Ethylene production, vegetative maturity, and winter dormancy in red-osier dogwood

Abstract

The stage of dormancy development at which deciduous nursery stock can be safely defoliated for harvest was investigated in red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera Michx.). This stage, previously called "vegetative maturity," was found to correspond to the onset of winter dormancy in red-osier dogwood. A reduction in ethylene production by excised plant parts is associated with dormancy development, and occurs prior to this stage. This reduction occurs synchronously throughout the plant, though ethylene production by basipetal tissues prior to the decrease was lower than that by more acropetal tissues. The pattern of change in ethylene production by nodal tissue, which included the axillary buds and about 5 mm of petiole, seemed to be least affected by environmental growing conditions. The results obtained warrant investigation of the relationship between ethylene production and dormancy development in other-woody plants.