In Cambodia, sun drying of rice has always been of great importance for preserving rice. The main goal of this study was to find the conditions for sun drying that maximise the throughput while minimising quality loss. A whole-bed approach was taken to investigate the conditions of the grain and the air at different layers during the drying process. Seven sets of sun-drying experiments were conducted in Cambodia using a range of methods practiced by rice farmers. These methods included drying with different bed depths (2 to 6 cm), with the bed on different pads (water-proof tarpaulin, mat, net, polystyrene or rice husk), and with different bed tempering methods (stirring regularly or shading and/or covering the bed around midday) for four Cambodian rice varieties (Pka Knhey, CAR11, Masary and IR66). The grain temperature was found to be more affected by the solar intensity than the temperature of the ambient air. Fastest drying was achieved when the bed was thin, less compacted, stirred regularly but not shaded or covered around midday, dried on a pad which allows some air and moisture movement and with high or strong solar intensity. Only the mechanical impact (MI) and milling tests of the rice quality provided useful results. Higher quality was found for grain that was dried in thin beds, stirred regularly, shaded with or without covering around midday and dried on pads with less air circulation. Among the methods used to determine the glass transition temperature of the grain, only the Differential Scanning Calorimetry method gave meaningful results. The glass transition temperature data were highly variable but generally decreased with increasing moisture content and compared quite well with the published glass transition temperatures for other varieties of rice. To provide additional detail on the local conditions within the bed, to better understand the drying process and the interactions between variables and to predict alternative parameters that might be used to correlate with the head rice yields (HRYs), a mathematical model for heat and moisture transport within the bed was developed. The model covered all the drying methods/conditions studied experimentally. A lumped parameter approach to energy and mass transfer in individual kernels was used in the bed model. The model was validated against experimental data. The predicted drying time, temperatures, moisture contents and water activities (relative humidity of the air within the bed) were found to compare very well with the experimental data except when a polystyrene pad was used. The model proved to be a very good mechanistic tool with advantages of simplicity and practical accuracy in the design and management of the sun drying system. A number of parameters related to postulated grain damage mechanisms were derived from the predicted conditions within the bed during drying. The best predictors of the grain quality were found to be rewetting the kernels when the grain is bulked (especially when the kernels are partly below and partly above critical moisture content) grain temperature and distance from the glass transition temperature line. It was concluded that in order to get the fastest drying conditions rice should be sun dried with thin bed, stirring, not shaded or covered around midday and dried on a pad with air circulation. For the highest quality grain, that is grain which would have the least breakage during milling, rice should be sun dried with a thin bed, stirring, shaded or covered around midday and dried on a pad with less air circulation. The optimal drying conditions to get the best quality combined with the fastest practical drying rate, the drying conditions should be drying with 2 cm bed depth, stirring the grain bed every hour, shading or covering the bed around midday and using a tarpaulin or net pad placed directly on the ground.

Eucalyptus species, particularly stringybarks, which produce hard, durable wood are potentially useful in New Zealand, but most species are site sensitive. Twelve species (E. agglomerata, E. baxteri, E. botryoides, E. cladocalyx, E. globoidea, E. microcorys, E. muelleriana, E. nitens, E. obliqua, E. pilularis, E. regnans and E. saligna) were compared on four hill country microsites; upper and lower slope on sunny and shady aspects. Assessments included survival, foliar macro-nutrients, diameter at breast height (DBH), height, stem form, basic wood density and health to age 5 years. Site monitoring included solar radiation, temperature, rainfall and exposure. Foliar nutrients were strongly influenced by species and moderately influenced by microsite. Inter-nutrient and nutrient-growth correlations were identified and discussed. Subgeneric differences in nutrient profile were analysed with the aid of principal components analysis. Solar radiation and temperature were seasonal on both aspects but higher on the sunny face than the shady. Aspect differences were moderate, being greatest in the winter and least in the summer. A strongly seasonal growth pattern resulted, maximum DBH and height increments occurring in the spring and summer respectively. Growth was least in the winter. Seasonal and aspect effects on growth were related to solar radiation. Height and DBH (5 years) were significantly higher on the sunny face than the shady in all species. Slope position did not influence height but DBH on the lower slope was less than on the upper. Aspect had little influence on basic wood density and form. Species differed in growth, form and basic density. E. nitens was the most productive species but basic density was low. Conversely, density was highest in E. cladocalyx, among the least productive species. The stringybarks were intermediate in growth, form and density. The relationships between growth, form, density and environmental factors were explored with canonical correlation. Two species (E. botryoides and E. saligna) were adversely affected by possum browsing and infection by a leaf gall wasp (Ophelimus eucalypti). Discussion of the results includes consideration of the merits of assessments of relatively young trees as well as implications for tree growers.

