EFFECT OF DAILY CYCLES COMBINING MODERATE, HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES ON APRICOT DORMANCY RELEASE

Different temperature cycles were applied on apricot shoots during 60 days in growth chambers.
Shoots were sampled from adult trees after different amounts of chill were accumulated in field conditions, in order to evaluate the effect of thermal sequences on apricot dormancy release.
When no chill had accumulated prior to the shoot sampling date, continuous 5°C was the most efficient treatment in growth chamber, followed by 5/15°C. However, when shoots had already received a certain chill accumulation in field conditions, 5/25°C was always the most efficient treatment, whereas 5/15°C and 5/20°C became as efficient as 5°C. After a pre-treatment of 5°C and when no chill had been accumulated in field conditions, the efficiency of the treatments tended to equalize.
These results show that high temperatures, such as 25°C, can be efficient for dormancy release when applied in a daily cycle with low tempera¬tures after partial chilling has been accumulated.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on the Challenge for a Sustainable Production, Protection and Consumption of Mediterranean Fruits and Nuts

J.A. Campoy, D. Ruiz, J. Egea, L. Allderman, N. Cook

alternating temperatures, chilling, ecodormancy, endodormancy, Prunus armeniaca L.

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.940.49