ISHS Acta Horticulturae 30: Symposium on Strawberry under Protection
THE EFFECT OF FLOWER POSITION IN THE INFLORESCENCE ON SUBSEQUENT FRUIT DEVELOPMENT AND SIZE IN FRESNO AND TIOGA STRAWBERRIES |
| Authors: | M. Sachs, E. Izsak |
| Abstract:
Under the mild winter conditions of Israel, plant development and fruit bearing in the "Fresno" and "Tioga" strawberry varieties are continuous and good and there is no apparent latent period. In both cultivars the inflorescences which develop during December and January show the expected dichotomous branching at flowering nodes I-III, while the later flowering nodes are incomplete. The position of the flower in the inflorescence has an effect on its set and on the subsequent development of the fruit. The larger the primary fruit the more rapid is the relative decline of the size of the individual fruit in the cluster. Pruning of primary or secondary (and even tertiary) fruit brings about an increase in the weight of the fruit in interior positions. However, pruning of flowers on later nodes does not increase the weight of fruit on earlier nodes. When a fruit is allowed to develop as a "primary" fruit, it develops to a larger size than when a fruit is allowed to develop on the preceding node. The date presented emphasize the effect of apical dominance within the inflorescence on the developing fruit. Most of the primary and secondary fruits, as well as a considerable portion of the tertiary and quarternary fruits, have similar rates of development despite great differences in fruit size, and attain maturity 33–34 days after anthesis. | |
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