Temperature effects on satsuma mandarin fruit development

Abstract

SummarySatsuma mandarin fruit growth and the accumulation of sugars and acids during development was studied under two environments. Trees covered with plastic tunnel houses from anthesis until fruit harvest were compared with those grown under ambient temperatures. A 2–4 K increase in maximum temperatures soon after anthesis increased the growth of fruit in tunnel houses and they continued to grow at an accelerated rate until at harvest they were 48% larger than those grown outdoors. From two weeks after anthesis, fruit from tunnel houses were significantly more spherical than those grown under ambient conditions and this difference persisted until harvest. Higher temperatures also increased the accumulation of sugars in tunnel house fruit during stage 1 growth. Total sugar levels in tunnel house fruit remained significantly higher than those in control fruit throughout development. Differences in total sugar levels between treatments were largely due to sucrose, with minor contributions from fructose an...