NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE MICROIMAGING OF STRAWBERRY FLOWER BUDS ANDFRUIT

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can be used to examine tissue structu re and developmental changes during growth and maturation of plant org ans nondestructively. Spin-lattice, relaxation time: (T1)-weighted, in version recovery, spin-echo images of strawberry (Fragaria xananassa D uch.) flower buds were acquired at 3 and I day before anthesis and rec eptacles at 4, 10, 15, and 25 days after anthesis (DAA). The central p ith and ovules of newer buds imaged intensely with inversion echo time s between 0.1 and 0.5 seconds. Achenes and the vascular cylinder, comp osed of vascular bundles surrounding the pith, were prominent in recep tacles at 4 and 10 DAA. Vascular bundles leading to achene positions, cortex and pith tissues, and the vascular cylinder were evident in rec eptacles at all developmental stages. A general trend to homogeneity o f structure was observed in images of receptacles nearing full maturit y (25 DAA). Inversion recovery, spin-echo NMR microimaging may be usef ul for studying infernal physicochemical changes in flower buds and fr uit of strawberry and of other fruit crops.