ISHS Acta Horticulturae 726: IV International Symposium on Pistachios and Almonds
FRUIT DEVELOPMENT IN ALMOND |
| Authors: | P. Martinez-Gomez, R. Sanchez-Pérez, F. Dicenta |
| Keywords: | flowering, ripening, Prunus, germplasm, fruit quality |
| Abstract:
Late flowering and early ripening are two important objectives in almond breeding for the adaptation of this species to colder environments in Spain. Late flowering contributes greatly to avoid the risk of late frost, while early ripening could shorten the cycle of growth of the fruit and advance the harvest date. In this study, four almond cultivars with different cycle of fruit development were assayed: “Ramillete” (early flowering and early ripening); “Desmayo Largueta” (early flowering and late ripening cultivar); “Antoñeta” (late flowering and early ripening) and “Wawona” (late flowering and late ripening). From flowering to ripening, at the beginning of each month, the size, the fresh and dry weight, and the shell hardness, were evaluated in the fruit, the seed, and the embryo. Results showed three main stages in the development of almond fruit and seeds: (i) growth in size of fruit (mesocarp and endocarp) and seed; (ii) hardening of shell and embryo growth; and (iii) fruit growth stability with an increase in the dry weight of seeds. | |
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