ABSTRACT

This chapter describes the growth habit and general dry matter allocation patterns for several commercially important Prunus spp., with emphasis on the carbon supply and environmental and biological factors that affect assimilation, partitioning, and control. Fruit growth is described as following a double-sygmoidal growth pattern based on size or mass, with rapid growth during a cell division phase, followed by a period of slow growth during pit hardening and embryo development, and then a period of rapid cell enlargement. Compared to many other fruit trees, Prunus spp., particularly cherry, peach, and nectarine, have a shorter life cycle. During the nonfruiting years the plant is encouraged through various cultural practices to partition a large proportion of its resources into vegetative canopy development. Photosynthetic characteristics of Prunus spp. have been described in several studies and are typical of C3 plants. A source limitation occurs when photosynthetic is limited by the capacity of the reactions that supply photoassimilate.