Forecasting Fruit Diameter of ‘Fuji' Apples (Malus pumila Mill)at Harvest During Early Growing Season

作     者：SONG Guo-qing, YU Ke-shun, LI Shao-hua, LIU Guo-jie, MENG Zhao-qing and ZHU Jun(Department of Fruit Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094 , P.R.China) 

作者机构：Department of Fruit Science China Agricultural University Beijing 100094 P.R. China 

出 版 物：《Agricultural Sciences in China》 (中国农业科学（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2002年第1卷第8期

页      面：905-910页

学科分类：09[农学] 0902[农学-园艺学] 090201[农学-果树学] 

主　　题：Apple Fruit Fruit diameter Prognosis 

摘      要：The fruit growth evolution on 35 tagged Fuji apple trees was studied in three successive growing seasons from 1994 to 1996 to explore a new method for forecasting the fruit diameter at harvest during early growing season. Daily fruit growth rate (DFGR) (based on fruit diameter, fruit dry weight, fruit fresh weight, or fruit volume) during the early growing season, 30 - 50 d after full bloom (DAFB), or during mid-growing season (60-120 DAFB), displayed a strong positive linear correlation with the fruit diameter at harvest, and the correlation between the fruit diameter at harvest and DFGR during early and mid-growing season was much better than that between the fruit diameter at harvest and either fruit diameter at a given time or the relative growth rate during early or mid-growing season. The fruit diameters obtained in the field were compared with the mean fruit diameters estimated based on different criteria, such as DFGRs (based on fruit diameter, fruit dry weight, fruit fresh weight, or fruit volume) during early and mid-growing season, and fruit diameter at 120 DAFB. Results showed that daily growth rate of fruit diameter during 30 - 50 DAFB was the best criterion for forecasting fruit diameter at harvest. There was no significant difference in mean fruit diameter between the value measured in the field at harvest and that estimated based on the daily growth rate of fruit diameter during 30 - 50 DAFB (equations for forecasting: y = 153.571 x + 73.492) either for the individual trees or for different vigor groups of trees. Daily growth rate of fruit diameter during 30 - 50 DAFB can be used as the basis for forecasting fruit diameter at harvest.