STONE FRUIT
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Stone Fruit Life Stages:
- Growth stage:
The growing, thriving vegetative growth after planting until the plant become productive. In this stage the canopy can be trained and root growth can be stimulated.
- Productive stage:
In addition to vegetative growth, a productive character dominates. Here the balance between growth and fruit formation must be proportional.
Balance in production can be maintained by the modification of disturbing factors such as nutrient and supply, and bud burden.
- Stage of decreasing production:
- Growth to a lesser extent
- Weakening generative productivity
- Gradual etiolation of productive parts
- Senescence
- Etiolation
Annual biological cycles:
- Dormancy stage:
From autumn to spring.
Relative dormancy with the following stages: initial dormancy, innate dormancy and enforced dormancy. The innate dormancy state of certain plants is a very important determinant of the continued life of the plant. Emergence from dormancy is triggered increases in temperature and photoperiod. If spring arrives late then stone fruit species will have already emerged from the innate dormancy state due to changes in photoperiod. Warming will then occur during the forced dormancy stage.
- Vegetative stage:
from bud burst to leaf fall
- prefoliation
- sprouting
- blossoming
- foliation
- fruit development
- bud differentiation
- ripening of fruit
- defoliation
Important phenological phases:
Bud burst: after the dormancy period it is the first active life activity, the visible start of developmental processes. Rate and form are species-characteristic, but also depend on environmental effects.
Blossoming: the last phase in the development of generative organs (sexual maturity), this period characteristic of each species and genetically encoded, but can also vary considerably due to environmental factors. For the blossoming process certain phenophases are closely connected to heat thresholds and levels (permanent value).
Foliation: is the phase when the assimilating parts (leaves, sprouts) appear and grow as an intensive life-sustaining activity that is affected by a combination of internal and external factors. If formation of the assimilation surface is delayed (by frost, water restriction) then nutrition assimilation and photosynthesis will be reduced and the plant will be less vigorous.
Fruit development: is the period after fruit-setting where the fruits increase in weight; volume and diameter, due to cell division and extension.
Bud differentiation: is a histological process that takes place after the harvest until the dorminancy stage. In the propagating cone of the buds cell division activity increases, with gradual transformation of the vegetative parts into flower outsets. In the induction of flower formation carbohydrates play a very important role. Every production technology process that increases carbohydrate production (e. g. healthy foliage, many hours of sunshine) will favour flowering.
Fruit ripening: is based on a sequence of biochemical changes. Species-specific factors will determine the development of characteristics such as colouring and hardness of fruit flesh, sugar-acid ratio, dry matter content, flavour-scent-taste compounds. There are some factors that modify ripening, for example production site features, certain items of production technology, crop yields, and some physiological factors, such as fruit-leaf rate.
Defoliation: means the gradual decrease of life processes and biological rhythm of stone fruit trees. It is the result of external (environmental) changes and hereditary factors. It is a preparation for the dormancy period.
This module deals with the following stone fruits
- Cerasus avium - Cherry
- Cerasus vulgaris – Sour cherry
- Armeniaca vulgaris - Apricot
- Prunus domestica - Plum
- Persica vulgaris - Peach
Listo of Viruses:
- PRUNUS NECROTIC RING SPOT VIRUS
- PLUM POX
Listo of bacterial:
- CROWN GALL
- FIRE BLIGHT IN APRICOT
- PLUM BACTERIAL CANKER
- BACTERIAL BLIGHT
Listo of fungi:
- PEACH LEAF CURL
- PEACH POWDERY MILDEW
- INFECTIOUS WHITHERING
- BLOSSOM BLIGHT
List of insects:
- SCALE INSECTS
- APHIDS
- STONE FRUIT MITE
- BARK MOTH / BARK TORTRIX
- PLUM FRUIT MOTH
- PEACH TWIG BORER
- ORIENTAL FRUIT MOTH
- EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY
- EASTERN CHERRY FRUIT FLY
- MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY
- SPOTTED WING DROSOPHILA
- CITRUS FLATID PLANTHOPPER
- BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG