Study on the flowering of "Ellendale" tangor (Citrus sinensis L. osb. x C. reticulata) bl. and its relationship with fruit se and productivity

Abstract

Strouping and flowering behaviour in ‘Ellendale’ tangor have been studied four years in comercial plots, under different productive situations.In all cases, predominant shoots were leafless inflorescences, single or multiflowered with values from 50 to 88%. The flowering intensity measured was above 120 flowers/100 nodes, reaching in a plot without irrigation 250 flowers/100 nodes, wich places this variety in the “high flowering” group. An inverse correlation was obtained between density and fruit-set under 110 flowers/100 nodes. Higher intensities kept a low and steady fruit-set percentage (2%), which was reflected in low yields (40-5 Kg/tree). Winter spraying of GA₃ changed sprouting habits, increased the number of leafy shoots reduced flowering significatively in two cases, all of what was related to yield improvement.