scholarly journals Direct and Indirect Effects of Overstory Canopy and Sex-Biased Density Dependence on Reproduction in the Dioecious Shrub Shepherdia canadensis (Elaeagnaceae)

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Tyler J. Bateman ◽  
Scott E. Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Pollen Competition ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Male Density ◽  
Focal Female ◽  
Shepherdia Canadensis

This study assessed the reproductive success of a temperate dioecious shrub, Canada buffaloberry, Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt., in central Alberta, Canada, by examining the effects of spatial patterns and overstory canopy on flower and fruit production. S. canadensis is more abundant and productive (more fruit) at forest edges and in forest gaps, suggesting a dependence on higher light conditions than is typical of late-seral forests. We used path analysis to demonstrate that flower and fruit production exhibited density-dependent effects at a scale of 50 m2 around focal female plants. Fruit production was positively affected by male intraspecific density (pollen supply) and negatively affected by female intraspecific density (pollen competition), but not correlated with overall intraspecific density. The effects of sex-differentiated density are partly due to pollinator responses to male plant density. Flower production was positively affected by overall intraspecific density. A pollen supplementation trial doubled fruit production relative to a control, demonstrating that local male density (pollen availability) and pollinator activity can limit fruit production in S. canadensis. Canopy cover was negatively related to both flower and total fruit production, with approximately one-third (34%) of the total effect of canopy on fruit production due to the effect of canopy on flower production. The commonly observed negative association between canopy cover and fruit production in buffaloberry, therefore, is partly a result of the reduction first in flower number and second in fruit set. This study clarifies the mechanisms associated with the often-noted observation, but not previously assessed at the level of individuals, that reproductive output in S. canadensis is density dependent, limited by canopy cover through reductions in both flowering and fruit set, and pollinator limited. These findings hold implications for managing animal species that depend on the fruit of S. canadensis and suggest future directions for research on dioecious and actinorhizal species.

scholarly journals Flowering levels, harvest season and yields of cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum)

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgini Augusto Venturieri
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Germplasm Collection ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Theobroma Grandiflorum ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Over Time

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum), a specie native to Amazonia, has been planted commercially in Brazil to satisfy the demand for the flavorful juice obtained from the pulp around its seeds. The trees are notorious for low and irregular fruit production. Data gathered over two seasons from trees in a germplasm collection in Pará, Brazil, showed that some of them fruited more regularly than others. Differences in fruit production correlated to differences in flower production. Tree-to-tree variation in flower production, fruit production, and consistency of both over time suggest considerable scope for improving yields by selection. Hand pollinations resulted in a much higher frequency of fruit set than open pollinations, indicating that lack of effective pollination is also a reason for low yield. However, attempts to increase the level of effective pollination are handicapped by low knowledge about the pollinators of cupuassu and their behavior.

Further assessment of pollen limitation in the waratah (Telopea speciosissima)

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross L. Goldingay
Keyword(s):  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Pollen Limitation ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
The Self ◽  
Original Experiment ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Plant Families

The literature contains much debate about whether pollen limitation results in a cost to plants. A population of the waratah, Telopea speciosissima (Proteaceae), was found to be pollen limited in 1985. The present study examines the consequences and causes of this pollen limitation. In the 2–3 years following the original experiment, there was no difference in vegetative growth, flower production or fruit production between the hand-pollinated or control plants. There was no difference in inflorescence or fruit production between these two plant groups up to 9 years later. There was no cost of the experimental increase in reproduction. Experiments in 1988 failed to reveal further pollen limitation, suggesting that it may only occur in some years in this population. The retention of self-pollen on stigmas after anthesis was implicated as a cause of the original demonstration of pollen limitation because the waratah is self-incompatible, has highly synchronous flowering and, typical of the Proteaceae, deposits self-pollen on its stigmas at anthesis. These traits should provide a continuing influence on fruit set in all years. However, plants did not produce more fruits when the self-pollen was experimentally removed. This suggests that the waratah experiences pollen limitation in years when pollination and nutrient levels are not in equilibrium. Further studies of pollen limitation are required to fully understand the fitness consequences of this phenomenon, and to fully describe its frequency among different plant families and among plants with differing flowering strategies.

Disentangling the effects of foliar vs. floral herbivory of leaf-cutting ants on the plant reproductive success of Miconia nervosa (Smith) Triana (Family Melastomataceae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-83
Author(s):  
T. Câmara ◽  
X. Arnan ◽  
V.S. Barbosa ◽  
R. Wirth ◽  
L. Iannuzzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Plant Fitness ◽  
Floral Herbivory ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Plant Reproductive Success ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Leaf Herbivory

