ISHS Acta Horticulturae 276: II International Symposium on Computer Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
ESTIMATION OF THE BIOENERGETIC COST TO GROW A KIWIFRUIT BERRY |
| Authors: | E.F. Walton, T.M. De Jong |
| Abstract:
Elemental analysis data (for C, H, N, S and ash) were used to calculate the cost of kiwifruit [Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa cv. Hayward] berry synthesis, which includes the costs of carbon skeletons and associated growth respiration. Maintenance respiration was determined by subtracting growth respiration from total respiration. Total fruit respiration was modelled using data collected at regular intervals from flowering until harvest. The equation of the resultant response surface was: LNRESP = 1.62 + 0.0697*TEMP - 0.0472*DAY + 0.000165*DAYSQ, where LNRESP is the natural logarithm of respiration rate (nmol CO2 g-1 d. wt s-1), TEMP is fruit temperature (°C), DAY is days after flowering and DAYSQ is the square of the number of days after flowering. In 1986, the cost of growing a kiwifruit berry (18.5 g d. wt) near Fresno, California was 25.60 g glucose fruit-1 season-1. This could be partitioned into 19.68, 2.73 and 3.19 g glucose fruit-1 season-1 for carbon skeletons, growth respiration and maintenance respiration, respectively. Assuming the same composition of fruits in 1985 and 1986, the cost to grow a fruit in 1985 was 25.25 g glucose fruit-1 season-1, of which 2.94 g glucose fruit-1 season-1 accounted for maintenance respiration. On average, respiration accounted for 22.6% of the cost of fruit growth. Similar calculations were also made for Davis and Watsonville, California. Respiratory losses from fruit in Watsonville were markedly less than the other locations and due to its cooler maritime climate. | |
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