Effects of low temperature application on apple plants over plant growth during acclimatization

Abstract

The present work aimed to evaluate the growth of shoots of a rootstock of the plant growth of the apple (Malus prunifolia Borkh, cv. Marubakaido) tree during the acclimatization process. After two weeks of acclimatization, the plantlets were transferred to a growth room and kept under temperature of 4±1ºC, 16-hour photoperiod at 5 µE m^-2 s^-1 of radiation for 0, 240, 480, 720, 960, 1,200 and 1,440 hours. So, the plantlets were transferred to the greenhouse where their growth was evaluated every two weeks during 90 days. Internode length, bud number and dry matter weight of aerial part and roots were also evaluated at the end of the experiment. The percentage of plant survival was evaluated after a month in greenhouse. An increase was verified in the plant height and internode length proportional to the time kept under low temperature. Chill did not affect the plant survival, the bud number and the dry weight of aerial part, but it did affect the root dry weight.