A Florigenic Effect of Sucrose inFuchsia hybridaIs Blocked by Gibberellin-Induced Assimilate Competition

The use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring along with a (13)C internal standard has allowed sensitive measurements of the sucrose (Suc) content of individual shoot apices of Fuchsia hybrida. With intact plants, as the photosynthetic irradiance increased, so did shoot apex Suc content, reaching saturation at about 500 micromol m(-2) s(-1). These same plants flowered at the higher irradiances, remaining vegetative in 10-h short days at an irradiance of 230 micromol m(-2) s(-1). The strong correlation (r = 0.93) in these studies between flowering and shoot apex Suc content indicates a role for Suc as a stimulus to flowering in this species. However, Suc is not the long-day (LD) "florigen" of F. hybrida because 2 to 4 LD given as a 14-h low-irradiance photoperiod extension (10-15 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) induced flowering but without increase in shoot apex Suc content. Flowering induced by either pathway, the LD- or the Suc-mediated one, was inhibited by applying gibberellin (GA) to the shoot tip. Such inhibition of flowering by GA, at least for the LD pathway, was associated with a reduced apex Suc content, enhanced elongation of subapical stem tissue, and a reduced import into the shoot apex of leaf-sourced assimilate. Thus, our findings show how GA inhibits flowering of F. hybrida and confirm the importance of nutrient diversion in regulating flowering.