Naphthaleneacetic Acid Reduces Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Rutledge, M. Elizabeth; Frampton, John; Blank, Gary; Hinesley, L. Eric

doi:10.21273/hortsci.44.2.345

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Because the TSN places only 50% to 60% of the leaders into the target range of length ( Fig. 5), American Christmas tree growers probably would use it only in combination with traditional mechanical shearing or application of growth regulators (Rutledge et al, 2008b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using a Bud Volume Index with the Top-Stop Nipper to Control Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Rutledge

Frampton

Hinesley

et al. 2008

hortte

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The Top-Stop Nipper (TSN), a four-bladed, hand-held tool developed for reducing leader growth of Christmas trees, was used as a wounding technique to reduce leader growth of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri). A regression model, based on an apical bud volume index (average bud diameter squared × length), was used to predict the number of nips to apply to each leader to yield a target length of 25 to 36 cm. Treatments included control trees (0 nips) and one to seven nips per leader. Nips were applied in May at budbreak. In an earlier study, increasing the number of nips decreased leader elongation when randomly applied to trees without regard to the size of the apical bud. In this study, when the number of nips increased with increasing bud volume index, leader growth was similar among all TSN treatments. Bud density (per unit length) on the 2006 leader increased with the number of nips applied to the 2005 leader. Results might be useful for growers who want to produce dense trees with minimal shearing or for growers who choose to leave a longer leader to produce a more open, “European-style” tree during a shorter rotation time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using a Bud Volume Index with the Top-Stop Nipper to Control Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Rutledge

Frampton

Hinesley

et al. 2008

hortte

Self Cite

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“…On June 25, 2014, growth season, 40 top leaders approximately 15 cm long were treated with 2 ml of a 1.5% solution (80 mM) Pomoxon ® (NAA, 1-Naphthalene acetic acid) with an Easy Roller System as described by (Rutledge et al 2009). On July 7, the top leaders were treated a second time according to standard growth regulating procedures used by commercial Christmas tree growers.…”

Section: Growth-regulated Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Top Leader Elongation in Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana)

Martens

Sørensen²,

Burow

et al. 2019

J Plant Growth Regul

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Our understanding of the developmental changes that occur during top leader elongation in gymnosperms lags behind that in angiosperms. We developed a semiquantitative method for determining epidermal cell size, by measuring the Feret diameter after cell wall staining of stem epidermal peels. This method allowed a large number of cells to be measured at various locations in the top leader of the Christmas tree Abies nordmanniana. Further, we have identified the growth rate of individual sections of the top leader, and the relationship between cell length and needle arrangement throughout the top leader. At bud break, all stem units begin to elongate simultaneously, but growth ceases from the base upwards during top leader elongation. Long top leaders were characterized by having up to three times as long cells at the base compared to short top leaders, whereas the cell lengths were similar in the apical region independent of the given plant growth capacity. In the basal sector, the level of auxin was much higher, whereas the levels of cytokinins were lower than in the apical sector, causing the auxin/cytokinin ratio to change from about 3 in the apical sector to more than 20 in the basal part. The Fibonacci number changed in the apical sector due to an increased cell number in the stem units and therefore longer distance between the needles. We conclude that the general growth pattern during top leader elongation in A. nordmanniana is similar to angiosperms but differs at the cellular level.

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Managing Cone Formation and Leader Growth in Fraser Fir Christmas Tree Plantations with Plant Growth Regulators

Cregg

Ellison-Smith

Rouse

2022

Forests

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Early cone formation is a consistent issue in Fraser fir Christmas tree plantations in the eastern United States. Growers must remove cones by hand, resulting in significant labor costs, as cones degrade the aesthetic value of Christmas trees. In this study, we conducted two series of experiments in collaboration with several Christmas tree farms to determine the effectiveness of applying plant growth regulators (PGRs), specifically GA-inhibitors, in reducing cone formation and shoot growth in Fraser fir. In the first experiments we investigated the effectiveness of paclobutrazol, applied as a soil injection or as a foliar spray in reducing cone formation. The highest rate of soil application (300 mL of paclobutrazol per tree) reduced cumulative coning by approximately 38%. Leader growth control of soil applied paclobutrazol increased with application rate. In the second set of experiments, we compared four GA-inhibitors (paclobutrazol, chlormequat chloride, uniconazole-p, daminozide) applied as foliar sprays on coning and leader growth. Overall, paclobutrazol was the most effective compound for reducing coning and shoot growth. The results confirm earlier findings that application of GA-inhibitors can reduce, but not eliminate, coning. Likewise, PGR application can reduce shoot growth and possibly increase tree density but will not eliminate the need for shearing.

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Naphthaleneacetic Acid Reduces Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Cited by 3 publications

References 9 publications

Using a Bud Volume Index with the Top-Stop Nipper to Control Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Using a Bud Volume Index with the Top-Stop Nipper to Control Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Characterization of Top Leader Elongation in Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana)

Managing Cone Formation and Leader Growth in Fraser Fir Christmas Tree Plantations with Plant Growth Regulators

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