Phenology, sink/source relationship and environmental variability of E. stipitata in four landscapes of the Colombian Amazon region

摘要

Several fruit species are influenced by growth and climatological factors. Considering this, we conducted a study of the behavior of the plant phenology and physiology and the biochemistry associated with source leaves and fruits in three growth stages of five E. stipitata morphotypes growing in four landscape units of the Colombian Amazon, evaluating the phenological events, the gas exchange variables in source leaves and the more important metabolite contents in growing fruits. The phenological analysis showed that each individual morphotype had phenological patterns that did not necessarily coincide with the general pattern observed. The environmental variables with most influence on phenology were precipitation and temperature. The physiologicalvariables showed the greatest physiological performance in the source leaves in stage two of fruit growth, where the demand for nutrients was greater and where each evaluated morphotype presented characteristics that gave a specific capacity for a response to environmental conditions. The analysis of primary metabolites such as sugars and acids, in fruits during development, demonstrated differences between the morphotypes and, in addition, differences for the same morphotype in the different growing environments. Climatic factors that affected fruit quality were relative humidity and the consequent effect of vapor pressure deficit, as well as the temperature difference between day and night.