Abstract:
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a species particularly prone to erratic fruit set, and its
flower bud drop has been repeatedly reported in different cultivars and growing
conditions. A number of potential causes have been explored, but a clear main cause
remains elusive. In this study, fruit set was determined for 11 apricot cultivars (‘Precoce
de Tyrinthe’, ‘Feriana’, ‘Beliana’, ‘Priana’, ‘Bebeco’
, ‘Early Kishinewski’, ‘Precoce de
Colomer’, ‘Canino’, ‘Silistre Rona’, ‘Rouge de Sernhac’ and ‘Tokaloglu’) grown on the
coast of the Mediterranean region of Turkey from 2006 to 2008. Trees budded on apricot
seedlings and planted 6×6 m in 1997. On four branches of each tree randomly selected
from all four directions, blossom number, percentage of initial and final fruit set, and yield
per tree were determined during the experimental period. Fruit set differed significantly
depending on year and cultivar. Based on three-year averages, percentage of fruit set was
highest on ‘Tokaloglu’ (14%), followed by ‘Beliana’ (8.8%) and ‘Precoce de Tyrinthe’
(8.2%). The lowest fruit set (2.3%) was in ‘Early Kishinewski’ and ‘Canino’. High yields
per tree were found in Tokaloglu’ (29.1 kg), ‘Precoce de Tyrinthe’ (29.0 kg), ‘Rouge de
Sernhac’ (27.9 kg), and ‘Beliana’ (23.0 kg). ‘Tokaloglu’, ‘Beliana’, ‘Precoce de Tyrinthe’,
and ‘Rouge de Sernhac’ cultivars showed good performance for both fruit set and yield
per tree under subtropical climate conditions. However, findings of this study also
suggested that fruit set and fruit drops in apricots should be assessed together with total
yield amounts by years. The influence of the cultivar on fruit yield was more determinant
than the seasonal effect.
Keywords: Dormancy, Flowering, Productivity, Prunus armeniaca L
