Flowering and Non-Flowering Spur Leaf Characteristics of 'Amasya' Apple and Its Comparison with Other Cultivars

Abstract

Understanding the attributes of spur leaves in apple trees is essential to gain more insight into the complex process of fruit development and quality. However, limited literature is available about the spur leaf characteristics of the 'Amasya' apple cultivar. In this work, the Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) and leaf area were investigated in flowering and non-flowering spur leaves of 'Amasya' and six common apple cultivars. Significant differences among cultivars were observed for the SPAD and spur leaf area. The median SPAD readings in 'Amasya' were 32.63 and 26.23 for the flowering and non-flowering spurs, respectively, which were the relatively low values among studied cultivars. The maximum SPAD value was measured in flowering spurs of 'Cripps Pink' (45.03). SPAD values were found to be lower in non-flowering spurs compared with flowering ones for all the studied cultivars, which confirms that decline in chlorophyll content coincided with a gradual decline in productivity. A notably significantly lower spur leaf area was found in 'Amasya', whereas the highest spur leaf area was in 'Cripps Pink'. However, no statistical difference was observed between flowering and non-flowering spur leaf areas within the same cultivars. The present results provided a general framework of SPAD and spur leaf areas in 'Amasya' and other apple cultivars when spurs had flowers or not. Knowledge of these characteristics provides a basis for building a model related to yield elaboration of apple trees.

Keywords

• Chlorophyll
• Flowering
• Greenness index
• Leaf area
• SPAD

References

1. Argenta, G., Ferreira da Silva, P., & Sangoi, L. (2004). Leaf relative chlorophyll content as an indicator to predict nitrogen fertilization in maize. Ciência Rural, 34:1379-1387.
2. Atay, A.N., Özongun, S., Seymen, T., Bayav, A., & Atay, E. (2016). Variability and heritability of floral development in apple full-sib offsprings. Genetika, 48:383-394.
3. Atay, A.N., Atay, E., Lauri, P.E., Kunter, B., & Kantoglu, K.Y. (2018). Phenotyping gamma-ray-induced mutant population of 'Amasya' apple for architectural traits, precocity, floral phenology and fruit characteristics. Scientia Horticulturae, 233:195-203.
4. Atay, E., Crete, X., Loubet, D., & Lauri, P.E. (2019). A moderate regulated deficit irrigation does not negatively affect flowering, fruit-set and return-bloom in a late apple cultivar. Acta Horticulturae, 1253:63-70.
5. Bairam, E., Delaire, M., Le Morvan, C., & Buck-Sorlin, G. (2017). Models for predicting the architecture of different shoot types in apple. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8:65.
6. Benati, J.A., Nava, G., & Mayer, N.A. (2021). SPAD index for diagnosis of nitrogen status in ‘Esmeralda’ peach. Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura Jaboticabal, 43:(e-093).
7. Bishnu, P.K. (2020). SPAD value varies with age and leaf of maize plant and its relationship with grain yield. BMC Research Notes, 13:475.
8. Breda, N.J.J. (2003). Ground-based measurements of leaf area index: a review of methods, instruments and current controversies Journal of Experimental Botany, 54: 2403-2417.

