ISHS Acta Horticulturae 592: V International Peach Symposium
VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH EVOLUTION AND ADAPTATION OF PEACH SEEDLINGS TO SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENTS |
| Author: | S. Pérez-Gonzáles |
| Keywords: | vigor, rest period, chilling requirement, blossom season |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.592.19 |
| Abstract:
The main objective of this work was to generate information about traits associated with adaptation of peach seedlings to subtropical climates, as a background for breeding and selection. Three plots were established along an altitudinal gradient (2700 to 1700 m) to study a wide range of germplasm including local and introduced genotypes as well as hybrids between them. Seedling vigor after the first and second growth cycles in the field was one of the most important indicators of seedling adaptation to local conditions. It was directly associated with the seedling capacity to enter rest. Several environmental variables may trigger ecodormancy, associated with a strong reduction of apical growth and defoliation, which may start in the middle of the summer in cultivars from higher latitudes, while locally adapted seedlings and cultivars had continuous growth from January to November. Selection strategies should be based on 'adaptive suitability' for both climate and horticultural traits associated with production efficiency and fruit quality. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
