Fruit mineral content of apricot and kiwifruit in relation to transpiration

Abstract

The paper examines the relationship between fruit transpiration and the accumulation of some minerals in the fruit. Fruit transpiration determined by the main factors affecting skin conductance. Most of those factors have their largest effect early in fruit development when large amounts of phloem-immobile nutrients (e.g., Ca) are accumulated. In apricot, which has a low-transpiring fruit, Ca accumulation is about 1/5 of that accumulated in other fruits under similar vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions, while K and Mg (phloem-mobile nutrients) accumulate independently of VPD. Similarly in high transpiring kiwifruit, Ca may reach 40 mg fruit-1. In this paper we report an overview of the main fruit and environmental factors affecting transpiration and in turn the accumulation of minerals into apricot and kiwifruit fruit. Possible actions to increase fruit transpiration and, in turn, accumulation of certain minerals are considered.