The use of cultural practices that allows production scheduling of atemoyas trees is for exploration of this crop. The shoot defoliation induces budbreak of atemoyas in certain weather conditions, with other cultural techniques, may control the production times. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate different defoliation treatments on budbreak induction of atemoyas trees growing at tropical conditions. The experiment was conducted in a commercial orchard located in Limoeiro do Norte/CE, Brazil, using five years old atemoya trees 'Gefner', grafted on sugar apple rootstock. Thereabout ten days after harvest was held pruning production and then applied the treatments: 1) control (without defoliation); 2) hand defoliation, 3) urea 150 g L-1; 4) urea 150 g L-1 + mineral oil 24 ml L-1; 5) urea 150 g L-1 + copper sulfate 10 g L-1; 6) copper sulfate 10 g L-1 + mineral oil 24 ml L-1; 7) urea 150 g L-1 + mineral oil 24 ml L-1 + copper sulfate 10 g L-1; and 8) ethephon 2.4 mL L-1. All chemical treatments tested induced defoliation and budbreak of 'Gefner' atemoya trees, especially foliar applications of ethephon 2.4 mL L-1 and combination of copper sulfate at 10 g L-1 plus mineral oil at 24 ml L-1.
Annona cherimola x A. squamosa; phenology; production scheduling
