Time of pruning affects fruit abscission, stem carbohydrates and yield of macadamia.

Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche, M. tetraphylla Johnson and hybrids) orchards in Australia are typically hedged around anthesis (September). Such hedging reduces yields, largely through competition for carbohydrates between early fruit set and the post-pruning vegetative flush, but also through a reduction in photosynthetic capacity caused by the loss of canopy. We examined whether hedging at other times might mitigate yield losses. Hedging time was found to affect yields across four cultivars: 'A4', 'A38', '344' and '816'. Yield losses were lower for trees hedged in November-December than for trees hedged in September. Yields for trees hedged in June were higher than for trees hedged in September in one experiment, but were similar in a second experiment. Yield losses for September and October hedging were similar. Hedging time changed the pattern of fluctuations in stem water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC). WSC declined shortly after hedging in September, October or November, and the declines preceded increases in fruit abscission relative to unpruned control trees. The increase in fruit abscission was less pronounced for the trees hedged in November, consistent with the idea that fruit become less sensitive to carbon limitation as they mature.

Post-pruning shoot growth increases fruit abscission and reduces stem carbohydrates and yield in macadamia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is good evidence for deciduous trees that competition for carbohydrates from shoot growth accentuates early fruit abscission and reduces yield but the effect for evergreen trees is not well defined. Here, whole-tree tip-pruning at anthesis is used to examine the effect of post-pruning shoot development on fruit abscission in the evergreen subtropical tree macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia, M. integrifolia × tetraphylla). Partial-tree tip-pruning is also used to test the localization of the effect. METHODS: In the first experiment (2005/2006), all branches on trees were tip-pruned at anthesis, some trees were allowed to re-shoot (R treatment) and shoots were removed from others (NR treatment). Fruit set and stem total non-structural carbohydrates (TNSC) over time, and yield were measured. In the second experiment (2006/2007), upper branches of trees were tip-pruned at anthesis, some trees were allowed to re-shoot (R) and shoots were removed from others (NR). Fruit set and yield were measured separately for upper (pruned) and lower (unpruned) branches. KEY RESULTS: In the first experiment, R trees set far fewer fruit and had lower yield than NR trees. TNSC fell and rose in all treatments but the decline in R trees occurred earlier than in NR trees and coincided with early shoot growth and the increase in fruit abscission relative to the other treatments. In the second experiment, fruit abscission on upper branches of R trees increased relative to the other treatments but there was little difference in fruit abscission between treatments on lower branches. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate an increase in fruit abscission in an evergreen tree in response to pruning. The effect appeared to be related to competition for carbohydrates between post-pruning shoot growth and fruit development and was local, with shoot growth on pruned branches having no effect on fruit abscission on unpruned branches.

The production of flowers, fruit and leafy shoots in pruned macadamia trees.

For Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche var. 849, we compared four limb removal strategies of varying style and severity over 4 years, in terms of effects on yield, on the distribution of light, and new vegetative shoots, racemes and fruit within the canopy. Limb removal reduced yields. The reduction corresponded with the severity of pruning, not with the style of pruning. Limb removal had little impact in the medium term on light penetration to the orchard floor. Within the canopy, shoot production and raceme production were inversely related. Shoot production was favoured by high light conditions; raceme production occurred predominantly in areas of heavy shade, with 49% of racemes produced at canopy locations receiving less than 2% full daylight, and 94% produced at locations receiving less than 16% full daylight. Most flowering appeared to occur on wood more than 3 years old. The capacity of different parts of the canopy to support fruit set and retention increased with proximity to the more irradiated parts of the canopy, but fruit production was still high deep within the lower part of the canopy, with 50% of fruit produced at canopy locations receiving less than 2% full daylight, and 90% produced at locations receiving less than 16% full daylight.

Regulation of floral initiation in horticultural trees.

The intention of this review is to discuss floral initiation of horticultural trees. Floral initiation is best understood for herbaceous species, especially at the molecular level, so a brief overview of the control of floral initiation of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.) precedes the discussion of trees. Four major pathways to flowering have been characterized in Arabidopsis, including environmental induction through photoperiod and temperature, autonomous floral initiation, and regulation by gibberellins. Tropical trees are generally induced to flower through environmental cues, whereas floral initiation of temperate deciduous trees is often autonomous. In the tropical evergreen tree mango, Mangifera indica L., cool temperature is the only factor known to induce flowering, but does not ensure floral initiation will occur because there are important interactions with vegetative growth. The temperate deciduous tree apple, Malus domestica Borkh., flowers autonomously, with floral initiation dependent on aspects of vegetative development in the growing season before anthesis, although with respect to the floral initiation of trees in general: the effect of the environment, interactions with vegetative growth, the roles of plant growth regulators and carbohydrates, and recent advances in molecular biology, are discussed.