Bunch stem necrosis (BSN) is a physiological disorder in grapes. It results in shrivelled berries with poor quality attributes such that wine produced from grapes with high BSN incidence is of compromised quality. Past research has proposed many different hypotheses to explain the disorder. Literature indicates that conditions during certain stages of development may predispose berries to BSN but results are not consistent as to which stage is the critical one or which factors have the most impact. This study was designed to resolve these points of uncertainty. Treatments that either enhanced or decreased vine vigour, or manipulated the light environment around the fruit zone were applied to field grown 'Cabernet Sauvignon' vines over three seasons. Treatments included root pruning, heading back of canes by 50%, laying down a reflective mulch and two 50% shade treatments applied for three weeks either pre- or post-full bloom (FB). A strong positive correlation was found between vine vigour and the incidence of BSN. Three weeks post-FB, during both the current and previous season, was identified as the critical period within which factors predispose bunches to BSN. Plant growth regulators, including GA3, IAA and NPA, were applied to bunches on a different group of field grown vines immediately after FB. Application of GA3 during the critical period, tended to reduce the incidence of BSN, while the effects of IAA and NPA application were less clear and require further research. In a controlled environment (CE) trial, pot-grown vines were placed in CE rooms during one of three development stages. Results showed that treatments applied during the critical threeweek period after FB increased the incidence of BSN three fold compared with no change in BSN incidence for vines that were placed in the CE rooms immediately prior to FB or prior to veraison. Collective results from these studies clearly demonstrate that the period immediately following FB is the most critical time in the predisposition of bunches to BSN. It is suggested that competitive dominance of vegetative growth over the developing inflorescence and bunch for assimilates and/or nutrients may be the predisposing factor/s influencing this disorder.

Studies on asparagus growth in relation to yield were undertaken in environmentally controlled growth cabinets and in greenhouses. Bud production during the annual growth cycle was also investigated in the field. Growth cabinet experiments showed that increasing the temperature had a significant effect on bud break and relative spear growth rate (RSGR), but although prior chilling had a significant effect on the length of time to bud break at 10°C and 15°C, the effect on RSGR was not so clear. The cytokinin-active compound, N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N'-phenylurea (CPPU), and the naturally occurring cytokinin, zeatin riboside (ZR) significantly stimulated spear elongation. However, spear leaf scale removal reduced spear elongation in the absence and presence of CPPU. CPPU only stimulated spear growth when spear leaf scales were present, indicating that other plant hormones may interact with cytokinins in promoting elongation. The importance of spear growth rate to yield was discussed. In greenhouse experiments, CPPU applied as a foliar spray at 10 or 20 mg L-1 was effective in producing longer and thicker cladodes that might be associated with increased photosynthetic rate. However, photosynthetic rate was unaffected by 10 mg L-1 CPPU treatment. Repeated CPPU applications to foliage reduced net assimilation rate (NAR) compared to untreated controls as determined by growth analysis studies. In asparagus plants, it was difficult to collect xylem sap and further experiments were undertaken with Capsicum annuum. The root exudate of CPPU-treated plants significantly decreased hypocotyl length in the lettuce gibberellin bioassay, suggesting that CPPU blocks gibberellin biosynthesis in roots. However, the application of GA3 to shoots did not reverse growth suppression caused by CPPU-treated roots. Bud production, both in growth cabinets and in open field plantings, started to occur during the spear harvest period in contrast to previously accepted views. During harvest three to four additional buds per cluster were produced in cabinet-grown plants and an average of 51 buds per m2 in field plantings. These results confirm that new bud initiation and development starts to occur during spear harvest, as well as during fern growth and establishment.