AbstractFlower and leaf herbivory might cause relevant and negative impacts on plant fitness. While flower removal or damage by florivores produces direct negative effects on plant fitness, folivores affect plant fitness by reducing resource allocation to reproduction. In this study, we examine the effects of both flower and leaf herbivory by leaf-cutting ants on the reproductive success of the shrub species Miconia nervosa (Smith) Triana (Family Melastomataceae) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Northeast Brazil. We conducted a randomized block-designed field experiment with nine replicates (blocks), in which three plants per block were assigned to one of the three following treatments: undamaged plants (ant exclusion), leaf-damaged plants (ant exclusion from reproductive organs, but not from leaves), and flower + leaf-damaged plants (no exclusion of ants). We then measured flower production, fruit set, and fruit production. Our results showed that flower + leaf-damaged plants reduced flower production nearly twofold in relation to undamaged plants, while flower set in leaf-damaged plants remained constant. The number of flowers that turned into fruits (i.e., fruit set), however, increased by 15% in flower + leaf-damaged plants, while it slightly decreased in leaf-damaged compared to undamaged plants. Contrastingly, fruit production was similar between all treatments. Taken together, our results suggest a prominent role of ant floral herbivory across different stages of the reproductive cycle in M. nervosa, with no consequences on final fruit production. The tolerance of M. nervosa to leaf-cutting ant herbivory might explain its high abundance in human-modified landscapes where leaf-cutting ants are hyper-abundant.

scholarly journals Increased Plant Density and Shade Affects Flowering and Fruiting of Pumpkin (C. pepo)

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 526A-526
Author(s):  
R.O. Nyankanga ◽  
H.C. Wien
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Female Flower ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Complete Suppression ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
Female Flowers

Increase in plant density often results in reduction in reproductive potential of individual plants in cucurbits. The reduction may be due to reduced female flower production or a reduction or a delay in fruit set or to decreased fruit size. To determine the cause of the reduction, flowering, and fruiting of two pumpkin cultivars was evaluated in four field experiments under four plant densities ranging from 4483 plants/ha to 23,910 plants/ha and in a greenhouse using three levels of shade. Weekly flower and flower bud counts were made in the field experiment starting at first anthesis. Flowers were determined to have either set or aborted or not have reached anthesis. Increasing plant population from 4483 plants/ha to 23,910 plants/ha resulted in an increase in number of flowers per unit area up to 11,955 plants/ha, beyond which there was a steep decline. Increased plant density also resulted in an increase in aborted female flower buds that did not reach anthesis. Increase in plant density only reduced fruit set at very high populations. Number of fruits per area increased linearly with plant density up to 11,955 plants/ha, but decreased at higher plant populations. Reducing incident light by 30%, 60%, and 80% in a greenhouse experiment resulted in reduction of both male and female flowers. At 80% shade, there was a complete suppression of female flowers, whereas male flowers were still being produced. The number of female flowers reaching anthesis was positively correlated with total shoot dry weight while floral buds and male flowers were not. Reduction of individual plant biomass under high-density plantings might therefore be limiting female flower production and yield.

Reproductive Responses of Capsicum annuum to High Temperatures

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 543c-543
Author(s):  
Ami N. Erickson ◽  
Albert H. Markhart
Keyword(s):  
Capsicum Annuum ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Fruit Development ◽  
Flower Development ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Bud Size ◽  
Growth Chambers ◽  
Constant Growth

Fruit yield reduction due to high temperatures has been widely observed in Solanaceous crops. Our past experiments have demonstrated that Capsicum annuum cultivars Ace and Bell Boy completely fail to produce fruit when grown at constant 33 °C. However, flowers are produced, continually. To determine which stages of flower development are sensitive to high temperatures, pepper buds, ranging in size from 1 mm to anthesis, were exposed to high temperatures for 6 hr, 48 hr, 5 days, or for the duration of the experiment. Fruit set for each bud size was determined. Exposure to high temperatures at anthesis and at the 2-mm size stage for 2 or more days significantly reduced fruit production. To determine whether inhibition of pollination, inhibition of fertilization, and/or injury to the female or male structures prevents fruit production at high temperatures, flowers from pepper cultivars Ace and Bell Boy were grown until flowers on the 8th or 9th node were 11 mm in length. Plants were divided between 25 °C and 33 °C constant growth chambers for 2 to 4 days until anthesis. At anthesis, flowers from both treatments were cross-pollinated in all combination, and crosses were equally divided between 33 or 25 °C growth chambers until fruit set or flowers abscised. All flower crosses resulted in 80% to 100% fruit set when post-pollination temperatures were 25 °C. However, post-pollination temperatures of 33 °C significantly reduced fruit production. Reduced fruit set by flowers exposed to high temperatures during anthesis and pollination is not a result of inviable pollen or ovule, but an inhibition of fertilization or initial fruit development.

scholarly journals A comparative study on the reproductive success of two rewarding Habenaria species (Orchidaceae) occurring in roadside verge habitats

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenliu Zhang ◽  
Jiangyun Gao
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Pollinator Behaviour ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Nectar Sugar ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Viable Embryo

