Histological studies on the fruit development of pears as related to the nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potassium. III

Relation between cell-division in the development of flesh and compositions of carbohydrate and nitrogen in the shoot

Abstract

1. With Japanese pears (Nijisseiki) grown under sand culture, the cell-division in the flesh development was studied from the standpoint of the nutrient contents of the dormant shoot. The very highly significant correlations existed between the cell number of a young fruit of April 20 (10 days after full bloom) and both the starch and total carbohydrate contents of the shoot of February 8. The respective coefficients were r=+.958 and +.947. The cell number was correlated also with both the reducing sugar and total sugar significantly, with the respective coefficients of r=+.602 and +.700. However, the cell number was correlated negatively with each content of the nitrogen fractions, though not significantly.
2. Furthermore, on May 8 near the end of cell-division period of the flesh (28 days after full bloom), the cell number was observed in relation to the carbohydrate and nitrogen contents of the current shoot. The correlations were found negatively between the cell number and each content of the carbohydrate fractions, and positively between the cell number and each content of the nitrogen fractions, though not significantly.