MODELING THE CARBOHYDRATE ECONOMY OF PEACH FRUIT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION

This paper outlines a generalized model of the carbohydrate economics of peach fruit growth and crop production and describes some of the implications of the model regarding photosynthetic limitations on fruit yield.
The model provides a framework for integrating environmental and physiological factors controlling carbohydrate supply and demand for fruit growth at the orchard level.
The primary processes of canopy photosynthesis and peach fruit growth potential are described by submodels.
These submodels are then combined in an interactive way so that daily peach fruit growth and crop development are dependent on the calculated daily availability of current photosynthates.
The model predicts that there are two potential periods when fruit growth is likely to be limited by availability of current photosynthates.
The duration and severity of photosynthate limitations are dependent on environmental conditions as well as initial fruit set, thinning level and timing and canopy light interception characteristics.
Although the model is still in the preliminary stages of development it is already useful for indicating gaps in our knowledge of tree function and indicating potential avenues for future research.

II International Peach Symposium

T.M. DeJong, J. Goudriaan

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.254.15