The Biology Of Apples And Pears (the Biology Of Horticultural Crops)

This page intentionally left blank Biology of Apples and Pears is a comprehensive reference book on all aspects of pomology at the organ, tree and orchard level. It provides detailed information on propagation, root and shoot growth, rootstock effects, canopy development in relation to orchard design, flowering, pollination, fruit set, fruit growth, fruit quality factors and quality retention in store. It also deals with mineral nutrition, water relations and irrigation, diseases and pests, and biotechnology. The book emphasizes the scientific basis of modern tree and orchard management, and fruit storage. It describes key cultivar differences and their physiology and genetics, and environmental effects and cultivar × environment interactions in tropical and subtropical as well as temperate zone conditions. It is written for fruit growers, extension workers, plant breeders, biotechnologists and storage and crop protection specialists as well as for researchers and students of pomology and horticulture. has a wealth of experience in the science of fruit growing. He held senior positions at East Malling Research Station and was chairman of the Orchard and Plantation Systems (High Density Planting) working group of the International Society for Horticultural Science for many years. Recently he was in charge of the Horticultural Research Centre, Marondera, Zimbabwe. He has visited fruit growing areas and lectured to fruit growers and scientists in countries, spanning four continents. He has published extensively in the primary literature and has contributed to, edited or co-edited numerous volumes on various aspects of fruit trees and plantation systems. BIOLOGY OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS Existing texts in horticultural science tend to cover a wide range of topics at a relatively superficial level, while more specific information on individual crop species is dispersed widely in the literature. To address this imbalance, the Biology of Horticultural Crops presents a series of concise texts, each devoted to discussing the biology of an important horticultural crop species in detail. Key topics such as evolution, morphology, anatomy, physiology and genetics are considered for each crop species, with the aim of increasing understanding and providing a sound scientific basis for improvements in commercial crop production. Volumes to be published in the series will cover the grapevine, citrus fruit, bananas, apples and pears, and stone fruit. The original concept for this series was the idea of Professor Michael Mullins, who identified the topics to be covered and acted as General Editor from until his untimely death in . Biology of the Grapevine, Michael G. Mullins, Alain Bouquet and Larry E. Williams Biology of Citrus, Pinhas Spiegel-Roy and Eliezer E. Goldschmidt BIOLOGY OF APPLES AND PEARS John E. Jackson Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge , United Kingdom Published in the United States by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521380188 © Cambridge University Press 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to sta