RELATIONSHIPS OF SUGAR, ACID AND PHENOLIC CONSTITUENTS OF APPLE LEAVES AND FRUITS

Abstract

Sugar, acid and phenolic contents were compared in matched fruit–leaf samples from adult apple trees of several cultivars and scab-resistant selections. Significant positive correlations were found between leaf and fruit phenolic contents and between leaf and fruit total sugars. If similar correlations can be shown to exist between leaves of first-year seedlings and the fruit borne on the adult trees at 7–10 years, the method would provide substantial savings by allowing early discards of seedlings likely to bear undesirable fruit.