Carbohydrate availability affects growth and metabolism in peach fruit
Along with sucrose, sorbitol represents the main photosynthetic product and form of translocated carbon in peach. This study aimed at determining whether peach fruit carbohydrate metabolism is affected by changes in source-sink balance, and specifically whether sorbitol or sucrose availability regulates fruit enzyme activities and growth. In various trials, different levels of assimilate availability to growing fruits were induced in vivo, by varying crop load of entire trees, leaf:fruit ratio (L:F) of fruiting shoots, or by interrupting the phloem stream (girdling) to individual fruits. In vitro, fruit tissue was incubated in presence/absence of sorbitol and sucrose. Relative growth rate (…
Fruit tree orchard establishment
The agronomic and economic success of a fruit-tree orchard is mainly determined by the choices made by the grower during the planting stage. A distinctive feature of fruit tree orchards is the very high investment cost for their establishment and the fluctuations in the revenue stream over their lifetime. Growers do not immediately make a profit after planting, and their success depends on the proper choice of fruit tree species, on orchard design and on the specific goals they choose to pursue. Moreover, profitability will also depend on a careful analysis of the economic, environmental, technological, social and infrastructural (transportation system, energetic resources, supply chain log…