9. Brunetto, G., Trentin, G., Ceretta C., Girotto E., Lorensini F., Miotto A., Moser, G.R.Z., & Melo, G. W. de. (2012). Use of the SPAD-502 in estimating nitrogen content in leaves and yield in grapevines in soils with different texture. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 3:1546- 1561.
10. Castelli, F., Contillo, R., & Miceli F (1996). Non-destructive determination of leaf chlorophyll content in four crop species. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 177:275–283.
11. Cerovic, Z.G., Ghozlen, N.B., Milhade, C., Obert, M., Debuisson, S., & Le Moigne M. (2015). Nondestructive diagnostic test for nitrogen nutrition of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) based on Dualex leafclip measurements in the field. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63:3669–3680.
12. Costes, E. (2003). Winter bud content according to position in 3-year-old branching systems of 'Granny Smith' apple. Annual Botany, 92:581–588.
13. Demirsoy, H. (2009). Leaf area estimation in some species of fruit tree by using models as a non-destructive method. Fruits, 64:45-51.
14. Elsysy, M.A., & Peter M.H. (2017). The role of spur leaves, bourse leaves, and fruit on local flower formation in apple: an approach to understanding biennial bearing. HortScience, 52: 1229-1232.
15. Ferree, D.C., & Palmer, J.W. (1982). Effect of spur defoliation and ringing during bloom on fruiting, fruit mineral level, and net photosynthesis of Golden Delicious apple. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 107:1182-6.
16. Ferree, D., Bishop, B., Schupp, J., Tustin, D., & Cashmore, W. (2001). Influence of flower type, position in the cluster and spur characteristics on fruit set and growth of apple cultivars. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 76:1-8.
17. Ferree, D.C., & Schmid, J.C. (2004). Spur leaf and flower characteristics of apple cultivars in the 1995 NE-183 trial. Journal of the American Pomological Society, 58:90-97.
18. Hou, W., Shen, J., Xu, W., Khan, M.R., Wang, Y., Zhou, X., Gao, Q., Murtaza, B., & Zhang, Z. (2021). Recommended nitrogen rates and the verification of effects based on leaf SPAD readings of rice. PeerJ, 9:e12107.
19. Jifon, J.L., Syvertsen, J.P., & Whaley, E. (2005). Growth environment and leaf anatomy affect nondestructive estimates of chlorophyll and nitrogen in Citrus sp. leaves. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 130:152–158.
20. Knerl, A., Anthony, B., Serra, S., & Musacchi, S. (2018). Optimization of leaf area estimation in a high-density apple orchard using hemispherical photography. HortScience, 53:799-804.
21. Lauri, P.E., & Kelner, J.J. (2001). Shoot type demography and dry matter partitioning: a morphometric approach in apple (Malus × domestica). Canadian Journal of Botany, 79:1270–1273.
22. Lauri, P.E., Bourdel, G., Trottier, C., & Cochard, H. (2008). Apple shoot architecture: evidence for strong variability of bud size and composition and hydraulics within a branching zone. New Phytology, 178:798–807.
23. Mora, M., Avila, F., Carrasco-Benavides, M., Maldonado, G., Olguín-Cáceres, J., & Fuentes, S. (2016). Automated computation of leaf area index from fruit trees using improved image processing algorithms applied to canopy cover digital photograpies, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 123:195-202.
24. Markwell, J., Osterman, J.C., & Mitchell, J.L. (1995). Calibration of the Minolta SPAD-502 leaf chlorophyll meter. Photosynth Research, 46:467–472.
25. Miah, M.N.H, Yoshida, T., & Yamamoto, Y. (1997). Effect of nitrogen application during ripening period on photosynthesis and dry matter production and its impact on yield and yield components of semidwarf iniica rice varieties under water culture conditions. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 43:205-217.
26. Munoz-Huerta, R.F., Guevara-Gonzalez, R.G., Contreras-Medina, L.M., Torres-Pacheco, I., Prado-Olivarez, J., & Ocampo-Velazquez, R.V. (2013). A review of methods for sensing the nitrogen status in plants: Advantages, disadvantages and recent advances. Sensors, 13:10823.
27. Pallas, B., Bluy, S., Ngao, J., Martinez, S., Clément-Vidal, A., Kelner, J.J., & Costes, E. (2018). Growth and carbon balance are differently regulated by tree and shoot fruiting contexts: an integrative study on apple genotypes with contrasted bearing patterns, Tree Physiology, 389:1395–1408.
28. Percival, G.C., Keary, I.P., & Noviss, K. (2008). The potential of a chlorophyll content SPAD meter to quantify nutrient stress in foliar tissue of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), English Oak (Quercus robur). Annals of Forest Science, 77:11-30.
29. Proctor, J.T.A., & Palmer, J.W. (1991). The role of spur and bourse leaves of three apple cultivars on fruit set, growth, and calcium content. Journal of Horticultural Science, 66:275-282.
30. R Core Team (2021). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. URL https://www.R-project.org/.Foundation.
31. Romero, I., Garcia-Escudero, E., & Martin, I. (2013). Leaf blade versus petiole analysis for nutritional diagnosis of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 64:50–64.
32. Rostami, M., Koocheki, A., Mahallati, M.N., & Kafi, M. (2008). Evaluation of chlorophyll meter (SPAD) data for prediction of nitrogen status in corn (Zea mays L.). American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, 3:79-85.
33. Szulc, P., Bocianowski, J., Nowosad, K., Zielewicz, W., & Kobus-Cisowska, J. (2021). SPAD leaf greenness index: green mass yield indicator of maize (Zea mays L.), genetic and agriculture practice relationship. Plants, 10:830.
34. Thompson, J.A., Schweitzer, L.E., & Nelson, R.L. (1996). Association of specific leaf weight, an estimate of chlorophyll, and chlorophyll concentration with apparent photosynthesis in soybean. Photosynth Research, 49:1-10.
35. Treder, W., Klamkowski, K., Kowalczyk, W., Sas, D., & Wójcık, K. (2016). Possibilities of using image analysis to estimate the nitrogen nutrition status of apple trees. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 103:319-326.
36. Uddling, J., Gelang-Alfredsson, J., Piikki, K., Pleijel, H. (2007). Evaluating the relationship between leaf chlorophyll concentration and SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter readings. Photosynth Research, 91:37-46.
37. Van den Ende, B. (2018). Why apples need both spur and shoot leaves to grow. https://www.treefruit.com.au. Date accessed: December 01, 2021.
38. Vrignon-Brenas, S., Aurélie, M., Romain, L., Shiva, G., Alana, F., Myriam, D., Gaëlle, R., & Anne, P. (2019). Gradual responses of grapevine yield components and carbon status to nitrogen supply. OENO One, 53:2431.
39. Wang, S., Zhu, Y., Jiang, H., & Cao, W. (2006). Positional differences in nitrogen and sugar concentrations of upper leaves relate to plant N status in rice under different N rates. Field Crop Research, 96:224–234.
40. Willaume, M., Lauri, P.E., & Sinoquet, H. (2004). Light interception in apple trees influenced by canopy architecture manipulation. Trees, 18:705–713.
41. Xiong, D., Chen, J., Yu, T., Gao, W., Ling, X., Li, Y., Peng, S., & Huang, J. (2015). SPAD-based leaf nitrogen estimation is impacted by environmental factors and crop leaf characteristics. Scientific Reports, 5:13389.
42. Zhang, K., Liu, X., Tahir Ata-Ul-Karim, S., Lu, J., Krienke, B., Li, S., Cao, Q., Zhu, Y., Cao, W., & Tian, Y. (2019). Development of chlorophyll-meter-index-based dynamic models for evaluation of high-yield Japonica rice production in Yangtze River Reaches. Agronomy, 9:106.