Coffee fruits grown in shade are characterized by larger bean size than those grown under full-sun conditions. The present study assessed the effects of shade on bean characteristics and sugar metabolism by analyzing tissue development, sugar contents, activities of sucrose metabolizing enzymes and expression of sucrose synthase-encoding genes in fruits of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants submitted to full-sun (FS) and shade (SH) conditions. Evolution of tissue fresh weights measured in fruits collected regularly from flowering to maturation indicated that this increase is due to greater development of the perisperm tissue in the shade. The effects of light regime on sucrose and reducing sugar (glucose and fructose) contents were studied in fresh and dry coffee beans. Shade led to a significant reduction in sucrose content and to an increase in reducing sugars. In pericarp and perisperm tissues, higher activities of sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) and sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS: EC 2.4.1.14) were detected at maturation in the shade compared with full sun. These two enzymes also had higher peaks of activities in developing endosperm under shade than in full sun. It was also noted that shade modified the expression of SUS-encoding genes in coffee beans; CaSUS2 gene transcripts levels were higher in SH than in FS. As no sucrose increase accompanied these changes, this suggests that sucrose metabolism was redirected to other metabolic pathways that need to be identified.

No abstract

The effect of thermal summation on orange fruit growth on different rootstocks has not been studied for the State of Paraná, Brazil. This research evaluated the growth of fruits by means of maturation curves, and quantified the growing degree-days (GDD) accumulation required for fruit maturation in 'Folha Murcha' orange trees budded on 'Rangpur' lime, 'Volkamer' lemon, 'Sunki' mandarin, and 'Cleopatra' mandarin, in Paranavaí and Londrina, PR. In both locations and all rootstocks, the fruits showed evolution in total soluble solids (TSS) content in relation to GDD accumulation, with a quadratic tendency of curve fitting; total titratable acidity (TTA) had an inverse quadratic fitting, and the (TSS/ TTA) ratio showed a positive linear regression. Fruits in Paranavaí presented a higher development rate towards maturity than those in Londrina, for all rootstocks. The advancing of the initial maturation stage of fruits in Paranavaí in relation to those in Londrina occurred in the following descending order: 'Volkamer' lemon (92 days), 'Cleopatra' mandarin (81 days), 'Sunki' mandarin (79 days), 'Rangpur' lime (77 days). In Londrina, trees on 'Rangpur' lime and 'Volkamer' lemon were ready for harvest 8 and 15 days before those on the 'Cleopatra' and 'Sunki' mandarins, respectively. In Paranavaí, the beginning of fruit maturation in trees on 'Volkamer' lemon occurred 15, 19, and 28 days earlier than on 'Rangpur' lime, 'Cleopatra' mandarin, and 'Sunki' mandarin, respectively. Considering 12.8ºC as the lower base temperature, the thermal sum for fruit growth and maturation of 'Folha Murcha' orange ranged from 4,462 to 5,090 GDD. Key words: Citrus sinensis, thermal summation, juice quality, rootstocks CURVAS DE MATURAÇÃO E GRAUS-DIA ACUMULADOS PARA FRUTOS DE PLANTAS DE LARANJEIRA 'FOLHA MURCHA'RESUMO: O efeito da soma térmica no crescimento do fruto de laranja em diferentes porta-enxertos não tem sido estudado no Estado do Paraná, Brasil. Esta pesquisa avaliou o crescimento dos frutos por meio de curvas de maturação e quantificou os graus-dia acumulados (GDA) necessários para a maturação dos frutos em laranjeiras 'Folha Murcha' enxertadas em limão 'Cravo', limão 'Volcameriano', tangerina 'Sunki' e tangerina 'Cleópatra', em Paranavaí e Londrina, PR. Para os dois locais e em todos os porta-enxertos, os frutos apresentaram evolução do teor de sólidos solúveis totais (SST) em relação ao acúmulo de graus-dia com ajuste de tendência quadrática da curva de regressão; a acidez titulável total (ATT) com ajuste quadrático inverso e o ratio (SST/ATT) regressão linear positiva. Os frutos em Paranavaí apresentaram maior índice de maturação do que em Londrina para todos os porta-enxertos, com antecipação do ponto inicial de maturação na seguinte ordem: limão 'Volcameriano' (92 dias), tangerina 'Cleópatra' (81 dias), tangerina 'Sunki' (79 dias), limão 'Cravo' (77 dias). Em Londrina, as plantas sobre os limões 'Cravo' e 'Volcameriano' apresentaram início da colheita 8 e 15 dias antes daquelas nas tangerinas 'Cleópatra' e 'Sunki'...

No abstract

No abstract