2017 ASHS Annual Conference

The onset of dormancy at an appropriate time followed by sufficient chilling are essential for normal bud development and spring budbreak in many temperate fruit crops, and the dormancy cycle is directly related to blooming, fruit set, and vegetative growth. Weather data has indicated a tendency of extended growing seasons, warmer winters, and an earlier return of spring-like conditions in recent years. As a result, some geographical regions where fruit crops are planted, have encountered delayed dormancy and an insufficient number of chilling hours, leading to uncertainty in budbreak and fruit cropping, especially in the Southeastern commercial production regions. This uncertainty is causing the use of extra chemical sprays (e.g., hydrogen cyanamide) and/or adjusted horticultural practices (e.g., pruning), in hopes of manipulating bud development and phenology in a manner that ensures sufficient cropping. Many questions regarding the regulation of leaf/flower bud development, however, still remain unanswered, as do those on the mechanism of manipulations used to stimulate dormancy and break. This workshop is designed to exchange information on research advances in bud development and manipulation studies in fruit crops with a chilling requirement and foster research collaborations that will address the need to develop solutions to bud development/break issues caused by inadequate chilling and/or delayed dormancy.