ISHS Acta Horticulturae 283: IV International Symposium on Plum and Prune Genetics, Breeding and Pomology
CROPPING BEHAVIOUR, FLOWERBUD FORMATION, POLLINATION AND FRUIT SET OF DIFFERENT PLUM CULTIVARS IN BELGIUM |
| Author: | J. Keulemans |
| Abstract:
Low yield and irregular bearing are limiting factors for the Belgian plum production. These problems are cultivar depended and so far little fundamental knowledge is available concerning factors involved in these fenomena. Our study of the cropping behaviour of 10 cultivars showed a clear difference in the yield. The biennial bearing pattern of each cultivar was studied, using different models to discribe the yield fluctuations. Supprisingly only with a few cultivars a clear biennial bearing pattern was found. For 4 cultivars the flowerbud index and the number of flowers per branch was investigated in two successive years. No relationship with the plum production was found. Therefore yield fluctuations over the years must be linked with other factors. Pollination and pollinator are two other factors studied in this respect. Artificial pollination demonstrated an influence on the fruit set by both pollinator and female cultivar. Looking at the number of pollen grains on the stigma, the pollen tube growth in the style and the fruit set, both after 'free' and 'artificial' pollination, we can postulate that most of the pollen grains came from self pollination. Therefore low yield are probably due to insufficient cross pollination or to pollination with unsuitable cultivars. | |
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