:
Department of Pomology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Tiesen Cao
Affiliation:
Department of Pomology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Ken S. Shackel
Affiliation:
Department of Pomology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Get access

Abstract

Introduction. Vegetative and fruit growth in fruit trees are differentially sensitive to water deficit during the season depending on the stage of fruit growth. Attempts have been made to evaluate the possibilities of using regulated deficit irrigation to control vegetative growth and save water in the fruit industry. Materials and methods. Effects of water stress (WS) and crop load (CL) on fruit growth and carbon assimilation rates were evaluated in a 7-year-old ‘Elegant Lady’ peach orchard. A completely randomized block design with 2 × 3 factors [irrigation with two levels (control and WS) and CL with three levels (light, commercial and heavy)] was used. Results and discussion. Both WS and CL affected fruit growth during the last stages but not early on. CL did not affect trunk water potential which was, however, significantly reduced by WS throughout the day and the season. Trunk water potential of water-stressed trees was lower than that of control trees throughout the day and the season regardless of CL. The magnitude of WS increased as the season progressed. Stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and CO2 assimilation rate were not affected by CL but were reduced by WS. The trees responded (acclimated) to stress by progressively reducing their transpiration rate as the severity of stress increased. For each irrigation regime, assimilation rates were similar for all three crop levels. This indicated the existence of alternate sinks for assimilates when CL was low, which compensate for the reduction of fruit sink activity resulting from fruit thinning. Conclusion. Water deficit reduced trunk water potential, stomatal conductance, transpiration and photosynthesis in ‘Elegant Lady’ peach trees. However, CL had a limited effect on these functions. There were good correlations between trunk water potential and either stomatal conductance or assimilation rate in water-stressed trees but not in control trees. This indicates a poor coordination between leaf functions in peach trees under optimal conditions. However, these relationships were stronger under WS conditions. Thus, water use efficiency appeared to increase under water deficit conditions.

Keywords

Prunus persicadrought stresstreesfruitspruninggrowthfruitingwater potentialstomatatranspirationPrunus persicastress dû à la sécheressearbrefruitstaillecroissancefructificationpotentiel hydriquestomatetranspiration
Type
Research Article
Information
Fruits , Volume 60 , Issue 1 , January 2005 , pp. 55 - 68
Copyright
© CIRAD, EDP Sciences

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chalmers, D.J., Mitchell, P.D., Heek, L. van, Control of peach tree growth and productivity by regulated water supply, tree density, and summer pruning, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 106 (1981) 307–312.
Mitchell, P.D., Chalmers, D.J., The effect of reduced water supply on peach tree growth and yields, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 107 (1982) 853–856.
Flore, J.A., Lakso, A.N., Moon, J.W., The effect of water stress and vapor pressure gradient on stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, and photosynthesis of fruit crops, Acta Hortic. 171 (1985) 207–217. CrossRef
Cheng, L., Cheng, S., Shu, H.X.L., Effects of mild water stress on CO2 assimilation and water use efficiency of field-grown peach trees, Acta Hortic. 374 (1996) 121–125. CrossRef
Natali, S., Bignami, C., Cammilli, C., Effects of different levels of water supply on gas exchanges of early ripening peaches, Acta Hortic. 374 (1996) 113–120. CrossRef
Larson, K.D., DeJong, T.M., Johnson, R.S., Physiological and growth responses of mature peach trees to postharvest water stress, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 113 (1988) 296–300.
Steinberg, S.L., Miller, J.C., McFarland, M.J., Dry Matter partitioning and vegetative growth of young peach trees under water stress, Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 17 (1990) 23–36. CrossRef
Girona, J., Mata, M., Goldhamer, D.A., Johnson, R.S., DeJong, T.M., Patterns of soil and tree water status and leaf functioning during regulated deficit irrigation scheduling in peach, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 118 (1993) 580–586.
Blanco, A., Pequerul, A., Val, J., Monge, E., Gomez Aparisi, J., Crop load effects on vegetative growth, mineral nutrient concentration and leaf water potential in ‘Catherine’ peach, J. Hortic. Sci. 70 (1995) 623–629. CrossRef
Li, S.H., Huguet, J.G., Schoch, P.G., Orlando, P., Response of peach tree growth and cropping to soil water deficit at various phenological stages of fruit development, J. Hort. Sci. 64 (1989) 541–552.
Huguet J.G., Li S.H., Defrance H., Influence de la disponibilité en eau du sol sur la qualité des fruits chez le pêcher Prunus persica L., 9e Colloque sur les recherches fruitières, Inra, Avignon, France, 1990, pp. 135–144.
Mc Fadyen, L.M., Hutton, R.J., Barlow, E.W.R., Effects of crop load on fruit water relations and fruit growth in peach, J. Hortic. Sci. 71 (1996) 469–480. CrossRef
Grossman, Y.L., DeJong, T.M., Maximum vegetative growth potential and seasonal patterns of resource dynamics during peach tree growth, Ann. Bot. 104 (1995) 247–254.
Berman, M.E., DeJong, T.M., Crop load and water stress effects on daily stem growth in peach (Prunus persica), Tree Physiol. 17 (1997) 467–472. CrossRef
Berman, M.E., DeJong, T.M., Water stress and crop load effects on fruit fresh and dry weights in peach (Prunus persica), Tree Physiol. 16 (1996) 859–864. CrossRef
Flore, A.J., Lakso, A.N., Environmental and physiological regulation of photosynthesis in fruit crops, Hortic. Rev. 11 (1989) 111–157.
Jones, H.G., Carbon dioxide exchange of developing apple (Malus pumila Mill.) fruits, J. Exp. Bot. 32 (1981) 1203–1210. CrossRef
DeJong, T.M., Fruit effects on photosynthesis in Prunus persica, Physiol. Plantarum 66 (1986) 149–153. CrossRef
DeJong, T.M., Day, K.R., Doyle, J.F., Johnson, R.S., The Kearney Agricultural Center perpendicular “V” (KAC-V) orchard system for peaches and nectarines, Hortic. Tech. 4 (1995) 362–367.
McCutchan, H., Shakel, K.A., Stem-water potential as a sensitive indicator of water stress in prune trees (Prunus domestica L. cv. French), J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 117 (1992) 607–611.
Palmer, P.D., Pear fruit growth and the use of diameter to estimate fruit volume and weight, HortScience 21 (1986) 1003–1005.