• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.577-583
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• 2016

Small-sized persimmons produced by high crop load are better accepted in the export markets. However, maintaining high crop load frequently results in weakness of tree vigor, deterioration of fruit quality, and increase of the risks for alternate bearing. This experiment was conducted to determine the combined effects of fertilization rate and leaf-fruit (L/F) ratio on container-grown 3-year-old 'Fuyu' persimmon trees. Application of 3.6-g N, 2.1-g $P_2O_5$, 2.7-g $K_2O$, 2.7-g CaO, and 0.6-g MgO was for the control fertilization rate (CF) and that of a 3-fold CF was for the high fertilization rate (HF). Commercial fertilizers were surface-applied to a container on July 6, July 17, and August 10 in three equal aliquots. Single tree for each fertilization rate was assigned for 12 L/F ratios (5, 6.3, 7.7, 9, 10.4, 13, 15.5, 18, 21, 24, 27, and 33) mostly by fruit thinning or rarely by defoliation on July 1. HF did not affect the yield, weight and soluble solids of the fruits but decreased skin color. As L/F ratio increased, yield decreased but average weight, skin color, and soluble solids of fruits increased. With HF, N and K concentrations in leaves, fruits, and shoots increased to some extent but soluble sugars in dormant shoots decreased. Many shoots were cold-injured with low L/F ratio especially at the HF. HF did not increase number of flower buds the next spring either on a shoot or on a tree basis but increased shoot length, compared with the CF. Increasing L/F ratio markedly increased number of flower buds and shoot growth the following year at both fertilization rates. Therefore, an appropriate combination of fertilization rate and L/F ratio should be necessary to maintain stable fruit production and tree vigor at high crop load.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.565-573
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• 2010

Thinning of apple fruitlets is one of the most laborious and important works for the improvement of fruit quality and for the promotion of sufficient flower bud formation to prevent alternate bearing in commercial cultivars. Lateral fruits of self-thinning apple cultivars fall naturally within 30 days after full bloom and only central fruit remains to mature. Differences of gene expression between central fruit and lateral fruit were investigated by differential display (DD) PCR. Partial cDNAs of 30 clones from the central fruit and 24 clones from the lateral fruit were selected for nucleotide sequence determination and homology searches. The levels of transcripts coding for proteins involved in pathogenesis related proteins, senescence, temperature stress, protein degradation, fruit browning, sorbitol metabolism were significantly higher in pedicels of lateral fruit than in pedicels of central fruit. On the other hand, the up-regulation of proteins involved in anthocyanin and flavanol biosynthesis and ethylene synthesis were observed in pedicels of central fruit. In Real time PCR analysis, cytochrome P450 gene was confirmed as showing a higher expression level in lateral fruit than in central fruit. The results of this study indicate that differentially expressed genes are related to self-thinning characteristics in apple tree.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2015

Well-feathered (over 10 feathers) 'Fuji'/M.9 apple trees were planted at $3.0{\times}1.0m$ and trained to slender spindle with 2.5 m height or to tall spindle with 3.5 m height, and the vegetative growth, productivity, and fruit quality of two training systems were compared for 8 years. The canopy volume of the tall spindle trees surpassed that of the slender spindle trees 4 years after planting and was 25% larger than that of the slender spindle trees 5 years after planting. The accumulated yield over 8 years for the tall spindle system was 14% higher than that of the slender spindle system. Alternate bearing and incidence of marssonina blotch were observed in both treatments after 5 years of planting. There was often vegetative imbalance in the trees however, the degree of yield loss and vegetative imbalance of the tall spindle trees was lower than those of the slender spindle trees. Soluble solid content and fruit red color of the tall spindle trees were higher than that of the slender spindle trees in 5 year after planting, resulting from increased light penetration in the canopy due to even distribution of lateral branches and from fruit bearing in different height locations of the trees. In conclusion, increasing the tree height to about 3.5 m using slender spindle 'Fuji'/M.9 apple trees planted with over 333 trees per 10a led to better light penetration, yield and fruit quality compared to a conventional wide training system with the slender spindle.