Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE, cilt.249, ss.299-305, 2019 (SCI-Expanded)
The apricots growing in different environments face the risk of frost in spring months. There is limited information about how floral organ structures of apricots are protected from frost injury during late spring frosts. As a solution related this matter, the cell death points (CDPs) of some apricot flower organs (pedicel, receptacle, petal, stamen and pistil) at different development phases (first white, first bloom and full bloom) were described for the first time using differential thermal analysis under temperature-controlled, laboratory-based freeze assays. The CDPs were clearly identified for the different apricot cultivars that were evaluated during all blooming phase. In order, from the most sensitive flower organs to the least sensitive on average, were the receptacle, pedicel, petal, stamen and pistil organs. Moreover, a significant cultivar effect was found on freeze damage to most of the flower parts. Under laboratory-based freeze assays, the CDP initially occurred in the receptacle of the apricot flower and ranged from -1.9 to -11.7 degrees C. The pistil, the most tolerant flower organs, however, remained tolerant of low temperatures range of -6.6 to -17.0 degrees C, the lowest temperature tested in the research. Overall, flowering organs of 'Erzincan Tokaloglu' was the most sensitive to freezing, whereas flowering organs of 'Igdir Salak' and 'Sekerpare' were the most freezing-tolerant. The DTA assays indicated that the receptacles are much less frost resistant than other flower organs, and especially in contrast to pistils, are not cold tolerant. The CDP of floral organs in apricot is an effective mechanism that protects developing offspring from possible cold injury result of episodic late spring freezing events. In conclusion, cultivar variability effects on frost tolerance of open apricot flowers were defined, which can be exploited in breeding programs to improve the cold hardiness.