14C-photosynthesis of peach fruits themselves in relation to developmental stage

This experiment was carried out to get better understanding with changes in the concentration of sugars and organic acids in peak fruits. Young developing fruit contains many chlorophylls and it can usually assimilate CO2 in light. By appling 14CO2 to development fruit distribution of photosynthates within development fruit was determined in relation to different stages of development fruit. The alcohol soluble photosynthates in fruit consisted of more than 60 % sugars with organic acids and amino acids among three stages of developmental fruit. The rate of labelling sucrose in fruit was quite different according to development stage and was greater in stage III. It may be concluded that quantitatively the production deriving from direct photosynthesis in the fruit during the development stages included in the present study is of little importance compared to the supply of assimilates from the leaves. However, the possiblity that substances formed directly in the fruit may have specific function of a more qualitative kind. (author)