STEM AND FRUIT GROWTH OF SIX GUAVA TREE (PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L.) CULTIVARS UNDER SOIL WATER STRESS CONDITIONS

The objective of this research was to study guava tree stem and fruit development of the ‘Pirassununga Branca’, ‘Pirassununga Vermelha’, ‘Industrial de Montes Claros’, ‘Brune Branca’, ‘Tetraploide de Limeira’ and ‘IAC-4’ cultivars under soil water stress conditions.
After pruning on February 1995 it was evaluated the stem length and fresh and dry matter weight of fruits at each two week.
For all cultivars, the stem initial growth was high up to 56 or 84 days after pruning, depending from the cultivar, after that growth decreased due to soil water stress measured.
The cultivars presenting the longest stem at 224 days after pruning were ‘Pirassununga Branca’ (521 mm) and ‘Tetraploide de Limeira’ (482 mm), while the smallest stem length was observed for the IAC-4 variety (258 mm). In relation to fruit growth, it is expected an increase of the productive cycle from 28 to 56 days according to cultivar, as a consequence of soil water stress.
At the harvest time the cultivar presenting the heaviest fruit fresh matter was the ‘Industrial de Montes Claros’ (78,5 g), while the lowest value was for the ‘Tetraploide de Limeira’, with 26,3 g.

International Symposium on Myrtaceae

W. Pereira, F. Couto

Psidium guajava, guava, soil water stress

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.452.14