OBSERVATIONS ON FLOWER BEHAVIOUR AND FRUIT SET OF AVOCADO IN SICILY

The flowering behaviour of the main cultivars of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) introduced into Sicily has been observed to ascertain the occurrence of irregular dichogamous cycles and to observe wether self-pollinated flowers can be effectively fertilized to produce fruits.

Type A (‘Hass’, ‘Nowels’, ‘Rincon’), and also type B (‘Bacon’, ‘Fuerte’, ‘Orotava’, ‘Zutano’) cultivars showed many alterrations in the typical flowering cycles, particularly in April and in early May.
There was, therefore, a frequent overlapping of the two flower-type periods, even at the end of the blooming season when flowering cycles became more regular.

The cultivar studied (‘Hass’) proved to be self-compatible and able to produce a good fruit set from self-pollinated flowers.

Tropical Fruits, XXIII I.H.C.

G. Continella, E. Tribulato, S. D’Aquino

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.296.7