Differentiated dynamics of bud dormancy and growth in temperate fruit trees relating to bud phenology adaptation, the case of apple and almond trees.

Few studies have focused on the characterization of bud dormancy and growth dynamics for temperate fruit species in temperate and mild cropping areas, although this is an appropriate framework to anticipate phenology adaptation facing future warming contexts which would potentially combine chill declines and heat increases. To examine this issue, two experimental approaches and field observations were used for high- and low-chill apple cultivars in temperate climate of southern France and in mild climates of northern Morocco and southern Brazil. Low-chill almond cultivars offered an additional relevant plant material for comparison with apple in northern Morocco. Divergent patterns of dormancy and growth dynamics were clearly found in apple tree between southern France and southern Brazil. Divergences were less pronounced between France and Morocco. A global view outlined main differences in the dormancy chronology and intensity, the transition between endordormancy and ecodormancy and the duration of ecodormancy. A key role of bud rehydration in the transition period was shown. High-chill cultivars would be submitted in mild conditions to heterogeneous rehydration capacities linked to insufficient chill fulfillment and excessive forcing linked to high temperatures. This would favor bud competitions and consequently excessive flowering durations and weak flowering. Low chilling requirements in apple and almond would conversely confer biological capacities to tolerate superficial dormancy and abrupt transition from endordormancy to ecodormancy without important heterogeneous rehydration states within buds. It may also assume that low-chill cultivars can also tolerate high temperatures during ecodormancy as well as extended flowering durations.

Differentiated Responses of Apple Tree Floral Phenology to Global Warming in Contrasting Climatic Regions.

The responses of flowering phenology to temperature increases in temperate fruit trees have rarely been investigated in contrasting climatic regions. This is an appropriate framework for highlighting varying responses to diverse warming contexts, which would potentially combine chill accumulation (CA) declines and heat accumulation (HA) increases. To examine this issue, a data set was constituted in apple tree from flowering dates collected for two phenological stages of three cultivars in seven climate-contrasting temperate regions of Western Europe and in three mild regions, one in Northern Morocco and two in Southern Brazil. Multiple change-point models were applied to flowering date series, as well as to corresponding series of mean temperature during two successive periods, respectively determining for the fulfillment of chill and heat requirements. A new overview in space and time of flowering date changes was provided in apple tree highlighting not only flowering date advances as in previous studies but also stationary flowering date series. At global scale, differentiated flowering time patterns result from varying interactions between contrasting thermal determinisms of flowering dates and contrasting warming contexts. This may explain flowering date advances in most of European regions and in Morocco vs. stationary flowering date series in the Brazilian regions. A notable exception in Europe was found in the French Mediterranean region where the flowering date series was stationary. While the flowering duration series were stationary whatever the region, the flowering durations were far longer in mild regions compared to temperate regions. Our findings suggest a new warming vulnerability in temperate Mediterranean regions, which could shift toward responding more to chill decline and consequently experience late and extended flowering under future warming scenarios.

Escala diagramática para avaliação de severidade da helmintosporiose comum em milho / Diagramatic scale for severity evaluation of common helminthosporium in corn

A helmintosporiose comum, causada pelo fungo Exserohilum turcicum é uma das principais doenças foliares da cultura do milho, na região sul do Brasil, e apresenta um considerável potencial de danos à cultura, especialmente quando o ataque se inicia antes do período de floração. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo elaborar e validar uma escala diagramática para avaliação da severidade da helmintosporiose comum do milho. Para isso, foram coletadas folhas com sintomas da doença para a determinação da severidade real, definição dos limites máximos e mínimos, e os níveis intermediários da escala por meio de incrementos logarítmicos, de acordo com a lei de estímulo visual de Weber-Fechner. A escala elaborada sugere sete níveis de severidade: 0,5; 1,0; 2,5; 6,5; 15,5; 30,0; 54,0%. A validação foi realizada por seis avaliadores, sem experiência na quantificação dessa doença, que estimaram a severidade em 30 folhas com diferentes níveis de sintomas, sem e com o auxílio da escala. A utilização da escala diagramática resultou em melhor acurácia e precisão nas estimativas realizadas, sendo uma ferramenta de fácil e rápida utilização, que pode ser adotada para auxiliar na avaliação da severidade da helmintosporiose comum do milho.

The Helminthosporium leaf blight, caused by Exserohilum turcicum, is one of the main spots that attacks corn crop in Southern Brazil. This disease causes considerable economic losses on this crop, especially when the attack begins before the flowering period. The aim of this research was to elaborate and validate a diagrammatic scale to evaluate the severity of the Helminthosporium leaf blight in corn. Corn leaves with symptoms of the disease were collected for measuring the real severity and defining the maximum and minimum limits, as well as the intermediate levels and the logarithmic increments, according to Weber-Fechner's stimulus-response law. The elaborated scale suggested seven severity levels: 0,5; 1,0; 2,5; 6,5; 15,5; 30,0 and 54,0%. The validation was performed by six persons without previous experience to quantify this disease. The severity of 30 leaves with different levels of symptoms was estimated, with and without the help of the scale. The use of the diagrammatic scale resulted in better accuracy and precision in the estimates, being a tool for quick and easy use, which can be adopted to assist in the severity evaluation of the Helminthosporium leaf blight in corn.

Enxertia interespecífica de jabuticabeira: influência do tipo de garfo / Interspecific grafting of jabuticabeira: influence the type of stem cutting

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o pegamento e desenvolvimento dos enxertos de duas espécies de Jabuticaba (Plinia spp.), testando diferentes tipos de garfos. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com dez repetições, no esquema fatorial 2x3 (espécie x tipo de garfo), com a unidade experimental composta por uma planta. Utilizaram-se as espécies Plinia trunciflora e Plinia cauliflora enxertadas sobre P. cauliflora por garfagem de topo em fenda cheia, utilizando-se garfos herbáceos (diâmetro menor de 3mm), semi-lenhosos de baixo calibre (diâmetro de 3-5mm) e semi-lenhosos de médio calibre (diâmetro de 5-7mm). A espécie P. trunciflora proporcionou um número de brotações superior e um comprimento de brotação 44 por cento inferior à espécie P. cauliflora. Para percentual de brotação, não se observou diferença significativa entre as espécies testadas. Os garfos semi-lenhosos de baixo calibre favoreceram o aumento significativo do pegamento e do número de brotação em comparação aos garfos herbáceos, não diferindo significativamente, no entanto, dos garfos semi-lenhosos.

This research aimed to evaluate craft success and development of two grafted species of Jabuticaba (Plinia spp.) using different methods of grafting. A Complete randomized experimental design was used with ten replicates, under a factorial scheme of 2x3 (species x diameter of stem cutting), and the experimental unit was composed by one plant. Plinia trunciflora and Plinia cauliflora were the scion species grafted on P. cauliflora by cleft grafting, using herbaceous cuttings (diameters smaller than 3mm), semi-woody cuttings of low caliber (diameter 3-5mm), and semi-woody cuttings of medium caliber (diameter 5-7mm). P. trunciflora presented the higher number of buddings but the length of buddings were 44 percent lower than P. cauliflora. Budding percentage was not significantly different among studied species. The semi-wood cuttings of low caliber increased significantly the number of buddings and graft success when compared to herbaceous cuttings, not presenting significant difference when compared to semi-woody cuttings of medium caliber herbaceous cuttings.