This study explores vascular influx of water in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit because water is a key component of fruit quality and has been implicated in cherry fruit cracking. Flow to fruit is influenced by changing water potential of the fruit, and of potential gradients between the fruit and the spur. Water potential was influenced by vapour pressure deficit. In all seasons of this study, the most negative fruit water potential occurred in mid-afternoon when the magnitude of fruit water potential (ψ_F) was greater than leaf water potential (ψ_L) and analysis showed that there was a significant difference in this potential gradient between days with and without rainfall. Frequency analysis of days monitored over seasons further showed a significant association between the incidence of natural or simulated rainfall and the direction of sap flow to the fruit. This implies that manipulation of the driving forces within sweet cherry trees could be a viable management strategy for the prevention of cracking in cherry fruit. Furthermore,it suggests a role for orchard irrigation, in avoiding development of water potential gradients of fruit that favour rapid vascular influx of water following rainfall.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	sap flow, fruit growth rate, water potential, water movement
Research Division:	Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
Research Group:	Horticultural Production
Research Field:	Horticultural Crop Growth and Development
Objective Division:	Plant Production and Plant Primary Products
Objective Group:	Horticultural Crops
Objective Field:	Stone Fruit
Author:	Measham, PF (Dr Penny Measham)
Author:	Wilson, SJ (Dr Stephen Wilson)
Author:	Gracie, AJ (Dr Alistair Gracie)
Author:	Bound, SA (Dr Sally Bound)
ID Code:	90051
Year Published:	2014
Deposited By:	TIA - Research Institute
Deposited On:	2014-03-25
Last Modified:	2015-03-27
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