Morphological Development and Nutritional Metabolism during Floral Bud Differentiation in Acca Sellowiana (Feijoa)

Abstract

ABSTRACT To provide scientific and technological support for the smooth development of flowers, regulation of florescence, and cultural management, among others, this study analyzes the corresponding relationship between bioclimatology and the characteristics of growth, development, and reproductive biology of A. sellowiana. Berg (Feijoa). Therefore, through optimized paraffin sections, this study examined the floral bud differentiation in five-year-old A. sellowiana trees and analyzed the dynamic changes in carbohydrate and nitrogenous compound metabolism during floral bud differentiation and flower development under natural growth conditions. The results showed that there were six stages in the differentiation process of A. sellowiana floral buds: the initiation of differentiation, inflorescence primordium differentiation, sepal primordium differentiation, petal primordium differentiation, stamen primordium differentiation and pistil primordium differentiation. Differentiation of floral buds began in late March in the Mianyang region, China, and lasted approximately 30 days. Following bud differentiation, the growth enters a period of bud development lasting approximately five months. Throughout the entire differentiation process, the flower buds contained significantly higher levels of total sugar, starch, soluble sugar, and nucleic acid than those in the leaves, and a peak of total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and sucrose during the physiological transition period. Total nucleic acid and RNA content both increased, with RNA content increasing more significantly.