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Index of fixation of fruits in guava trees

Plant production is related with flowering and fruit set and it varies with genetic and environmental factors and handling of the orchards. Information about fruit set are important in the biological characterization, cultivars comparative studies and crop prediction. It was studied the index of fixation of fruits in adult guava trees of Pedro Sato, Paluma and Rica cultivars grown in orchards with commercial high productivity (70-100t ha-1), located in Taquaritinga, SP, Brazil (21º24'S; 48º29'W; 521m). In the peak of flowering of each cultivar ('Pedro Sato': end of February; 'Paluma' and 'Rica': end of October) branches were marked around the plants, in the medium third of the canopy, and the number of present buttons, flowers and little fruits was counted. The operation was repeated about 30 days later. The final counting of fruits was made when they presented <FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>3cm diameter in plants of 'Pedro Sato', and one week before the harvest in plants of 'Paluma' and 'Rica'. The index of fixation of fruits was calculated with the total number of emitted floral buttons (NB) and fixed fruits (NF), [IP=(NF/NB)100]. The cv. Pedro Sato presented IP=32.3%. The cv. Paluma and Rica presented IP of 18.7% and 12.2% respectively.

fruit set; retention; Psidium guajava; fruit tree; fruit


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