ISHS Acta Horticulturae 384: X International Symposium on Apricot Culture
TOLERANCE OF APRICOT TO WINTER TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION AND SPRING FROST IN NORTHERN ITALY |
| Authors: | D. Bassi, G. Andalò, F. Bartolozzi |
| Keywords: | bloom, cold, cultivar, fruit set |
| Abstract:
More than one hundred cultivars and apricot selections were evaluated from 1990 to 1993 for tolerance to mid-winter temperature fluctuation, spring frost at full bloom (FB) and low temperature throughout fruit set. Tolerance to frost in 1990 and 1993 was not correlated to blooming date as the more productive cultivars were among the earliest to bloom. A weak negative correlation between early blooming and tolerance to frost at FB for yield was found in 1990, although most of the crop was located in the upper part of the tree. In 1991 low temperatures for several weeks after FB affected both yield and fruit size. Many of the cultivars that withstood the previous year's frost were again among the most productive: 'Boccuccia', 'Bulida', 'Canino', 'ICAPI 22–8', 'Palummella', 'Portici'. Fluctuating temperatures in winter 1992 caused up to 70% of bud drop but with little or no effect on yield. All the best croppers under the frosts of 1990 showed high production after frost in 1993 also, although 'Bulida', 'Canino' and 'Pellecchiella' had only medium yield. Late blooming was often associated with poor bloom in all years in most genotypes from Hungary and Romania: 'Cegledi Bibor', 'Cegledi Orias', 'Litoral', 'Neptun', 'Olimp', 'Sirena' and 'Sulina'. The importance of careful testing of the cultivars in each specific environment before cultivation on a large scale is stressed. | |
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