EFFECT OF CANOPY POSITION ON SOME FRUIT QUALITY PARAMETERS OF GREENHOUSE-GROWN NECTARINE

In order to know if fruit characters were influenced markedly by the canopy position of nectarine trees, trained by ‘Y’ form, growing in a typical Chinese lean-to greenhouse, the whole canopy was divided into northern, middle and southern region at horizontal direction, and upper, middle and lower layer at vertical direction.
Each layer was subdivided into exposed and shaded zone according to if there was direct sunlight available.
During the harvesting period, the fresh weight, diameter, skin color, firmness and SSC (soluble solid content) of nectarine fruits were compared among different canopy positions.
Results showed that most fruit characters were observed with a significant difference in the vertical direction of canopy.
The coloring index and SSC of fruits from the upper layer were larger than from the lower layer, but fresh weight and mean diameter of fruits from the upper layer were less than the middle layer.
Also there was a significant difference in coloring index and SSC between fruits from the exposed zone and the shaded zone.
Except fruit color and firmness, no remarkable differences in other fruit characters were found among fruits from different canopy regions at horizontal direction.
Therefore, the variation in fruit quality was the most significant at vertical direction of the canopy and fruit color and firmness were affected most easily by canopy position.

International Symposium on High Technology for Greenhouse Systems: GreenSys2009

Y. Kong, Y. Yao, C. Ma, B. Li

China, firmness, fruit color, soluble solid content, sunlight intensity tree crown

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.893.103