Influence of boron and zinc application on flowering and nut set in 'Tonda di Giffoni' hazelnut.

摘要

Rainy weather with fluctuating day and night temperatures often occurs in Slovenia at the time of fertilization in hazelnut (Corylus avellana) and can lead to poor nut set in some years. To improve fertilization and set, boron (BORTRAC, 150 g B/l) and zinc (ZINTRAC, 700 g Zn/l) were applied in hazelnut orchard Tepanje-90. The three treatments were: B1Zn (=1 l BORTRAC/ha + 1 l ZINTRAC/ha); B2Zn (=2 l BORTRAC/ha + 1 l ZINTRAC/ha) and C (=untreated control). Each treatment was applied to 15 trees, planted in randomized blocks (5 x 3 trees) of 'Tonda di Giffoni' hazelnut. Zn and B were applied three times in the spring of 1999. There were significant differences in percentage of blanks between treated and untreated trees. There were only 4.1% blanks in treatment B1Zn, 7.0% blanks in treatment B2Zn, and 10.9% in the untreated control. Yield in the year of Zn and B application was highest in the treatment B2Zn and lowest in the treatment B1Zn. Zn and B had no influence on nut characteristics. The number of female flowers was counted in spring 2000 on fruit-bearing branches of different lengths: 20 cm, 40 cm and 60 cm. The total number of females was slightly higher in the untreated trees and the B12Zn treatment than in the B2Zn treatment.