An environmentally-based systems approach to sustainability analyses of organic fruit production systems in New Zealand. This research introduces an approach for the assessment of the sustainability of farming systems. It is based on the premises that sustainability has an environmental bottom line and that there is very limited substitutability between natural capital and other forms of capital. Sustainability assessment is undertaken through analyses of energy and material flows of the system and their impacts on the environment. The proposed sustainability assessment approach is based on two high level criteria for sustainability: efficient use of energy and non-degradation of the environment from energy and material use. Sustainability assessment of organic orchard systems in New Zealand was undertaken to demonstrate this approach. Five indicators which address the two criteria for the sustainability of the orchard systems are the energy ratio, the CO2 ratio, changes in the soil carbon level, nutrient balances, and the leaching of nitrogen. Organic kiwifruit and organic apple systems are modelled based on their key energy and material flows and their interactions with the natural environment. The energy and material flows are converted into appropriate energy and matter equivalents based on coefficients taken from the published literature. Sustainability indicators are estimated over one growing season using two computer modelling tools, Overseer® and Stella®, in a life cycle approach. Sustainability assessment of the organic orchard systems suggests that the approach is useful for evaluating energy use and key environmental impacts that occur in soil, water and atmosphere. The results indicate that the model organic orchard systems are sustainable in terms of energy use and are a net sink of CO2-equivalent emissions. The implication of this result is that organic orchard systems potentially could trade carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol. The findings also suggest that the sustainability assessment approach is capable of identifying the trade-offs within the sustainability indicators associated with particular management practices. Further research to improve and validate the proposed approach is essential, before it can be practically used for decision making at the orchard level and for policy making at the national level.

Development of sustainable practices is an important goal in agriculture. One possibility involves the development of perennial cereal crops, but the mechanisms of perenniality first need to be understood. While in annual cereals flowering structures die following seed production, in perennial grasses, perenniality is achieved by maintaining at least one shoot in a vegetative state. There are two views on perennating tiller origin in perennial grasses: some authors suggest that all over-wintering tillers flower in spring and summer, leaving spring-initiated tillers to perennate, while others indicate that spring-initiated tillers are too immature to survive summer conditions, thereby implying that flowering must be prevented in some over-wintering tillers. An understanding of perenniality will therefore require an understanding of flowering control in these species. Temperate perennial grasses have dual induction requirements for flowering, where plants become competent to perceive inductive signals following vernalisation, and flowering is initiated by inductive photoperiods. Two hypotheses were formulated to test these models. The ‘environmental control hypothesis’ stated that all adequately vernalised perennial ryegrass tillers would flower on sufficient exposure to inductive photoperiods. Alternatively, the ‘spatial control hypothesis’ stated that in addition to the environmental mechanisms, a spatial control mechanism acts to regulate flowering. Two experiments were conducted to test these hypotheses. Perennial ryegrass and Italian (annual) ryegrass were induced to flower and differences between the annual and perennial habits at flowering time were observed. However neither hypothesis was proven. In the second experiment, flowering was studied in detail in individual tillers of perennial ryegrass. The eldest tiller flowered in all flowering plants. The second eldest tiller did not flower in 72% of plants with more than one reproductive tiller, while the third eldest tiller flowered in 94% of these plants. These data favour the spatial control hypothesis which suggests that a spatial regulatory mechanism might act to repress flowering in some competent perennial ryegrass tillers. These results were supported by studies of meristem morphology and by a preliminary gene expression study. Maintenance of older, established tillers in a vegetative state might allow the perennial plant a greater chance of survival during summer.

