Boron Effects on Fruit Set, Yield, Quality and Paternity of Hass Avocado

Abstract

Boron plays a critical role in pollination and fertilization and can affect fruit set and yield. We applied 0 g, 15 g (manufacturer recommendation) or 30 g boron pre-flowering to Hass avocado trees to determine the effects on fruit set, fruitlet paternity, yield, fruit size, mineral nutrient concentrations and fatty acid composition. The boron applications did not significantly affect the initial fruit set at 3 or 6 weeks after peak anthesis or the proportions of self-pollinated fruitlets or mature fruit. Approximately 88–92% of the mature fruit were self-pollinated. However, applying 30 g boron per tree reduced the fruit set at 10 weeks after peak anthesis by 56% and the final yield by 25%. Attaining > 90% of the maximum yield was associated with foliar boron concentrations being below 104 mg/kg at 6 weeks after peak anthesis and between 39 and 68 mg/kg at 28 weeks after peak anthesis. Applying 15 g boron per tree increased the fruit mass by 5%, fruit diameter by 2%, flesh mass by 9%, flesh boron concentration by 55%, and the relative abundance of unsaturated fatty acids by 1% compared with control trees. Applying the recommended amount of boron provided a good yield of high-quality avocado fruit but applying boron at double the recommended rate reduced the yield.