Effect of Light Environment and Spur Age on ‘Delicious’ Apple Fruit Size and Quality

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Limbs of ‘Miller Sturdeespur Delicious’ apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) with bearing spurs ranging in age from 2 to 11 years were provided with differing solar exposure levels ranging from 5% to 95% of full sunlight (400 to 700 nm) from 55 days postbloom until harvest. As the exposure level of the limb canopy was reduced, fruit length, width, weight, soluble solids, starch content, and total solids were reduced while fruit firmness and total acidity were increased. Visual fruit red color of this high-coloring strain was not affected. As spur age increased, fruit length, width, weight, and soluble solids decreased while fruit firmness and total acidity increased. Spur age did not influence fruit red color, starch content, or total solids. Light exposure level accounted for a relatively large portion of the variation in fruit size and quality between limbs while spur age accounted for only a small portion of the variation within each limb.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: