We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Postharvest needle abscission resistance of balsam fir ( Abies balsamea) is modified by harvest date.
- Authors
MacDonald, Mason T.; Lada, Rajasekaran R.; Veitch, R. Scott; Thiagarajan, Arumugam; Adams, Azure D.
- Abstract
Earlier harvest dates have become necessary for Canadian Christmas tree producers to meet international demand, though by harvesting these trees early they may experience poor needle retention. The objective of this study is to understand the effect of harvest date on needle retention and link those changes to cold acclimation. In one experiment, balsam fir trees with varied needle abscission resistance (NAR) were collected in October and in January and monitored for needle retention. This was repeated for 3 years. In a second experiment, 45 branches were collected each month from September to January and monitored for needle retention, xylem pressure, membrane injury, capacitance, and accumulation of galactose, raffinose, and abscisic acid. High-NAR trees had little improvement in needle retention from October to January, whereas low-NAR trees had significantly improved needle retention from October to January. Between September and January, there was an 85% increase in raffinose, 147% increase in galactose, 80% increase in abscisic acid, and 62% decrease in stem capacitance. Early harvest was not detrimental for all trees, and it appears that cold acclimation is linked to postharvest needle abscission, though cold acclimation does not adequately explain differences between NAR classes.
- Subjects
ABSCISSION (Botany); BALSAM fir; ABSCISIC acid; HARVESTING time; ACCLIMATIZATION; COLD adaptation
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2014, Vol 44, Issue 11, p1394
- ISSN
0045-5067
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1139/cjfr-2014-0199