Table 2.
Mean number of (A) total preformed organs (including scales, leaf primordia and bracts), (B) scales and (C) leaf primordia (initiated before the first axillary flower) contained in buds at different positions in 3‐year‐old branching systems of ‘Granny Smith’
| Shoot age | |||
| Branching order | 1‐year‐old | 2‐year‐old | 3‐year‐old |
| (A) Total preformed organs | |||
| Terminal buds | |||
| 1 Long shoots | 21·62 (2·49)a | ||
| 2 Long shoots | 20·32 (1·61)b | 20·63 (2·06)ab | |
| 2 Spurs | 17·99 (1·77)c | 20·79 (2·06)ab | |
| 3 Long shoots | 20·29 (2·44)b | ||
| Axillary buds | Distal | Median | Proximal |
| 15·04 (3·23)d | 15·30 (2·73)d | 11·38 (2·42)e | |
| *Floral buds | 15·51 (2·93)d | 16·62 (2·33)c | 13·82 (2·68)d |
| *Vegetative buds | 11·70 (3·43)ef | 13·10 (1·77)e | 10·99 (2·15)f |
| (B) Scales | |||
| Terminal buds | 1‐year‐old | 2‐year‐old | 3‐year‐old |
| 1 Long shoots | 5·57 (1·66)e | ||
| 2 Long shoots | 7·18 (1·10)c | 5·87 (1·53)e | |
| 2 Spurs | 7·91 (1·06)b | 9·90 (1·61)a | |
| 3 Long shoots | 6·53 (1·14)d | ||
| Axillary buds | Distal | Median | Proximal |
| 3·73 (0·98)g | 4·16 (0·74)f | 3·04 (0·86)h | |
| *Floral buds | 3·80 (0·96)f | 4·2 (0·67)f | 3·6 (0·92)f |
| *Vegetative buds | 3·20 (1·03)fg | 4·1 (0·84)f | 2·94 (0·82)g |
| (C) Leaf primordia | |||
| Terminal buds | 1‐year‐old | 2‐year‐old | 3‐year‐old |
| 1 Long shoots | 11·19 (1·93)a | ||
| 2 Long shoots | 8·07 (1·83)c | 9·55 (2·06)b | |
| 2 Spurs | 4·64 (2·01)d | 5·33 (1·20)d | |
| 3 Long shoots | 7·98 (1·67)c | ||
| Axillary buds | Distal | Median | Proximal |
| 7·96 (2·35)c | 8·50 (1·86)c | 7·86 (1·58)c | |
| *Floral buds | 7·88 (2·30)c | 8·20 (1·99)c | 6·73 (1·49)c |
| *Vegetative buds | 8·50 (2·72)bc | 9·0 (1·53)b | 8·04 (1·53)c |
Standard deviations are indicated in brackets.
For values with the same superscript letters no significant difference was obtained between the corresponding mean values by a Newman–Keuls test (P < 0·01) or * with a Mann–Whitney U test (P < 0·01).