THE EFFECT OF FLOOD WATER TEMPERATURE ON CRANBERRY UPRIGHTS AND ROOTS DURING SPRING AND FALL FLOODS

Abstract

Cranberry bogs are flooded for several purposes during the growing season, including pest control and harvest. A spring `late water' and a fall `harvest' flood were simulated on potted cranberry uprights (`Stevens'). The `late water' flood is a 1-month flood held on some Massachusetts bogs from mid-April to mid-May. The flood was simulated at 11 and 21 °C. Over the course of the 1-month flood, total non-structural carbohydrate concentration (TNSC) of the upright tissue decreased by 13% and 46% in the 11 and 21 °C treatments, respectively. Root TNSC was not affected by flooding in the 11 °C treatment, but was reduced by 39% in the 21 °C treatment. In the 1-week `harvest' flood simulated at 12 and 20 °C, TNSC of the upright tissue decreased by 47% and 59% in the 12 and 20 °C treatments, respectively. Root TNSC was reduced by 22% in the 12 °C flood, and by 41% in the 20 °C flood. Two weeks following removal from the 1-month `late water' flood, uprights in the 11 °C treatment contained 9% more TNSC than uprights in the 21 °C treatment, while root TNSC from the two treatments was similar. No treatment differences were evident in the uprights or roots of the vines subjected to the `late water' flood by harvest. Two weeks following removal from the 1-week `harvest' flood, uprights in the 12 °C treatment contained 20% more TNSC than uprights in the 20 °C treatment, while roots of vines in the 12 °C flood contained 17% more TNSC compared to vines in the 20 °C flood. Vines which were negatively impacted by the warmer `harvest' flood treatment likely had reduced energy available for winter survival, spring growth and fruit production.