Abstract
SummaryDeficit irrigation (DI) at different times during the growing season was investigated for its effects on plant water relations, growth, and fruit quality of ‘Braeburn’ apple trees grown in lysimeters. Five year old trees on MM.106 rootstock were subjected to three irrigation treatments: well-watered control (C), early deficit-irrigated (ED) from 40 d after full bloom (DAFB) until harvest, and late-deficit irrigated (LD) from 102 DAFB to harvest in a completely randomized design. Both ED and LD trees developed lower soil water content and lower predawn and midday leaf water potential (ψ) than C trees. Reduction occurred in trunk diameter growth, return bloom and mean fruit mass for ED fruit. The LD treatment increased the concentration of fruit total soluble solids (TSS), aroma volatiles, and resulted in more mature fruit based on higher ethylene production at harvest and on TSS concentration. Firmness and aroma volatile concentration were greater in LD and ED fruit than in C fruit after 12 weeks of storage at 0°C. Deficit irrigation may be used in apple production to save water while improving fruit quality in terms of increased TSS, firmness in storage, and volatile concentrations without adversely affecting fruit mass. The ED fruit were still in the highest export grade despite 12% reduction in fruit mass.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Early and late deficit-irrigated apple trees developed lower soil water content than well-watered control trees.
- Taxon
- apple
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- ED and LDe0
- Outcome
- soil water contente0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- C treese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“Both ED and LD trees developed lower soil water content and lower predawn and midday leaf water potential (ψ) than C trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Early and late deficit-irrigated apple trees had lower predawn and midday leaf water potential than control trees.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- ED and LDe0
- Outcome
- predawn and midday leaf water potentiale0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- C treese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“Both ED and LD trees developed lower soil water content and lower predawn and midday leaf water potential (ψ) than C trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Early deficit irrigation reduced trunk diameter growth and return bloom.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- EDe0
- Outcome
- trunk diameter growth, return bloome0
- Direction
- Reductione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“Reduction occurred in trunk diameter growth, return bloom and mean fruit mass for ED fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
Early deficit irrigation reduced mean fruit mass by 12%, yet the fruit were still in the highest export grade.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- EDe0
- Outcome
- fruit masse0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 12%e0
- Qualifier
- still in the highest export gradee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“The ED fruit were still in the highest export grade despite 12% reduction in fruit mass”
Claim · model-written summary
Late deficit irrigation increased the concentration of fruit total soluble solids and aroma volatiles.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- LD treatmente0
- Outcome
- fruit total soluble solids (TSS), aroma volatilese0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“The LD treatment increased the concentration of fruit total soluble solids (TSS), aroma volatiles”
Claim · model-written summary
Late deficit irrigation gave more mature fruit, based on higher ethylene production at harvest.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- LD treatmente0
- Outcome
- ethylene production at harveste0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“The LD treatment increased the concentration of fruit total soluble solids (TSS), aroma volatiles, and resulted in more mature fruit based on higher ethylene production at harvest”
Claim · model-written summary
After 12 weeks of storage at 0 C, firmness and aroma volatile concentration were greater in late and early deficit-irrigated fruit than in control fruit.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- LD and EDe0
- Outcome
- Firmness and aroma volatile concentratione0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- after 12 weeks of storage at 0°Ce0
- Comparator
- C fruite0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“apple”
e0“Firmness and aroma volatile concentration were greater in LD and ED fruit than in C fruit after 12 weeks of storage at 0°C”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that deficit irrigation may be used in apple production to save water while improving fruit quality without adversely affecting fruit mass.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae0
- Outcome
- save water while improving fruit qualitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Deficit irrigation may be used in apple production to save water while improving fruit quality in terms of increased TSS, firmness in storage, and volatile concentrations without adversely affecting fruit mass”
The same questions in other papers
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- no effect
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- negative
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See all 18 papers →irrigation · physiology: hormones · Malus domestica (apple)Results agree
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irrigation · quality: phytochemicals · Malus domestica (apple)Results agree
5 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
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See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.