Hermaphrodite Flower Ratios and Fruit Drop in Some Olive Cultivars

Authors : Cansu Dölek, Mücahit Taha Özkaya

Pages : 53-59

Doi:10.53471/bahce.1493670

View : 59 | Download : 45

Publication Date : 2024-11-26

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The intricacies of flower biology in olive cultivars reveal variations in the occurrence of male and hermaphrodite flowers. This study endeavours to ascertain the frequency of hermaphrodite flowers over a three-year period within the ecological context of Tarsus/Mersin. Simultaneously, post-fertilization fruit abscission rates specific to each cultivar were determined. By initially quantifying flower numbers and subsequently comparing them against fruit retention rates, this research aimed to elucidate the impact of self-pollination and cross-pollination on fruit set across the examined cultivars. The period from the opening of flowers to the stage of fruit setting was found to range from 10 to 15 days. While the ratios of hermaphrodite flowers remained similar across years, the highest ratio was observed in the Domat cultivar, followed by the Sarı Ulak and Gemlik cultivars. Pollination experiments conducted on the Domat, Gemlik and Sarı Ulak cultivars revealed that fruit drop rates were highest in self-pollination practices. Conversely, foreign pollination practices resulted in lower fruit drop rates compared to self-pollination, indicating a positive impact of pollinator use on fruit retention.
Keywords : Zeytin, çiçek, meyve tutumu, tozlama, meyve dökümü

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