Physiological Changes Associated with Increased Lateral Branching of Apple Trees Treated with Aminoethoxyvinylglycine

Abstract

Abstract In late September of 1981 and 1982, eight-year-old ‘Oregon-spur Delicious’ apple (Malus domestica) trees on M7 rootstock were sprayed immediately after harvest with 500 ppm AVG. The following spring of both years the number of spur leaves and lateral shoots on one-year-old wood was increased on treated trees. Total N was reduced and sucrose and fructose were increased in dormant one-year-old shoots of AVG-treated trees. Cold hardiness was not affected. Throughout the dormant period both apical and one-year-old lateral buds excised from treated trees and incubated in the dark at 24°C produced less ethylene over a period of 24 hr than buds from untreated trees. In situ ethylene production from apical buds of treated trees was also reduced as growth resumed in the spring. Chemical name used: N-(phenylmethyl)-lH-purin-6-amine (AVG).