Factors Influencing the Formation, Development of Buds, and Flowering of Temperate Fruit Trees

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

1. Summary

Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript. Please find the detailed responses below and the corresponding revisions/corrections highlighted/in track changes in the re-submitted files.

2. Questions for General Evaluation

Reviewer’s 2 Evaluation

Response and Revisions

Is the work a significant contribution to the field?

We understand that the lack of some information influenced this assessment

Is the work well organized and comprehensively described?

We understand that in some parts the work requires organization and clarification

Is the work scientifically sound and not misleading?

Thank you for appreciating the reliability of our work

Are there appropriate and adequate references to related and previous work? 

We understand such a low rating, since the numbering of some citations was not adequate to the literature

3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Comments 1. The manuscript provides a broad overview of bud formation and flowering in fruit trees, with a focus on temperate fruit species, especially Rosaceae. While the writing style is comprehensive and well-structured, the scope is overly general and more suited for a book chapter than a review article. Key physiological mechanisms (e.g., chilling requirements, heat accumulation, and chemical regulation) are superficially addressed, and much of the content overlaps with famous temperate fruit tree textbooks (e.g., Faust’s Physiology of Temperate Zone Fruit Trees).

Response 1. We agree with this comment. We decided to write this article as a literature/narrative review to emphasize how broad and dependent this topic is. In the future, it would be worth creating a systematic review, the aim of which would be to identify, select, and critically evaluate relevant studies.

Comments 2. The title suggests a universal discussion of fruit trees, but the content primarily addresses temperate fruits (e.g., apple, cherry).

Response 2. Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this comment. Therefore the title has been changed: “Factors influencing the formation, development of buds, and flowering of temperate fruit trees”

Comments 3. Some Keywords listed did not mentioned in the abstract

Response 3. Thank you very much for this valid point. We believe that the purpose of keywords is to guide the reader, beyond the title and abstract, to the content of the article. We have taken care not to repeat the vocabulary from the title and abstract, but we have provided other terms for the content described, e.g. “Climate change leading to global warming” - climatic conditions, temperature, “The greatest emphasis was placed on the influence of factors that determine the yield of trees after the juvenile stage” – mature stages, “various stages in the development of trees” – dormancy.

Comments 4. Table 1 and Figure 1 omit economically important species (e.g., Asian pear, Asian plum, almond) while including minor ones (e.g., Prunus spinosa, medlar).

Response 4. Agree. But we decided to include species that are less known but come from other families (genetically distant) in order to promote increased crop biodiversity.

Comments 5. Many of Scientific names are not italicized in tables and text

Response 5. Thank you for pointing this out. The article was carefully read and all species names were corrected to italics.

Comments 6. There are some Critical Gaps in Content such as: Delayed flowering mechanisms: No discussion of late-flowering cultivars (e.g., late-flowering almonds, 'Chandler' walnut) or their adaptive significance in climate change. Chemical regulation: Endogenous/exogenous compounds (e.g., plant growth regulators, hydrogen cyanamide. ethylene) influencing flowering time are overlooked.

Response 6. Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this comment. Therefore we decided to expand the Flowering chapter with this information, of course in as concise a scope as possible. See Line: 600-623

5. Additional clarifications

We are grateful for all your suggestions and comments. We have taken them into account when improving the manuscript.

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

1. Summary

Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript. Please find the detailed responses below and the corresponding revisions/corrections highlighted/in track changes in the re-submitted files.

2. Questions for General Evaluation

Reviewer’s 2 Evaluation

Response and Revisions

Is the work a significant contribution to the field?

We understand that the lack of some information influenced this assessment

Is the work well organized and comprehensively described?

We understand that in some parts the work requires organization and clarification

Is the work scientifically sound and not misleading?

We understand that in some parts the work requires organization and clarification

Are there appropriate and adequate references to related and previous work? 

We understand such a low rating, since the numbering of some citations was not adequate to the literature

3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Comment 1: Authors tried to cover as many aspects as possible and it is difficult to follow the main line. I missed authors opinion and insights in their review. They simple present findings of different studies without proper comments.

Response 1. We agree with this comment. We decided to write this article as a literature/narrative review to emphasize how broad and dependent this topic is. In the future, it would be worth creating a systematic review, the aim of which would be to identify, select, and critically evaluate relevant studies.

Comment 2. I also missed discussions about crop load - one of the most obvious factors determining fruit tree flower differentiation and flowering.

