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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #79517
Title: WATER STATE AND RELEASE FROM DORMANCY IN BLUEBERRY FLOWER BUDS

Author
item PARMENTIER, CECILE - UNIV OF NANCY, FRANCE
item Rowland, Lisa
item Line, Michael

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Three blueberry cultivars ('Bluecrop', 'Tifblue' and 'Gulfcoast'), that have different chilling requirements and levels of cold hardiness, were studied. Dormancy was evaluated and water state determined, using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, throughout the accumulation of chilling that leads to release from dormancy. Among the three varieties studied, 'Bluecrop' was the most dormant and 'Gulfcoast' was the least dormant. 'Tifblue' had an intermediate dormancy. From estimates of chilling requirements (CRs), it appeared that the cultivar with the deepest dormancy had the highest CR. The NMR results showed that 'Bluecrop' buds had the lowest relaxation times (T2), indicating that water was relatively more bound in 'Bluecrop' buds than in the buds of the two other cultivars. Whatever the cultivar, no significant variation of T2s was noted throughout the accumulation of chilling, even after CRs were satisfied. Within one day of forcing (24 degree C, long day), there was a shift towards more free water. Forcing was ineffective in freeing water until the plants received enough chilling to satisfy their CRs. Experiments are in progress to quantify the amount of water in the flower buds with chilling accumulation.