FRUIT SET OF PEAR VARIETIES BY OPEN POLLINATION AT SITES OF DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Varieties (172) of a gene bank collection of pears at three growing sites of different ecological conditions were studied, some through 1 others 3 seasons as for their traits related to fruit set by open pollination.
As a mean, 13 % of pear flowers grew set fruits with 6 seeds each, on the average.
Varieties have been classified according to different criteria: (1) rate of fruit set (7 categories), (2) intensity of flowering (3 categories), (3) fruit mass (5 categories), (4) number of viable seeds per fruit (4 categories).

The potential fertility of pear flowers has been treated the first time in this paper.
In 16 varieties the phenomenon of "oversetting" or "overcharge" is described as a consequence of super abundant fruit set with undesirable effects from an economical point of view.
According to their highest rate of fruit set, pear varieties are assigned to 6 categories.
A complex classification of varieties has been suggested by the combination of the mass of the individual fruits with the rate of fruit set of flowers at open pollination.
That system is to be utilized in planning the associations of varieties in order to obtain dependable yield with appropriate quality.

VII International Symposium on Pear Growing

J. Nyéki, M. Soltész

pear fertilization, self-sterility, blooming phenology, fruit set, content of seed, yielding potential, association of varieties

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.475.42