Fruit quality and leaf photosynthesis in response to microenvironment modification around individual fruit by covering the fruit with plastic in nectarine and peach trees
Sh. Li et al., Fruit quality and leaf photosynthesis in response to microenvironment modification around individual fruit by covering the fruit with plastic in nectarine and peach trees, J HORT SCI, 76(1), 2001, pp. 61-69
The effects of covering fruit with clear plastic film during the final stag
e of rapid fruit growth were investigated on 'Big Top' nectarine and 'Opal'
peach over three years. Covering fruit with plastic film modified the micr
oenvironment around the fruit, particularly by increasing relative humidity
and temperature during the day. These modifications influenced fruit devel
opment, fruit quality and leaf photosynthesis. Covering fruit with plastic
film significantly reduced the dry matter content, either for fruit flesh o
r for total fruit, the content of total soluble solids in fruit fresh, and
leaf photosynthesis under high light intensities (photosynthetically active
radiation in excess of 1000 mu mol m(-2) s(-1)) as compared with uncovered
control fruit. The relationship between photosynthetic rate and other leaf
physiological responses showed that the depression of photosynthetic CO2 a
ssimilation was related to reduced stomatal aperture and increased leaf tem
perature. It is suggested that the stomatal aperture may be considered as t
he trigger or promoter and leaf temperature as the regulator of photosynthe
sis under a lower sink-source ratio.