IMAGE-ANALYSIS INVESTIGATIONS ON FLOWER Q UALITY IN APPLE (MALUS-DOMESTICA L)

In the varieties 'Boskoop' and 'Golden Delicious' flower quality was i nfluenced by different treatments: Normal harvest, Early harvest, Debl ossomed, Defoliated, Urea sprays. The receptacles ofin this way manipu lated flower buds were Investigated with morphometric and densitometri c methods, using image analysis: Diameter of receptacle, area and nume rical density of cells and nuclei and DNA-content of nuclei. The treat ments Deblossomed, Early harvest and Urea sprays promoted flower quali ty while Defoliation inhibited it. The effect of the different treatme nts could generally be explained by cell division and cell elongation processes in the receptacle. Concerning flower quality the status of d evelopment of the flower bud in late fall is of decisive importance.