ISHS Acta Horticulturae 409: IV International Symposium on Growing Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and in the Subtropics
APPLE PRODUCTION IN STRICTLY TROPICAL ZONES: FIRST OBSERVATIONS IN NIGERIA |
| Authors: | P. Alum, R. Magherini |
| Abstract:
This paper, based on three years of study and observations in Nigeria and Romania, has focused on site selection of appropriate locations in Nigeria and Southwest Cameroon for apple cultivation, selection of cultivars for adaptation trials in the selected sites and evaluation of the various cultural techniques employed in three pioneering ventures in Nigeria. For site selection the authors have slightly modified a computer-assisted program adopted by Edwards et al.(1988) to screen both mean monthly minimum and maximum temperatures in over 100 locations within the range of limits determined by sites in the tropics where apples have been grown. As a result, 18 localities in Nigeria and 8 in Southwest Cameroon were selected. Further studies served to select 100 cultivars of apples from the Voinesti research station in Romania for adaptation trials in Nigeria. Observations were carried out in Nigeria on two apple cultivars, Anna and N.28, in three pilot farms. Emphasis was placed on plant density, irrigation system, various cultural techniques, flowering, fruit setting and maturation. The results obtained, most notably in Kano, call for further experimentation of cultural techniques, genetic improvement, and eventual re-evaluation of the "chilling requirement theory" taking into consideration other factors that in one way or the other influence endodormancy. | |
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