Abstract
Developing reproductive organs within a flower are sensitive to environmental stress. A higher incidence of environmental stress during this stage of a crop plants’ developmental cycle will lead to major breaches in food security. Clearly, we need to understand this sensitivity and try and overcome it, by agricultural practices and/or the breeding of more tolerant cultivars. Although passion fruit vines initiate flowers all year round, flower primordia abort during warm summers. This restricts the season of fruit production in regions with warm summers. Previously, using controlled chambers, stages in flower development that are sensitive to heat were identified. Based on genetic analysis and physiological experiments in controlled environments, gibberellin activity appeared to be a possible point of horticultural intervention. Here, we aimed to shield flowers of a commercial cultivar from end of summer conditions, thus allowing fruit production in new seasons. We conducted experiments over three years in different settings, and our findings consistently show that a single application of an inhibitor of gibberellin biosynthesis to vines in mid-August can cause precocious flowering of ~2–4 weeks, leading to earlier fruit production of ~1 month. In this case, knowledge obtained on phenology, environmental constraints and genetic variation, allowed us to reach a practical solution.
Highlights
Flowers, containing a plant’s reproductive organs, are sensitive to hot ambient temperatures (HAT).The temperature that will cause irreparable damage to these organs depends on the species and the genotypes within
Assuming that the highest ambient temperatures are reached in summer, HAT will affect initial stages of flower development in species that initiate flowers in summer
Uni treatment was shown to shield HAT-subjected Passion dream” (PD) flower primordia, if they are moved by P14 to optimal conditions for flowering (OCF) conditions [7]
Summary
Flowers, containing a plant’s reproductive organs, are sensitive to hot ambient temperatures (HAT). The temperature that will cause irreparable damage to these organs depends on the species and the genotypes within. Most perennial species reach anthesis once a year, in the spring. Flower initiation and early stages of flower development may occur in the previous summer (apples) or towards the end of winter (citrus) [1]. Assuming that the highest ambient temperatures are reached in summer, HAT will affect initial stages of flower development in species that initiate flowers in summer. In species that initiate flowers after winter, HAT becomes a more serious threat at further stages in reproductive development (pollen viability, stigma receptivity) [2,3,4] or during fruitlet initial development [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
