Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T15:53:05.264Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

EFFECTIVE HYDROGEN CYANAMIDE (DORMEX®) APPLICATION FOR BUD BREAK, FLOWERING AND NUT YIELD OF PISTACHIO TREES CV. MATEUR IN WARM GROWING AREAS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2013

MOHAMED GHRAB  and
MEHDI BEN MIMOUN
MOHAMED GHRAB*
Affiliation:
Institut de l'Olivier, BP 1087, Sfax 3000, Tunisia
MEHDI BEN MIMOUN
Affiliation:
Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43 Av. Charles Nicolle, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
*
‡Corresponding author. Email: mghrab@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Climate change characterized by global warming is expected to have an incidence on fruit trees’ development and production. The severity of these effects depends on lack of chilling. The current study focused on the research of an optimal dose of hydrogen cyanamide (Dormex®) treatment which can advance the bud break of female pistachio trees (Pistacia vera L.) to ensure better blooming synchronization with pollinators. A field experiment was conducted in northern Tunisia (36°49′N, 9°48′E) on mature pistachio trees. Two hydrogen cyanamide treatments at 2% and 4% Dormex® were applied with reference to the control untreated trees. The flowering time, vegetative growth, starch content, productivity and nut characters were followed. Results show that 4% Dormex® advanced the normal bud break by 15 days and flowering by 11 days and improved natural pollination by synchronization of male and female flowers. Consequently, fresh yield and nut quality as split and blank rates and nut weight were improved. However, shoot growth, leaf area and starch content in current shoot seemed unaffected by hydrogen cyanamide applications. In conclusion, hydrogen cyanamide could be used as 4% Dormex® and sprayed 45 days before bud break to improve pistachio productivity and prevent anomalies of lack of chilling due to global warming that could be more frequent in the Mediterranean areas.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 50 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 398 - 406
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alonso, J. M., Anson, J. M., Espiau, M. T., Socias, I. and Company, R. (2005). Determination of endodormancy break in almond flower buds by a correlation model using the average temperature of different day intervals and its application to the estimation of chill and heat requirement and blooming date. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 130:308–318.Google Scholar
Bartolini, S., Vitagliano, C., Cinelli, F. and Scalabrelli, G. (1997). Effect of hydrogen cyanamide on apricot bud break and catalase acidity. Acta Horticulturae 441:159–166.Google Scholar
Beede, R. H. and Ferguson, L. 2002. Effect of rootstock and treatment date on the response of pistachio to dormant applied horticultural mineral oil. Acta Horticulturae 591:63–66.Google Scholar
Ben Mimoun, M. (2008). Impact of climate change on fruit production: case of Tunisia. In Proceedings of International Workshop on Carbon and Water Exchange in Plants under Changing Climatic Conditions, 91–101 (Eds Khan, K. M., Centritto, M. and Mahmood, T.). Islamabad, Pakistan: Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Press.Google Scholar
Bound, S. A. and Jones, K. M. (2004). Hydrogen cyanamide impacts on flowering and fruit quality of red Fuji apple (Malus domestica). New-Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science 32:227–234.Google Scholar
Campoy, J. A., Ruiz, D., Allderman, L., Cook, N. and Egea, J. (2012). The fulfillment of chilling requirements and the adaptation of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) in warm winter climates: an approach in Murcia (Spain) and the Western Cape (South Africa). European Journal of Agronomy 37:43–55.Google Scholar
Campoy, J. A., Ruiz, D. and Egea, J. (2010). Effects of shading and thidiazuron + oil treatment on dormancy breaking, blooming and fruit set in apricot in a warm-winter climate. Scientia Horticulturae 125:203–210.Google Scholar
