(93) Vegetative and Flower Bud Development, and Fruit Set of Low-chill Peach Cultivars in North-central, Central, and Southwest Florida

Abstract

Four low-chill peach cultivars were evaluated at three locations in Florida for vegetative and reproductive bud development and fruit set. Twenty trees (five each of `Flordaprince', `Tropicbeauty', `UFgold', and `Flordaglo') were planted at each site in Feb. 2002. Prior to budbreak in Spring 2004 and 2005, three shoots per tree of average length and diameter were selected at a height between 1.5–2.0 m and the numbers of vegetative and flower buds per node were recorded for each shoot. No consistent pattern for the number of vegetative buds per node was observed among cultivars and locations, or across years. However, 'Tropicbeauty' tended to have fewer vegetative buds per node than `Flordaprince' during both seasons, although not at all locations. Overall, the number of flower buds per node was greater for north-central Florida than for central or southwest Florida. There were no consistent tends over years and among locations for the ranked order of flower buds per node by cultivar. The percentage of nodes without flower or vegetative buds (blind nodes) was generally greatest for `Tropicbeauty' at most locations during both years. During 2005, the percentage of blind nodes was greater in central and southwest Florida than in north-central Florida. Overall, fruit set was similar between the central and north-central Florida locations. Fruit set tended to be higher for `UFGold' and `Flordaglo' than for `Flordaprince' or `Tropicbeauty'.