Abstract Background Most orchid species have been shown to be severely pollination limited, and the factors affecting reproductive success have been widely studied. However, the factors determining the reproductive success vary from species to species. Habenaria species typically produce nectar but exhibit variable fruit set and reproductive success among species. Here, we investigated the influence of the flowering plant density, inflorescence size, breeding system, and pollinator behaviour on the reproductive success of two rewarding Habenaria species. Results Our observations indicated that Habenaria limprichtii and H. petelotii co-occur in roadside verge habitats and present overlapping flowering periods. Both species were pollination limited, although H. limprichtii produced more fruits than H. petelotii under natural conditions during the 3-year investigation. H. petelotii individuals formed distinct patches along roadsides, while nearly all H. limprichtii individuals clustered together. The bigger floral display and higher nectar sugar concentration in H. limprichtii resulted in increased attraction and visits from pollinators. Three species of effective moths pollinated for H. limprichtii, while Thinopteryx delectans (Geometridae) was the exclusive pollinator of H. petelotii. The percentage of viable seeds was significantly lower for hand geitonogamy than for hand cross-pollination in both species. However, H. limprichtii may often be geitonogamously pollinated based on the behaviours of the pollinators and viable embryo assessment. Conclusions In anthropogenic interference habitats, the behaviours and abundance of pollinators influence the fruit set of the two studied species. The different pollinator assemblages in H. limprichtii can alleviate pollinator specificity and ensure reproductive success, whereas the more viable embryos of natural fruit seeds in H. petelotii suggested reducing geitonogamy by pollinators in the field. Our results indicate that a quantity-quality trade-off must occur between species with different breeding strategies so that they can fully exploit the existing given resources.

scholarly journals Relative contribution of reproductive attributes to the density-dependent effects on fruit-set

AoB Plants ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vineet Kumar Singh ◽  
Chandan Barman ◽  
Divya Mohanty ◽  
Rajesh Tandon
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Relative Contribution

scholarly journals Effect of sowing density and nitrogen top-dress fertilisation on growth and yield of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in a Mediterranean environment: first results

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Bochicchio ◽  
Roberta Rossi ◽  
Rosanna Labella ◽  
Giovanni Bitella ◽  
Michele Perniola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Italy ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Salvia Hispanica ◽  
Area Index ◽  
First Results ◽  
Salvia Hispanica L ◽  
Set Up

The demand for sources of nutraceuticals has led to the rediscovery and diffusion of traditional crops such as chia (<em>Salvia hispanica</em> L.), whose leaves and fruits are rich in W3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants. Chia originates in Central America but it is rapidly expanding to new areas. A field experiment conducted at Atella in Basilicata (Southern Italy) was set up to test the response of chia to N top-dress fertilisation (0 and 20 kg ha<sup>–1</sup>) and to sowing density (D1=125, D2=25, D3=8 and D4=4 plants m<sup>–2</sup>) in a split-plot design with three replications. First results show maximum leaf area index values up to 7.1 and fresh vegetative biomass production at early flowering ranging between 50.87 (D4) and 59.71 (D1) t ha<sup>–1</sup>. Yield increased with plant density: a significantly (P&lt;0.01) higher production (398 kg ha<sup>–1</sup>) was reached in D1. N top-dressing had a detrimental effect on yield and corresponded to higher lodging and lower maturation percentage of seeds, though non-significant. Based on our first results it seems worthwhile to continue agronomical trials for chia in herbaceous systems of southern Italy for leaf production based on traditional genotypes, while fruit production might be pursued by adopting high sowing density and the search for longer-day genotypes.

scholarly journals Using Canopy Measurements to Predict Soybean Seed Yield

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3260
Author(s):  
Peder K. Schmitz ◽  
Hans J. Kandel
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Soybean Seed ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Planting Dates ◽  
The Individual

Predicting soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed yield is of interest for crop producers to make important agronomic and economic decisions. Evaluating the soybean canopy across a range of common agronomic practices, using canopy measurements, provides a large inference for soybean producers. The individual and synergistic relationships between fractional green canopy cover (FGCC), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception, and a normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) measurements taken throughout the growing season to predict soybean seed yield in North Dakota, USA, were investigated in 12 environments. Canopy measurements were evaluated across early and late planting dates, 407,000 and 457,000 seeds ha−1 seeding rates, 0.5 and 0.8 relative maturities, and 30.5 and 61 cm row spacings. The single best yield predictor was an NDVI measurement at R5 (beginning of seed development) with a coefficient of determination of 0.65 followed by an FGCC measurement at R5 (R2 = 0.52). Stepwise and Lasso multiple regression methods were used to select the best prediction models using the canopy measurements explaining 69% and 67% of the variation in yield, respectively. Including plant density, which can be easily measured by a producer, with an individual canopy measurement did not improve the explanation in yield. Using FGCC to estimate yield across the growing season explained a range of 49% to 56% of yield variation, and a single FGCC measurement at R5 (R2 = 0.52) being the most efficient and practical method for a soybean producer to estimate yield.

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