Exotherm Characteristics and Cold Hardiness Mechanisms within the Buds of Some Deciduous Fruit Trees

Abstract

Exotherm characteristics of dormant apple, pear, peach, plum, grape, persimmon, and black walnut buds were investigated from late autumn to early spring. Differential thermal analysis indicated differences in the high-temperature exotherm (HTE) and low-temperature exotherm (LTE) among the fruit species and sampling dates. According to exotherm characteristics and cold hardiness, the species tested could be divided into two groups, those without LTE (apples and pear) and those with LTE (grape, persimmon, black walnut, peach, and plum). The latter group with LTE could be further categorized into two subgroups, those possessing three stages of hardiness development (peach and plum group) and those with five stages of hardiness development (grape, persimmon, and black walnut). In the peach and plum group, HTE and no LTE could be detected in the first and last stages when bud water content was >55%. In the second stage, both HTE and LTE could be detected when bud water content was between 40% and 50%. In the grape, persimmon, and black walnut group, the first stage with only HTE was from bud formation to deep supercooling initiation when bud water content was >52%. The second stage with both HTE and LTE was when bud water content was between 40% and 48%. The third stage when only LTE could be detected and bud water content was usually <40%. The fourth stage was from HTE reappearance to LTE disappearance before bud swell. The fifth stage was from LTE disappearance to when only HTE could be detected. No detection of LTE in the buds of apple and pear and no detection of HTE in the buds of grape, persimmon, and black walnut were both closely associated with water status in the buds.