RESEARCH BULLETIN OF KAOHSIUNG DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT STATION
Volume 11, Number 1 December, 1999

Influence of Shading on Flower Forcing Effect in Adult Wax Apple Trees

Rong-Mao Lai Yau-Shiang Yang

Summary

　The growth and physiological responses of the off-season production and flower forcing due to shading system was conducted in this study. Wax apple of 12-year-old with secondary shoots were covered with 60% or 95% shading net for 40 days, and flower forcing treatment were treated afterwards. The results showed that the 95% shading treatment decreased number, length and dry matter weight, of new shoots. However, flower cluster and flower number were significantly more than those of low shading and unshading treatments. The water content of shoot and leaf increased after shading treatment. From the observation of leaf tissues with the shading treatment, cells of palisade tissue were shorter and spongy tissues were less developed in the new shoot leaves, consequently, the leaves were thinner. The darker luminance was conducted through shading treatment, the higher content of chlorophyll per unit was found in the leaves of new shoots. Photosynthetic rate and photosynthetic production accumulation decreased significantly, meanwhile, root growth and shooting were inhibited. The data also showed the tendency of decreasing the carbohydrate content and increasing total nitrogen content at the end of shading treatment. The low C/N ratio had no direct implication in wax apple flowering.

Key words：Wax apple, Shading, Forcing culture, Flower forcing