Effect of fruiting and drought or flooding on carbon balance of apple trees

Abstract

The response of fruiting or deblossomed trees to water stress such as drought or flooding was investigated in six semi open-top cuvettes each containing one apple (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Golden Delicious) tree. Xylem water potentials of leaves dropped from -1.2 to -4.1 MPa within 7 d of drought, the effect being enhanced by fruiting. Apple trees without fruits showed smaller reductions in net photosynthetic rate (P(N)) and dark respiration rate (R(D)) after 2 d of drought and hence more positive carbon balances relative to fruiting trees. Flooding for 4 d had a more pronounced effect on P(N) than on transpiration, resulting in a reduced water use efficiency (WUE). This reduction in WUE was greater in the non-fruiting trees. Flooding reduced P(N) of the whole apple canopies irrespective of fruiting; apple trees without fruits increased R(D) resulting in a less positive carbon balance relative to fruiting trees. Fruiting increased the sensitivity to drought of apple trees (R(D) and P(N)), but decreased their sensitivity to flooding (R(D) and WUE), suggesting different adaptation mechanisms for the two forms of water stress.