Abstract
The peach tree ( Prunus persica ) is a fruit species native to temperate climates that requires a chill during its hibernal period to overcome dormancy. However, due to genetic breeding, varieties are currently grown in subtropical and tropical regions where there are low occurrences of chill during this phenological stage. This study evaluated the adaptability and stability of the reproductive and vegetative phases of peach tree cultivars in a subtropical climate. An experiment was designed in randomized blocks with split time plots, with 23 peach tree cultivars and four replications, with each replication consisting of one plant and four shoots. The years of evaluated (plots) and the cultivars (subplots) were considered to be treatments. The relative rates of budburst (RRB), flowering (RRF), shoot formation (SF) and fruit set (FS), average time of budburst (ATB) and flowering (ATF), duration of budburst (DB) and flowering (DF) and number of hours with temperatures below 7.20°C were evaluated during the experimental period. The cultivars ‘Bonao’, ‘Ouromel-4’, ‘Libra’ and ‘Maciel’ demonstrated greater adaptability during the vegetative phase, whereas‘Ouromel-4’ and ‘Libra’ demonstrated greater adaptability and stability during the reproductive phase of peach trees in a subtropical climate.
Highlights
The peach tree (Prunus persica) is a fruit species native to temperate climates, but varieties have been developed through genetic breeding for subtropical and tropical regions (Chagas et al, 2008; Scariotto, Citadin, Raseira, Sachet, & Penso, 2013)
Where: RRF = is the relative rate of flowering budburst; TNFB = is the total number of flowering budbursts; TNFB = is the total number of flowering buds; fruit set (FS) = represents the number of flowers that formed fruits; FSA = is the total number of fruits 45 days after the end of flowering; ATF = corresponds to the average time between pruning and the detection of early flowering; DBF = is the date of the beginning of flowering; DP = is the date of pruning; DF = is the duration of flowering; DBF = is the date of the beginning of flowering; and DEF = is the date of the end of flowering
According to Alvarenga, Abrahão, Ramos, and Chalfun (2002), the municipality of Lavras presents an average of 11.8 hours of cold below 7.2oC and 100 units of cold per year
Summary
The peach tree (Prunus persica) is a fruit species native to temperate climates, but varieties have been developed through genetic breeding for subtropical and tropical regions (Chagas et al, 2008; Scariotto, Citadin, Raseira, Sachet, & Penso, 2013). In areas with inadequate winter chilling, branches can respond to incomplete endodormancy by displaying symptoms of ‘prolonged dormancy syndrome’, which is characterized by erratic and prolonged budburst (Nava, Marodin, & Santos, 2009) When this occurs, acrotonic budburst tendencies are reduced (Maguylo, Cook, & Theron, 2014). One factor that determines the adaptation to location is the need for winter cold, which is physiologically conditioned by the hormonal balance controlled by several genes and the environment (Wagner Júnior et al, 2009). This stability is defined as the ability to demonstrate highly predictable behaviour given certain environmental stimuli (Cruz & Carneiro, 2012). This study seeks to determine the adaptability and stability of reproductive and vegetative phases of peach trees in a subtropical climate
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