Phenology and productivity of Malay apple (Syzygium malaccensis) in Central Amazonia

aa Acta Amazonica Acta Amaz. 0044-5967 1809-4392 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia The Malay apple (Syzygium malaccensis Merr. & Perry, Myrtaceae) originated in southeast Asia, and is common and appreciated in South and Central America today. A knowledge of its phenology will help plan and manage the plantation and commercialization of its fruits. This study took place from January 1980 to December 1982 in 5-year-old trees planted as ornamentals in Manaus, AM, Brazil. Flowering and fruiting of Malay apple occurred twice a year, once in the mid-rainy season (March) and once in the mid-dry season (July-August); both events were very rapid, with durations of 7 to 15 days; the interval between flowering and harvest was about one month. The climatic stimulus for flowering was not evident. The Malay apple had low fruit set (4 to 10%), similar to the majority of Amazonian fruits. A large number of bee species visited the flowers, suggesting a pollination syndrom rather than recent local co-evolution with a single species or genus. Yield was relatively low. varying from 17.7 to 69.7 kg/plant (4 to 14 t/ ha), although it must be remembered that these trees were never fertilized. Texto disponível apenas em PDF