Canopy Position Affects Pigment Expression and Accumulation of Flavedo Carbohydrates of ‘Nules Clementine’ Mandarin Fruit, Thereby Affecting Rind Condition

Abstract

Because photosynthesis provides the required carbohydrates for fruit development and respiration releases the stored energy from these carbon compounds, interalia during postharvest storage, it is therefore important that fruit tissues have an adequate carbohydrate concentration at the start of the postharvest period to ensure optimal storage life. In addition to photosynthate supply from leaves, the chlorophyll-containing flavedo of citrus (Citrus sp.) fruit (outer, colored part of the rind) has the ability to fix CO2 through its own photosynthetic system. In this experiment, spanning three seasons, the three main sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) were quantified in the flavedo of ‘Nules Clementine’ mandarin (Citrus reticulata) fruit during Stages II and III of fruit development. Flavedo was sampled from fruit borne on the inside (low light intensity) or outside (high light intensity) of the tree’s canopy. In one season, the photosynthetic and respiration rates of fruit borne in the two canopy positions were measured pre- and post-color break (March and April, respectively). Sucrose concentration increased constantly from initial sampling in February until harvest (May), whereas glucose and fructose concentrations increased significantly only during the last month of fruit development. The flavedo of inside fruit, developing under low-light conditions, was less well colored (higher hue angle) and had a lower sugar concentration compared with outside fruit developing under conditions of high light levels. This response could be attributed to the higher pigment concentration leading to a higher photosynthetic rate as well as greater sink strength of the outside fruit. The inside fruit had an increased susceptibility to the progressive postharvest physiological disorder, rind breakdown. The lower carbohydrate and pigment concentrations of the rind from fruit borne inside the canopy compared with those from the outside of the canopy could be indicative of a weaker rind condition at the time of harvest.