Effect of Chemical Treatments in Prolonging Dormancy of Tung Buds

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Abstract
Dormancy in the tung buds was prolonged by treatment with a naphthyl-acetamide or indole-3-acetic acid in lanolin emulsions. A control of the lanolin carrier alone gave a negative response. Similar results were also obtained with excised tung branches brought into the laboratory, treated with the same substances, and then placed in humid chambers with cut ends standing in about 2 inches of water. To assay the effectiveness of the treatments in prolonging dormancy in relation to frost injury, 7 classes of buds were established on the basis of the degree of their development from a closed bud (class 1) to terminals on which the petals had begun to fall (class 7). The more resistant buds in classes 1, 2, and 3 are damaged only by a heavy frost and were placed in group 1. Classes 4 to 7 which are injured by a light frost (28[degree]F) were placed in group 2. There was a period of about 1 week during which injury to the treated branches (group 1) by a frost of about 28[degree]F would have been from 0 to 15% whereas in the untreated branches it would have been from slight to 70%. During the ensuing 12-day period, the treated branches (group 1) had from 24 to 40% of buds not susceptible to injury by a light frost, while all or nearly all of the buds on the controls would have been injured.

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