Several factors can cause an erratic production of peaches under subtropical conditions. The occurrence of high temperatures on the beginning of blooming is one of them. Such temperatures can damage the stigma and the pollen germination, causing a decrease on fecundation and fruit set. The present work had the objective of looking for differences in tolerance to 29±2ºC among peach genotypes, as well as checking if a simple method using detached twigs would be suitable to detect differences. Two experiments were conducted using whole plants in vase, on one and detached twigs on the other. Estimates of pollen tube growth on the pistil and stigma receptivity suggested that selections Conserva 1566 and Conserva 693 and cv. 'Maciel' were tolerant to temperatures around 29°C at begining of blooming. Stigma receptivity, even in detached twigs, showed differences among genotypes.
Prunus persica; peach; flowering; floral abortion
