STIGMA RECEPTIVITY IS LIMITING FRUIT SET IN ALMOND IN WARM CLIMATES

The cause of erratic yields of two almond cultivars has been researched in order to recommend possible solutions.
The lack of sufficient bloom overlap between ‘Marcona’ and ‘Fournat de Brézenaud’ in many years may be one reason for this erratic behaviour, but not the only one, as the same behaviour may be observed in two simultaneously blooming cultivars, ‘Ferragnès’ and ‘Ferraduel’. The relatively high temperatures observed during the blooming period significantly reduced the stigma receptivity of these cultivars and, as a consequence, their effective pollination period, showing that stigma receptivity may be a limiting factor for fruit set in ‘Marcona’ and ‘Ferragnès’ resulting in their reduced yield under warm conditions.
Thus, in the present context of global warming, the search for cultivars tolerant to heat stress during flowering will become important, as well as finding cultivars with the same chilling and heat requirements in order to ensure simultaneous bloom.

XIII Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

O. Kodad, Z. Messaoudi, A. Mamouni, M. Lahlou, R. Socias i Company

Prunus amygdalus Batsch., effective pollination period, temperature

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.976.44