For millennia, scions have been grafted onto dwarfing apple rootstocks to reduce final tree size. However, it is unclear how scion architecture is first modified by the dwarfing apple rootstock, the time from grafting when this occurs and the endogenous hormonal signalling mechanisms that may cause the initial modifications in growth that then define the future architecture of the scion. In this study, the dwarfing (M.9) rootstock significantly decreased the mean total shoot length and node number of ‘Royal Gala’ apple scions by the end of the first year of growth from grafting when compared with rootstock(s) of greater vigour (MM.106, M.793 and a ‘Royal Gala’ rootstock control). Similarly, the auxin transport inhibitor 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) applied to the stem of vigorous rootstocks significantly decreased mean total shoot length and node number of the scion, and the architectural changes imposed were generally similar to those imposed by M.9. For example, both treatments decreased the mean length and node number of the primary shoot, reduced the formation of secondary axes on the primary shoot and caused a greater proportion of primary and secondary shoots (if present) to terminate growth early. Decreased formation of secondary axes imposed by both treatments was reversed by applying the cytokinin benzylaminopurine (BAP) repeatedly to the scion, whilst applications of gibberellins (GA4+7) reduced the proportion of primary and secondary shoots that terminated growth early, therefore increasing the final mean length and node number of these shoot types. Both M.9 and NPA also significantly decreased the final mean dry mass and length of the root system. Given these general similarities, it is proposed that the basipetal IAA signal is of central importance in rootstock-induced scion dwarfing, and that a shoot/root/shoot signalling mechanism may exist whereby the stem tissue of the M.9 rootstock decreases the basipetal transport of IAA to the root during summer, thereby decreasing root growth and the amount of rootproduced cytokinin and gibberellin transported to scion. Reduced amounts of cytokinin transported to the scion may decrease branching, whilst reduced amounts of gibberellins may decrease the duration for which a large proportion of primary and secondary shoots grow. Analysis of endogenous hormones for newly grafted composite ‘Royal Gala’ apple trees on rootstocks of different vigour provided some additional support for these ideas. It is recommended that future studies elucidate what unique properties of the M.9 bark act to restrict IAA transport, whilst it is concluded that gene(s) regulating rootstock-induced scion dwarfing are likely to control processes within the rootstock that modify the metabolism of IAA, its basipetal transport and the subsequent synthesis of root-produced vigour-inducing hormones including cytokinins and gibberellins.

Willow and poplar are the main trees used for soil erosion control in New Zealand (NZ) with successful establishment critical to greater use of this technology. Five experiments were conducted at the Pasture and Crop Research Unit, Massey University Palmerston North, NZ to examine the ability of willow and poplar to establish as a willow/poplar pasture system in NZ over a period of 3 years from December 2002 to April 2005. With an objective to select the best size for low cost planting, stem diameters (10 mm, 25 mm and 35 mm) were planted vertically and stem lengths (50 mm, 200 mm and 600 mm) were planted horizontally to determine their growth, establishment, biomass production and regrowth after browsing. From December 2002 to March 2003, three management treatments, mowing, herbicide and control (no weed control) treatments, were designed and applied to determine their effects on growth and shoot biomass production. From September 2004 to April 2005, mowing was replaced by sheep browsing and the effect of browsing, herbicide and control treatments on soil and tree water status (soil water content, soil water loss and deficit, and stem water potential) were examined. Longer (600 mm) and thicker stem diameters (35 mm) produced the greatest shoot biomass (edible biomass, total biomass and root biomass) compared to the thin stem cuttings (50 mm length and 10 mm diameter). Higher tree survival was also found for longer (600 mm) and thicker stems diameter (35 mm). The mown treatment produced significantly more edible and total shoot dry matter (DM) than the herbicide and control treatments, with willow clone 'Kinuyanagi' producing higher total shoot DM than 'Tangoio'. Pasture management had no significant effect on soil water content during spring 2004 and late summer/autumn 2005, however, it was significant during early and mid summer. Strong relationships between (i) soil water content and stem water potential (SWP), and (ii) SWP and soil water deficit were found and could help growers to predict the amount of water required during the growing season. The results clearly demonstrated that sheep grazing had negligible damaging effect on willow and poplar (main stem, branch breakage and tree leaning) and tree mortality, and that young trees can be browsed during pasture shortages in summer drought. Cutting size and understorey control for establishing willow and poplar into pasture have been better defined by this research. It is recommended that farmers establishing willow and poplar for fodder plant thick (vertical planting) and long stems (horizontal planting) for higher growth and biomass production.

