Flowering habits study on pomegranate: effect of flower thinning and zinc spry on perfect flower percentage and yield of some local pomegranate cultivars

Abstract

This research was carried out using three local cultivars of pomegranate (Salemi, Rawa seedless and Gelawi) for the growing seasons (2000–2001). Two studies were performed, the first study dealed with the flowering habits on the fruiting units, intension, the percentage of perfect and male flowers during flowering period, while the second study dealed with the effect of flowers thinning during the last cycle of flowering which take place during the period from 20 may to 30 june and foliar sprays of Zn at a concentration of 1 & 2% which carried out on (1/ 7/ 2000 and 1/ 10/ 2000) the objective of this studies was to increase the percentage of perfect flowers in the following season and its effect on the yield . The experimental results shows the following:1. The male flowers were exist before the perfect flowers by 10 days and then both types of flowers were increased at interected cycles to reach the highest intension during the period (10 April to 30 June). The percentage of perfect flowers was 86.25 % at the first cycle of flowering while the second cycle formed the remaining percentage which is 13.75% and the number of male flowers were higher than the perfect flowers at a ratio of (2.10–2.81).2. There are a significant differences in number of total flowers, perfect flowers and male flowers between cultivars. Rawa seedless cultivars was the highest in number of total flowers while the Gelawi cultivar was the highest in the percentage of perfect flowers. In spit of the deffernces in the percentage of formed flowers on fruiting units from cultivar to another, they are all appered on small shoot (spur) with one or two years old and they reached the percentage of (23.73, 37.74, 38.52%) for the three cultivars on the new shoots, shoot 1-2 years old respectively.3. The results showed that flowers thining of hast cycle of flowering, causes a significant increases on the percentage of perfect flowers and on the percentage of fruits set in the following season (2001) at a ratios of (6.89%, 5.34%) for both characters respectively, while the increament was (3.23% and 3.40%) when Zn at 2% and the effect was increased when there is an interaction between thining and appling Zn.4. Thining and folair sprays of Zn causes a reduction in fruit weight at a ratio of (2.1% and 1.3) respectively, while this reduction was not in parrall with the increament in the percentage of perfect flowers and the percentage of fruits set. which causes an increases in total yield up to a percentage of 10.76% when thining was done, 2.37% when Zn was sprayed and the increament reached 16.40% with the interaction between them.