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Relationship Between the Levels of Non-structural Carbohydrates, Digging Date, Nursery-growing Environment, and Chilling in Strawberry Transplants in a Subtropical Environment

Menzel, C. M. and Smith, L. A. (2012) Relationship Between the Levels of Non-structural Carbohydrates, Digging Date, Nursery-growing Environment, and Chilling in Strawberry Transplants in a Subtropical Environment. Hortscience, 47 (4). pp. 459-464. ISSN 0018-5345

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Article Link: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/47/4/4...

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of time of digging and nursery-growing environment on the levels of non-structural carbohydrates in 'Festival' strawberry transplants (Fragaria xananassa) over 2 years in southeastern Queensland, Australia. We were interested in determining whether there was a strong relationship between the potential productivity of this material and reserves in the plants. First, bare-rooted plants were obtained from Stanthorpe in southern Queensland from early March to mid-April/late April. Second, bare-rooted plants were sourced from Stanthorpe (a warm-growing area) or from Toolangi in Victoria (a cool-growing area). In Year 1 of the experiments, the nursery material from the different treatments was grown at Nambour in southeastern Queensland and fruit yield determined. The total weight of nonstructural carbohydrates/plant increased as digging was delayed and was higher in the plants from Stanthorpe than the plants from Toolangi. Plants dug on 17 Mar. in Year 1 had higher weights of non-structural carbohydrates [292 mg/plant dry weight (DW)] than plants dug on 3 Mar. (224 mg/plant) and higher early yield to the end of June or to the end of July and higher total yield to mid-October adjusted by the length of the growing season for the different treatments. Plants dug on 1 Apr. (408 mg/plant) or on 13 Apr. (445 mg/plant) had higher reserves than the plants dug on 17 Mar. but lower yields. Only the differences in yields between the plants dug on 3 Mar. and 17 Mar. reflected the differences in carbohydrates. The stock from Stanthorpe had greater reserves (408 mg/plant) than the stock from Toolangi (306 mg/plant) but similar yields in Year 1 possibly because of poorer flowering in the nursery plants. It was concluded that carbohydrate reserves in transplants only partially reflect their productivity in this environment.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Horticulture and Forestry Science
Additional Information:Menzel, Christopher M. Smith, Lindsay
Subjects:Science > Botany > Plant physiology
Live Archive:25 Feb 2014 06:21
Last Modified:11 May 2022 02:13

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