AVAILABILITY OF ASSIMILATES AND DEVELOPMENT OF OLIVE FRUIT

In order to evaluate the effect of the different availability of assimilates on fruit development in olive, girdling was made on primary, secondary and tertiary branches in trees with a high fruit load at the beginning of July and in mid August.
At harvest (mid December) the carbohydrate and water content of the branches, shoots and leaves were not different in the girdled and ungirdled branches.
With respect to the control, girdling made at the two different times did not influence fruit-drop, colour and detachment force of the fruit.
Girdling made at the beginning of July slightly increased the fruit dry weight and the pulp/pit ratio, but did not influence the oil content on the dry matter basis.
Girdling made in mid August increased the fruit dry weight by about 15% and the pulp/pit ratio by about 20%, with no differences between the girdled treatments.
Also the oil content in the pulp, on the dry weight basis, increased from 5 to 10% with increase in the size of the girdled branch.
The results indicate that treatments able to increase the availability of assimilates can increase the amount of pulp and oil accumulation in the fruit.
The treatments made after the beginning of August, influencing the phases of fruit development in which the mesocarp exhibits the most intense growth, are more effective.

III International Symposium on Olive Growing

P. Proietti, A. Palliotti, G. Nottiani

Olea europaea, fruit growth, girdling, source, sink

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.474.60