Sixteen native shrub species with various breeding systems and pollination syndromes were investigated in geographically separated populations to determine breeding systems, reproductive success, population structure, and habitat characteristics. Of the sixteen species, seven are hermaphroditic, seven dioecious, and two gynodioecious. Two of the dioecious species are cryptically dioecious, producing what appear to be perfect, hermaphroditic flowers, but that function as either male or female. One of the study species, Raukaua anomalus, was thought to be dioecious, but proved to be hermaphroditic. Teucridium parvifolium, was thought to be hermaphroditic, but some populations are gynodioecious. There was variation in self-compatibility among the four Alseuosmia species; two are self-compatible and two are self-incompatible. Self-incompatibility was consistent amongst individuals only in A. quercifolia at both study sites, whereas individuals in A. macrophylla ranged from highly self-incompatible to self-compatible amongst four study sites. The remainder of the hermaphroditic study species are self-compatible. Five of the species appear to have dual pollination syndromes, e.g., bird-moth, wind-insect, wind-animal. High levels of pollen limitation were identified in three species at four of the 34 study sites. Moderate to high levels of pollen limitation were evident in 50% of the gender dimorphic populations compared with 31% of hermaphroditic populations. Melicope simplex populations were female-biased in 14 study plots and successful fruit set was influenced by combinations of male plant density, male flower numbers and distance to the nearest pollen. Natural fruit set in wind-pollinated species was generally higher than in animal-pollinated taxa. Populations of Coprosma spathulata were mostly malebiased, and male plant density and proximity influenced natural fruit set, with a correlation between low fruit set and low male density. Population recruitment was evident in 32 of the 34 sites. In Pimelea arenaria, recruitment failure was widespread in populations throughout the North Island despite high seed set. Gender ratios showed variation from north to south, with a lower proportion of females with increasing latitude. Many of the sixteen shrubs in this study show remarkable resilience to the effects of fragmentation of natural ecosystems, and many of the species have benefited from the creation of new edge habitat after perturbation - it may be that edges are important refugia for some native taxa, especially shrubs.

To produce plant material for this thesis, Trifolium repens (white clover) (genotype 10F) and Trifolium occidentale (genotype 18Z) were propagated to produce individual stolons trained over a plastic matrix to inhibit nodal root formation. These stolons comprised leaf tissue representative of all developmental stages, from leaf initiation, maturation through to senescence. The developmental pattern for both species in terms of leaf ontogeny was generally reproducible between vegetatively propagated clones. Three distinct 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylatc (ACC) oxidase genes expressed during leaf ontogeny in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) have been identified (Hunter et al., 1999). Of the three ACC oxidase genes identified, one designated TR-ACO2 is expressed in newly initiated and mature green leaves while TR-ACO3 is expressed predominantly in the senescent leaf tissue. In order to further characterize the protein products of these genes, a series of FPLC columns was used to partially purify isoforms of ACC oxidase from leaf tissue of white clover at different developmental stages, followed by 2D gel electrophoresis to obtain further purification. Two distinct isoforms of ACC oxidase were identified and partially purified from newly initiated green (designated the NIGI isoform) and senescent (designated the SEI isoform) leaf tissue. Both purified NIGI and SEI proteins were recognized by western analysis using an anti-(Trifolium repens) TR-ACO2 antibody after SDS-PAGE or 