Avocado fruit quality with applications of ANA, boron, nitrogen, saccharose and girdling

摘要

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of products for fruit set, production and quality of Hass avocado. This research was performed in a terrain that is located in a moderately cold weather, in Antioquia, Colombia. Factors for inducing flowering, types of inflorescence and production alternation were determined. In addition to the aforementioned, simple and combined foliar application of acid 1aphthaleneacetic (ANA), boron, nitrogen, saccharose as source energy, and girding branches, was performed. For the experiment we used a complete block experimental design, with five replicates per treatment and a single tree as experimental unit, with three evaluations over time (2010, 2011 and 2012). The variables evaluated were initial and final fruit set, quantity, and quality of produced fruit. Results associated with this study indicate that floral induction in this variety occurs in periods of low rainfall and low temperatures, the inflorescences were mostly of an indeterminate type, and a slight alternation of production occurred. Initial fruit and final set increased with girdling branches and with the application of boron and girdling branches in 28% and 33% respectively, but this treatments did not improve the production, instead the production was favored by adding saccharose alone, and in combination with boron, nitrogen and ANA, it presented increments of 14,5, 15.9, 14.9 and 14.4% respectively. Results indicate that the addition of an individual external energy source combined with the foliar application of boron, nitrogen and ANA, improves the quality and quantity of fruit in the Hass avocado.