• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.501-510
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• 2015

In this study, we investigated the onset and release of endo-dormancy under natural conditions by observing bud break characteristics in 'Fuji' apple trees using water cuttings. Through examinations of bud break rate and days to bud break, we found that the endo-dormancy of 'Fuji' apple tree continues for 70 d from 165 to 255 d after full bloom (DAFB), from late October to early January of the following year. In addition, within 20 d of first bud break, based on a final bud break rate of 60% or more, we able to identify the timing of the changeover from para-dormancy to endo-dormancy, and endo-dormancy to eco-dormancy. Analysis of the chilling requirement during the endo-dormancy period revealed that chilling accumulation up to 255 DAFB to release endo-dormancy amounted to 666 and 517 h based on the CH and Utah models, respectively. Observation of internal changes in the bud during endo-dormancy showed that flower bud differentiation begins from mid-July, and t ime of inflorescence o f the disk f lower is a vailable to f ind. The f lower buds subsequently developed slowly but steadily during endo-dormancy and in the following year in February, the developmental stage of each organ had progressed. Moreover, the flower buds of 'Fuji' apples were mostly healthy during the dormancy period, but some exhibited necrosis of flower primordium, due partial cell damage from the formation of ice crystals rather than a direct effect of the low temperature. Flower buds were formed in both the axillary buds of bourse shoots and terminal buds of spurs, but lower bud differentiation was observed for the terminal buds of spurs at rate of about 65% of total buds, which was directly related to the bud size and shoot diameter.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.170-177
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• 2017

This study was conducted to estimate the light pollution damage caused by night-break lighting in 'Kyoho' grapes. Night irradiation was performed every night for four hours (10 p.m. to 2 a.m.) from the full bloom to the harvest stage using red, blue, and white lamps as artificial light. Fruit yield, soluble solid content, anthocyanin content, and chlorophyll a content were affected by night irradiation. The soluble solid content of the control was $17.5^{\circ}Brix$, approximately $1^{\circ}Brix$ higher than the red ($16.4^{\circ}Brix$), blue ($16.2^{\circ}Brix$), and white light treated grapes ($16.3^{\circ}Brix$). The anthocyanin content of the skin was also higher in the control at $4.08{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$ compared to the red ($3.14{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$), blue ($2.47{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$), and white ($2.82{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$) light treated samples. On the other hand, the chlorophyll a content of the control was the lowest at $0.268{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$ as compared with the red ($0.339{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$), blue ($0.345{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$), and white ($0.372{\mu}g{\cdot}cm^{-2}$) light treated samples. Considering that higher soluble solid contents, higher accumulation of anthocyanin, and lower chlorophyll a contents are factors involved in fruit maturation, night irradiation may delay fruit maturation and red light treatment may result in decreased yield. Our results confirmed that night-break lighting regardless of the wavelength provoked light pollution in 'Kyoho' grapes. Therefore, fruit maturation may be poor in the presence of artificial light, including streetlamps, in neighboring vineyards.