Water restriction, girdling and paclobutrazol on flowering and production of olive cultivars

Abstract

Information about reproductive behavior of the olive trees (Olea europaea L.) in regions with lower occurrence of cold is fundamental to the expansion of its economic cultivation. Researches studding the adequacy of management techniques in order to promote flowering in these regions are important. Thus, this research was conducted to evaluated water restriction, girdling and paclobutrazol on flowering and production of olive cultivars. Three experiments were conducted in Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In the first experiment, ‘Arbequina’ olive trees were subjected to water restriction and two environmental conditions. In the second experiment, the girdled branches in different times on flowering and nutritional behavior of ‘Grappolo 541’ and ‘Barnea’ olive trees were evaluated. And in the third experiment, the application of paclobutrazol (PBZ) and the water restriction were studied in the vegetative growth and flowering of ‘Ascolana’ olive trees. The flowering of ‘Arbequina’ olive tree occurred with the averages of minimum temperatures varied from 8.4 to 11.7°C, in autumn and winter. The girdling at different times did not influence the production of olive trees ‘Barnea’ and ‘Grappolo 541’. The girdled branches had a higher nutrient levels in leaves.The application of paclobutrazol in the soil promoted the reduction in vegetative growth of ‘Ascolana’ olive trees, with increase of flowering and fruiting. The water restriction did not favor the flowering of ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Ascolana’ olive trees and it reduced the effect of PBZ in ‘Ascolana’.