CHANGES OF TOTAL WATER AND DRY MATTER CONTENT IN HEALTHY LEAVES AND IN LEAVES INFECTED BY TAPHRINA DEFORMANS AT PEACH CULTIVARS SPRINGCREST AND SPRINGOLD

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estabilish the changes produced in the total water and dry matter content in peach leaves from cultivars Springcrest and Springold infected under natural conditions by Taphrina deformans (Berk.) Tul. The infection with the pathogenic fungus produced an increasing in total water content in leaves of this two peach cultivars and a decreasing of dry matter content when compared with the values of this two physiological parameters recorded in healthy leaves. Both in healthy and in curled leaves, the dry matter content is increasing with the leaves aging. Total water content decreases in healthy and diseased leaves with the leaves age, but the values remained higher in attacked leaves. A linear negative correlation was found between the total water and dry matter content, in both healthy and infected leaves at this two peach cultivars.