Articles
Frost damage from bud burst to fruit set of apricot cultivars grown in southern Bulgaria
Article number
1457_70
Pages
563 – 568
Language
English
Abstract
The relatively warm winters in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, promote the early development of apricot flower buds, while the critically low temperatures in February, March, and April cause frost injury.
Their severity depends on the phenophase of the apricot cultivars.
In recent years, such situations have been quite common in the Plovdiv region, Bulgaria, and are the main limiting factor for fruit production.
In this study, the frost injuries from 2021 to 2023 associated with low temperatures during and after bud burst were studied in a collection orchard at the Fruit Growing Institute – Plovdiv, for the introduced apricot cultivars ‘Sweet Cot’, ‘Perle Cot’, ‘Flavor Cot’, ‘Tom Cot’, ‘Jenny Cot’, and ‘Lady Cot’. For the region of Plovdiv, the flowering phenophase of apricots used to start at the end of March- the beginning of April.
During the period of this study, the “inflorescence buds swelling” in the region began in the first decade of February, when the risk of temperatures dropping to critical levels for apricots is very high.
Thus, a large percentage of the damage in 2021 and 2022 occurred in February.
Frost injuries were observed in different phenological stages and floral structures.
In the early phenological stages, BBCH 53, the pistil and the stigma of the flower were damaged.
Their severity depends on the phenophase of the apricot cultivars.
In recent years, such situations have been quite common in the Plovdiv region, Bulgaria, and are the main limiting factor for fruit production.
In this study, the frost injuries from 2021 to 2023 associated with low temperatures during and after bud burst were studied in a collection orchard at the Fruit Growing Institute – Plovdiv, for the introduced apricot cultivars ‘Sweet Cot’, ‘Perle Cot’, ‘Flavor Cot’, ‘Tom Cot’, ‘Jenny Cot’, and ‘Lady Cot’. For the region of Plovdiv, the flowering phenophase of apricots used to start at the end of March- the beginning of April.
During the period of this study, the “inflorescence buds swelling” in the region began in the first decade of February, when the risk of temperatures dropping to critical levels for apricots is very high.
Thus, a large percentage of the damage in 2021 and 2022 occurred in February.
Frost injuries were observed in different phenological stages and floral structures.
In the early phenological stages, BBCH 53, the pistil and the stigma of the flower were damaged.
Publication
Authors
M. Nesheva, N. Neshev
Keywords
abiotic stress, climate, frost injuries, phenology, Prunus armeniaca L
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