2D gel electrophoresis. To determine whether NIGI is coded for by TR-ACO2 and SEI is coded for by gene TR-ACO3, protein spots (after 2D gel electrophoresis) were digested with trypsin and the masses of the peptide determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-timc of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometric analysis. For NIGI, the coverage of the putative protein sequence (TR-ACO2) by tryptic digestion ranged from 24.5% to 37.6%, while the observed pI (5.1) and molecular mass (37 kDa) were close to the theoretical pI (5.3) and computed mass (35.7 kDa). For SEI, the percentage coverage of the putative protein sequence (TR-ACO3) from the peptides identified ranged from 13.4% to 18.0%, while the observed pI (5.2) and molecular masses (35.0-35.5 kDa) were also close to the theoretical pI (5.5) and computed mass (35.2 kDa). These data suggest that the NIGI isoform is encoded by TR-ACO2, while the SEI isoform is encoded by TR-ACO3. ACC oxidase activity in vitro and ACC oxidase protein accumulation over 24 h in mature green leaf tissue extracts during both short and long days has been shown to be under circadian control. There are two ACC oxidase activity peaks observed, in which the pattern of fluctuation in ACC oxidase activity resulted in a high level of enzyme activity at 12:00 am (0.18-0.27 nmol ethylene/h/mg), and maximum activity at 12:00 pm (0.24-031 nmol ethylene/h/mg). Lowest activity was observed in both long and short days at 9:00 pm (0.09-0.10 nmol ethylene/h/mg). In addition, northern analysis indicated that the TR-ACO2 mRNA level also displayed a circadian pattern of expression. Investigation of the effect of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation on ACC oxidase activity indicated that ACC oxidase activity in vitro during the periods of maximum activity increased 36% (at 12:00 am) and 56% (at 12:00 pm) after dephosphorylation, respectively. However, there was only 21% increase in enzyme activity at the time point with lowest activity (9:00 pm) in the dephosphorylated extracts. SDS-PAGE using a mini-protein gel system or a gradient gel system showed that the molecular mass of ACC oxidase decreased after dephosphorylation when compared with phosphorylation of the enzyme. These results suggest that the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the ACC oxidase proteins occurs in vitro and the state does affect enzyme activity. In the second part of this thesis, the coding regions of putative ACC oxidase gene transcripts were generated from leaf tissue of genotype 18Z of T. occidentale using RT-PCR. Sequence alignments indicated that the sequences could be grouped into two distinct classes, and these coding regions were designated TO-ACO2 (Trifolium occidentale ACC oxidase 2) and TO-ACO3 (Trifolium occidentale ACC oxidase 3). TO-ACO2 and TO-ACO3 share 82% similarity in nucleotide sequence and 84% similarity in amino acid sequence. The TO-ACO2 and TO-ACO3 sequences were validated as encoding ACC oxidases by comparison with other ACC oxidases in the GenBank database and both TO-ACO2 and TO-ACO3 deduced amino acid sequences contain all the residues hitherto shown to be important for maximal activity of the enzyme. Further, TO-ACO2 had 97% identity with TR-ACO2 at the nucleotide level, and 98% identity at the amino acid level. TO-ACO3 had 97% identity with TR-ACO3 at the nucleotide level, and 96% identity at the amino acid level. Genomic Southern analysis, using 3'-UTRs of TR-ACO2 and TR-ACO3 as probes, could not confirm that TO-ACO2 and TO-ACO3 arc encoded for by distinct genes. Expression studies of TO-ACO2 and TO-ACO3 genes during leaf maturation and senescence of T. occidentale were examined using northern analysis. TO-ACO2 is expressed predominantly in newly initiated and at the onset of the mature-green leaf stage, while TO-ACO3 shows maximal expression in senescent leaf tissue. The changes of ACC oxidase activity during leaf ontogeny of T. occidentale coincided with the pattern observed for ACC oxidase protein accumulation using western analysis and image analysis.