Loquat is a fruit of subtropical origin, but with wide adaptation in temperate regions with low, fairly rigorous temperatures. It presents an inflorescence that leads to higher quantity of fruit than the tree can support, resulting in a high quantity of low caliber fruit. To increase the fruit size is necessary to realize the thinning. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of thinning intensities on the loquat fruit quality. It was studied five cultivars and one loquat selection and four thinning intensities (4, 6, 8, and 10 fruit per panicle). Panicles were selected according to equivalent sizes (1.5 cm in diameter, approximately) and wrapping using a newspaper. All the panicles were thinning and wrapping in the same day. The harvest was done when the fruit were ripe, at the consumption point. It was evaluated the fruit length and width, seed and fruit weight, pH, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids. The results showed that thinning with intensities of 4 fruit resulted in loquat with superior length, width and weight. The seed weight, pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids are not affected by thinning intensity.
Eriobotrya japonica; loquat; production; fruit size