Response 2. Thank you for pointing this out. We have changed the title from “Yielding” to “Crop Load”. We have included this in this chapter to emphasize that early determination of the optimum yield has a positive effect on the formation and then, of course, differentiation of flower buds. Many experiences show that late thinning only affects the quality of the yield in a given year, but does not determine the type of flower buds for the following year. See Line: 333, 360-368

Comments 3. Balance between subchapters/sections within the same chapter is not followed: some of factors are described only in few lines. If it is not important, maybe, it should not be included? Or, proper explanation what information is lacking and what studies are needed can be provided.

Response 3. We agree with this comment. However, as we indicated in the Abstract, our literature review focusses mainly on the influence of factors that affect the development of the flower bud after the juvenile period. Therefore, the volume of chapters 1-3 is limited to the necessary information explaining the difference between flower buds

Comments 4. There are redundant parts in some chapters and sections: For example, in the chapter ‘Types of flowers’ a long description of fruits and berries is included.

Response 4. Thank you for pointing this out. We have changed the title to "Types of flowers and fruits, additionally creating a subchapter in this chapter from the section entitled: "Place of flower bud formation". See Line: 64, 88

Comments 5 Subchapter 3.1. Effects of light is not related to Chapter 3. Juvenile stage.

Response 5. We agree with this comment. Therefore, we have moved some of the content to chapter 5.1.1, where we describe the effect of light on the induction and initiation of flower buds. However, the content in subchapter 4.1: "Effects of light" has been reorganized so that it corresponds to the title of the main chapter. See Line: 124-149; 268-313.

Comments 6. It is strange that in the Subchapter 3.2. Method of reproduction, review on flower genetics is included.

Response 6. We raise this issue to indicate the possibility of a biotechnological intervention that would allow to shorten the juvenile period of perennial fruit plants.

Comments 7. The same strange inclusion on genetics and hormones appears in section ‘Water availability ‘(line 419).

Response 7 This is due to the fact that many researchers are currently trying to explain the changes occurring in plants at the genetic or hormonal level.

Comments 8. Review is based on temperate climate fruits, so inclusion of references on tropical plants (lines 335-342) seems to be redundant.

Response 8. We mention tropical plants only to show the different response of these trees in the formation of flower buds under water stress compared with temperate climate fruit trees.

Comments 9. Authors are presenting review paper. It means that all references in the text and in the reference list must be especially precise and accurate. I have checked only one section, however, found a total mess. For example, reference ‘Erez et al. [113]’ (line 547) is not included in the reference list. The same with the reference to Dziedzic et al. [52]. Reference number 52 in your list is Liu et al. And again, mistake with reference to Soysal et al.[11]. Reference number 11 in your list is Ohishi-Yamazaki et al. Some more mistakes: Hirst and Ferree [13], Papachnatzis et al. [14], Bartolini et al. [15]  – number 13 is Sidhu et al, number 14 is Aldwinckle, number 15 is Way. Reference [123] (line 546) is not existing too, (total number of references 114

Response 9.  Thank you for pointing this out. The literature has been checked and any irregularities related to the operation of the application have been corrected.

Comments 10. It is strange to read review paper, when the entire parts of the text are not supported by references (lines 76- 98; 209-216; 231-245; 266-278; 345-354; 475-483; 496-503; 587-608) or even the whole section ‘Air temperature’ is not supported by references.

Response 10. Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this comment. Therefore, we have supplemented the highlighted fragments with relevant literature.

Comments 11. Chapter numbers are repeated: ‘2. Systematics of fruit plants’ followed by ‘2. Types of flowers’ and the next again ‘2. Place of flower bud formation’, or chapters are provided without any numbering (from line 265 to 375).

Response 11. Thank you for pointing this out. The numbering of the indicated titles has been corrected and 'Place of flower bud formation' has been created as a subchapter

Comments 12. Table 7. Translate from polish ‘Gatunek’

Response 12: Thank you for pointing this out. The word “Gatunek’ has been translated. See Line:648

Comments 13. Line 322. ‘at a short temperature (8 h)’. Temperature is measured by hours?

Response 13. Thank you for pointing this out. The misleading term has been changed to "short photoperiod" See Line: 311

Comments 14. All abbreviations provided in the tables must be explained. (Tables 1, 5, 6)

Response 14: All abbreviations in tables 1, 2 and 6 are explained directly below the tables. See Lines: 53, 266, 645

Comments 15. Reference list must be presented according to the requirements of the journal.

Response 15. At the very end of the article's proofreading, after disconnecting the Zotero application, all references were adjusted to the requirements of the Agriculturae journal.

4. Response to Comments on the Quality of English Language

Response: The article was read and corrected by a translator experienced in the field of horticulture

5. Additional clarifications

We are grateful for all your suggestions and comments. We have taken these into account when improving the manuscript.