Bud development in Picea glauca. I. Annual growth cycle of vegetative buds and shoot elongation as they relate to date and temperature sums

Abstract

Vegetative buds of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss were studied throughout the annual growth cycle in several trees in 1975 and 1976 and bud development was related to lateral vegetative shoot growth, date, and temperature sums.Vegetative buds became mitotically active in mid-April at lower elevations and about 6 weeks later at higher elevations. Shoot elongation was characterized by similar smooth sigmoid curves in both years. Shoot growth was slow for the 1st month, rapid during the 2nd month, and slow again for the 3rd month and ended by early August. Temperature sums related best to percentage of shoot elongation if the end of vegetative bud dormancy was used as the starting date and 5 °C was used as the threshold temperature. Arbitrarily chosen starting dates and threshold temperatures gave temperature sums which were related to shoot elongation only when shoot elongation was nearly completed. Generally, if the end of vegetative bud dormancy is known, the number of days from that time is nearly as accurate as the more complex use of temperature sums in predicting the percentage of shoot elongation or the stage of vegetative bud development.Bud-scale initiation occurred during shoot elongation. Axillary buds were initiated in mid-May and flushing occurred when shoots had elongated to about 30% of their final length in late May or early June. The end of shoot elongation coincided with the onset of leaf initiation on all trees in both years. The change from bud-scale initiation to leaf initiation was preceded by a marked increase in apical width and a slight increase in apical height and mitotic frequency. Leaf initiation was rapid for 6 weeks then slower for the last 4 weeks. Vegetative buds became dormant in mid-October.Vegetative bud development is closely related to shoot elongation. Breaking of vegetative bud dormancy was not affected by temperature but shoot elongation and flushing were affected by temperatures which occurred after dormancy was broken.