<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The aim of this work was to evaluate the photosynthetic performance of Pear trees (cv. ‘Rocha’) infected with <italic>Erwinia amylovora</italic>, three months after suffering a pruning of infected branches (P-trees) compared with asymptomatic trees (C-trees) of the same orchard. Three months after pruning, P-trees looked healthy and were negative for the presence of <italic>E. amylovora</italic>. In September of 2018, fully expanded leaves of both P- and C- trees were sampled and analysed for photosynthetic parameters related to chlorophyll <italic>a</italic> fluorescence and gas exchange, alongside with pigments, total soluble sugars, starch, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) contents. No significant differences were found in chlorophyll and carotenoids levels, but anthocyanins significantly decreased in P-trees. Also, despite the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) significantly decreased in P-trees, the effective quantum yield of the PSII was maintained, paralleled with no changes in gas exchange parameters (PN, gs, Ci, E, iWUE, PN/gs), nor in RuBisCO relative content. Finally, the maintenance of the levels of total soluble sugars and starch also supports that the photosynthetic performance of P-trees, three months after pruning, reached values similar to those of the C-trees, contributing to the normal development and ripening of the fruit. Data support that pruning represents a reliable control measure against this quarantine pathogen. This work is the first evaluation of pruning in fire blight management regarding carbon metabolism in <italic>P. communis</italic> trees.</abstract>

The aim of this work was to evaluate the photosynthetic performance of Pear trees (cv. ‘Rocha’) infected with Erwinia amylovora, three months after suffering a pruning of infected branches (P-trees) compared with asymptomatic trees (C-trees) of the same orchard. Three months after pruning, P-trees looked healthy and were negative for the presence of E. amylovora. In September of 2018, fully expanded leaves of both P- and C- trees were sampled and analysed for photosynthetic parameters related to chlorophyll a fluorescence and gas exchange, alongside with pigments, total soluble sugars, starch, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) contents. No significant differences were found in chlorophyll and carotenoids levels, but anthocyanins significantly decreased in P-trees. Also, despite the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) significantly decreased in P-trees, the effective quantum yield of the PSII was maintained, paralleled with no changes in gas exchange parameters (PN, gs, Ci, E, iWUE, PN/gs), nor in RuBisCO relative content. Finally, the maintenance of the levels of total soluble sugars and starch also supports that the photosynthetic performance of P-trees, three months after pruning, reached values similar to those of the C-trees, contributing to the normal development and ripening of the fruit. Data support that pruning represents a reliable control measure against this quarantine pathogen. This work is the first evaluation of pruning in fire blight management regarding carbon metabolism in P. communis trees.

Fire Blight Management: Physiological Assessment of Cultural Control By Pruning in Pear Orchards

University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

Agriculture (Pol'nohospodárstvo)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the photosynthetic performance of Pear trees (cv. ‘Rocha’) infected with Erwinia amylovora, three months after suffering a...

Fire Blight Management: Physiological Assessment of Cultural Control By Pruning in Pear Orchards

Data publikacji: 14 gru 2020

Zakres stron: 128 - 136

Otrzymano: 03 cze 2020

Przyjęty: 29 paź 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/agri-2020-0012

Słowa kluczowe
photosynthesis, pruning, RuBisCO, pear tree

© 2020 Rafael J. Mendes et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fire Blight Management: Physiological Assessment of Cultural Control By Pruning in Pear Orchards

Data publikacji: 14 gru 2020

Zakres stron: 128 - 136

Otrzymano: 03 cze 2020

Przyjęty: 29 paź 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/agri-2020-0012

Słowa kluczowephotosynthesis, pruning, RuBisCO, pear tree

© 2020 Rafael J. Mendes et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Słowa kluczowe
photosynthesis, pruning, RuBisCO, pear tree