Dormancy is an adaptive mechanism that allows temperate deciduous plants to survive unfavorable winter conditions. In the present work, we investigated the possible function of abscisic acid (ABA) on the endodormancy process in pear. The ABA content increased during pear flower bud endodormancy establishment and decreased towards endodormancy release. In total, 39 putative genes related to ABA ...

A model to predict the distribution of harvest dates in an Easter lily crop was validated using data from several locations. Plants were individually harvested (i.e. removed from the greenhouse for shipping) when flowers on a plant reached a minimum flower bud length. A computer decision-support system called LilyDate was developed to allow the model to be used to optimize greenhouse temperatur...

For three Asiatic hybrid lily cultivars (‘Bright Beauty’, ‘Fashion’, ‘Orlito’) the potential postharvest performance of floral buds in terms of growth, anthesis and longevity was studied in relation to tepal carbohydrate status. To determine the importance of carbohydrate redistribution within lily inflorescences, the postharvest performance of several attached and detached buds was compared at...

Environmental factors affecting flower development may limit the yields of fruiting crops worldwide. In temperate regions, chilling temperatures during flower development can compromise fruit production, but their negative effects vary depending on the differing susceptibilities of each developmental stage. The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa Duch.) is widely grown worldwide but finan...

The influence of scoring during the flower induction phase was investigated. Pear trees, Pyrus communis L. cv. Doyenne du Comice, Forelle and Rosemarie were used in the study, conducted in the Western Cape, South Africa. The yield of ‘Doyenne du Comice’ increased by 38% in scored trees compared to the control. The increase in yield was due to 50% more fruits on the scored trees than on the cont...

BACKGROUND The flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum (clove) have been used in indigenous medicines for the treatment of male sexual disorders in Indian subcontinent. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of Syzygium aromaticum flower bud on male reproduction, using Parkes (P) strain mice as animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mice were orally administered lipid soluble components of Syzygium aroma...

The amount of unfrozen water in dormant peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch, cv Redhaven) flower buds, isolated primordia, and bud axes was determined during freezing using pulse nuclear magnetic resonance methods. Differential thermal analysis studies were conducted on whole buds and isolated primordia in the presence of ice nucleation. The results showed that some of the water in isolated primo...

In Fagus, full-mast seeding years are invariably followed by at least one non-mast year. Both flower and leaf primordia develop during the summer within the same winter buds. Flower bud initiation occurs when the N content of developing seeds is increasing rapidly. We hypothesized that competition for nitrogen (N) between developing seeds and buds limits flower primordium formation in mast year...

The effect of water stress on plant hormones (GAs, IAA and ABA) level in the leaves and flower-bud formation of the satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) trees was investigated to determine the relationship between flower-bud induction and the level of endogenous plant hormones as a result of water stress. Severe water stress (−1.5 to −2.0 MPa) in autumn, which causes heavy leaf fall, reduced ...