COMPARISON BETWEEN PHYTOTRON-PROPAGATED AND GLASSHOUSE-PROPAGATED FIG(FICUS-CARICA L.) TREES GROWN UNDER SIMILAR SOLUTION CULTURE ON SUBSEQUENT FRUITING, PLANT-GROWTH, AND FRUITS QUALITY
A. Teragishi et al., COMPARISON BETWEEN PHYTOTRON-PROPAGATED AND GLASSHOUSE-PROPAGATED FIG(FICUS-CARICA L.) TREES GROWN UNDER SIMILAR SOLUTION CULTURE ON SUBSEQUENT FRUITING, PLANT-GROWTH, AND FRUITS QUALITY, Engei Gakkai Zasshi, 67(5), 1998, pp. 715-720
Cuttings from one-year-old wood of fig cv. Masui-Dauphine were made on
Dec.1, and raised for 45 days in a glass house or phytotron under dif
ferent light intensities. The rooted cuttings were planted on Jan.15,
in a non-circulating closed solution culture, using a capillary absorp
tion system together with a irrigation tube. The effects of nursery tr
eatments on subsequent fruiting, plant growth, and fruit quality were
investigated in the current year. Light treatment of 8.5 klx under a 1
4-hr photoperiod in a phytotron increased total chlorophyll content an
d color value of the leaf at planting time. The number of fruits below
the 5th node increased in trees when the color value of 3rd leaf from
the base was above 25 at planting time. But, there was no difference
in leaf color value and fruiting between the light treatment of 17 and
8.5 klx. The supplementary lighting of 0.2 klx after sunset to keep 1
4-hr of sunlight in the glass house had no effect on leaf color value;
it approximated that of the control. Harvest started on May 27;by July
10,85% of the fruit was harvested. In trees raised in the phytotron,
vegetative and fruit growth was promoted, contrary to those raised in
the glass house. The Brix value was slightly lower in fruits from the
phytotron-grown trees in early June. During the rainy season from the
middle to the end of June, fruit growth did not decrease and the Brix
decreased significantly because of the redused photosynthetic rate, a
high transpiration rate, and the large uptake of nutrient solution, ir
respective of the treatment. Trees raised in the phytotron had higher
photosynthetic rates than did trees raised in the glass house in July,
but the fruits from the former had lower Brix values than had fruits
from the latter.