Studies on water transport through the sweet cherry fruit surface. 7. Fe3+ and Al3+ reduce conductance for water uptake.

The effects of the chloride salts LiCl, CaCl(2), MgCl(2), AlCl(3), EuCl(3), and FeCl(3) and the iron salts FeCl(2), FeCl(3), Fe(NO(3))(3), FeSO(4), and Fe(2)(SO(4))(3) on water conductance of exocarp segments (ES) and rates of water uptake into detached sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium L. cv. Adriana, Early Rivers, Namare, Namosa, and Sam) were studied. ES were excised from the cheek of mature fruit and mounted in stainless steel diffusion cell; water penetration was monitored gravimetrically from donor solutions containing the above mineral salts into a PEG 6000 (osmolality = 1.14 osM, pH 4.8, 25 degrees C) receiver solution. Conductance of ES was calculated from the amount of water taken up per unit of surface area and time by dividing by the gradient in water activity across ES. LiCl, CaCl(2), MgCl(2), FeCl(2), and FeSO(4) had no significant effect on conductance, but AlCl(3), FeCl(3), Fe(NO(3))(3), and Fe(2)(SO(4))(3) significantly reduced conductance compared to water only as a donor. Also, EuCl(3) lowered conductance; however, this effect was not always significant. Effects of salts on water conductance of ES and rates of water uptake into detached fruit were closely related (R 2 = 0.97***). Upon application of an FeCl(3)-containing donor conductance decreased instantaneously. FeCl(3) concentrations of <6.6 x 10(-)(4) M had no effect on conductance, but concentrations at or above this threshold decreased conductance. FeCl(3) lowered water conductance at a receiver pH of 4.8, but not at pH < or =2.6. The effect of FeCl(3) on conductance was largest in cv. Namare and smallest in cv. Adriana. There was no significant effect of FeCl(3) on conductance for transpiration. Formation of aluminum and iron oxides and hydroxides in the exocarp as a result of a pH gradient between donor and receiver solution is discussed as the potential mechanism for Fe(3+) and Al(3+) reducing conductance for water uptake.