Abstract
Summer pruning increases canopy light penetration and re-exposes spur leaves of the interior canopy of apple trees ( Malus × domestica Borkh .). However, we hypothesized that leaf photosynthetic ability is determined by the pre-pruning light environment, and the re-exposure intensity after summer pruning is incapable of restoring the photosynthesis efficiency of shaded leaves. To test this hypothesis, a commercial-type thinning-cuts pruning was applied to mature central leader `Empire'/M.26 apple trees. Changes in light availability, leaf net photosynthesis (Pn), photosystem II efficiency, and specific leaf weight (SLW) were recorded periodically before and after pruning. Leaf photosynthesis declined slightly through the growing season and was well correlated with pre-pruning light availability until late September. Although Pn decreased more substantially late in the season on exterior leaves than on interior leaves, Pn of leaves in the inner and middle canopies was lower than exterior leaves until late October. Maximum efficiency of photosystem II of dark-adapted leaves, measured by chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), was not related to prior exposure or re-exposure. Specific leaf weight was well correlated with pre-pruning light availability and with leaf Pn in August but not in October. Results suggested that commercial summer pruning significantly increases light environments in the inner and middle canopies. However, light availability at interior and middle canopy sites was still much lower than exterior canopy and, consequently, leaf photosynthetic ability did not increase after summer pruning.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Apple leaf photosynthesis was well correlated with pre-pruning light availability until late September.
- Taxon
- Apple
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- pre-pruning light availabilitye0
- Outcome
- Leaf photosynthesise0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Apple”
e0“Leaf photosynthesis declined slightly through the growing season and was well correlated with pre-pruning light availability until late September”
Claim · model-written summary
Pn of leaves in the inner and middle canopies was lower than exterior leaves until late October.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Organ / stage
- inner and middle canopiese1
- Outcome
- Pne1
- Direction
- lowere1
- Comparator
- exterior leavese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Apple”
e1“Pn of leaves in the inner and middle canopies was lower than exterior leaves until late October”
Claim · model-written summary
Maximum photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) of dark-adapted leaves was not related to prior exposure or re-exposure.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- prior exposure or re-exposuree2
- Outcome
- Maximum efficiency of photosystem IIe2
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Apple”
e2“Maximum efficiency of photosystem II of dark-adapted leaves, measured by chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), was not related to prior exposure or re-exposure”
Claim · model-written summary
Specific leaf weight was well correlated with pre-pruning light availability and leaf Pn in August but not in October.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- pre-pruning light availabilitye3
- Outcome
- Specific leaf weighte3
- Direction
- increaseinferrede3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Apple”
e3“Specific leaf weight was well correlated with pre-pruning light availability and with leaf Pn in August but not in October”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial summer pruning significantly increased light in the inner and middle canopies.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Organ / stage
- inner and middle canopiese4
- Treatment
- commercial summer pruninge4
- Outcome
- light environmentse4
- Direction
- increasese4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Apple”
e4“commercial summer pruning significantly increases light environments in the inner and middle canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf photosynthetic ability did not increase after summer pruning.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- summer pruninge5
- Outcome
- leaf photosynthetic abilitye5
- Direction
- did not increasee5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Apple”
e5“leaf photosynthetic ability did not increase after summer pruning”
The same questions in other papers
pruning · physiology: photosynthesis · Malus domestica (apple)Positive and negative results
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- positive
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