Campoy, J. A., Ruiz, D. and Egea, J. (2011). Dormancy in temperate fruit trees in a global warming context: a review. Scientia Horticulturae 130:357–372.Google Scholar
Crane, J. and Takeda, F. (1979). The unique response of the pistachio tree to inadequate winter chilling. HortScience 14:135–137.Google Scholar
Crossa-Raynaud, P. (1955). Effets des hivers doux sur le comportement des arbres fruitiers à feuilles caduques: observations faites en Tunisie à la suite de l'hiver 1954–1955. Annales des Services Botaniques et Agronomiques de Tunisie 28:1–22.Google Scholar
Dozier, W. A., Powel, A. A. Jr., Caylor, A. W., McDaniel, N. R., Carden, E. L. and McGuire, J. A. (1990). Hydrogen cyanamide induces bud break of peaches and nectarines following inadequate chilling. HortScience 25:1573–1575.Google Scholar
Egea, J., Ortega, E., Martinez-Gomez, P. and Dicenta, F. (2003). Chilling and heat requirements of almond cultivars for flowering. Environmental and Experimental Botany 50:79–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elloumi, O., Ghrab, M., Kessentini, H. and Ben Mimoun, M. (2013). Chilling accumulation effects on performance of pistachio trees cv. Mateur in dry and warm area climate. Scientia Horticulturae 159:80–87.Google Scholar
Erez, A. (1987). Chemical control of bud break. HortScience 22:1240–1243.Google Scholar
Erez, A. (1995). Means to compensate for insufficient chilling to improve bloom and leafing. Acta Horticulturae 395:81–95.Google Scholar
Erez, A. (1999). Dormancy completion – a dual response. HortScience 34:542–543.Google Scholar
Erez, A. and Couvillon, G. A. (1987). Characterization of the influence of moderate temperature on rest completion in peach. Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science 112:677–680.Google Scholar
Erez, A. and Lavee, S. (1971). The effect of climatic conditions on dormancy development of peach buds. I. Temperature. Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science 96:711–714.Google Scholar
Fuchigami, L. H. and Nee, C. C. (1987). Degree growth stage model and rest-breaking mechanisms in temperate woody perennials. HortScience 22:836–844.Google Scholar
George, A. J., Lloyd, J. and Nissen, R. J. (1992). Effect of pruning date, paclobutrazol and hydrogen cyanimide on dormancy release for low chill Flordaprince peach in subtropical Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32:89–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghrab, M., Ben Mimoun, M., Triki, H. and Gouta, H. (2002). Evaluation of the performances of seventeen male pistachio tree specimens. Acta Horticulturae 591:473–477.Google Scholar
Ghrab, M., Gargouri, K. and Ben Mimoun, M. (2008). Long-term effects of dry conditions and drought on fruit trees yield in dry land areas of Tunisia. Options Méditerranéennes 80:107–111.Google Scholar
Jackson, J. E. and Bepete, M. (1995). The effect of hydrogen cyanamide (Dormex) on flowering and cropping of different apple cultivars under tropical conditions of sub-optimal winter chilling. Scientia Horticulturae 60:293–304.Google Scholar
Küden, A. B., Küden, A., Nikpeyma, Y. and Kaska, N. (1995). Effects of chemicals on bud break of pistachios under mild climate conditions. Acta Horticulturae 419:91–96.Google Scholar
Legave, J. M., Garcia, M. and Marco, F. (1982). Some descriptive aspects of drops process of flower buds or young flowers on apricot in south of France. Acta Horticulturae 121:75–83.Google Scholar
Lloyd, J. and Firth, D. (1993). Effect of hydrogen cyanamide and promalin on flowering, fruit set and harvest time of Flordaprince peach (Prunus persica (L) Batsch) in subtropical Australia. Journal of Horticultural Sciences 68:177–183.Google Scholar
Luedeling, E., Girvetz, E. H., Semenov, M. A. and Brown, P. H. (2011). Climate change affects winter chill for temperate fruit and nut trees. PLoS ONE 6:1–13.Google Scholar
Luedeling, E., Zhang, M. and Girvetz, E. H. (2009). Climate changes lead to declining winter chill for fruit and nut trees in California during 1950–2099. PLoS ONE 4:1–9.Google Scholar
Maggs, D. H. (1973). The pistachio as an Australian crop. Journal of Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 39:10–17.Google Scholar
Mohamed, A. K. A. (2008). The effect of chilling, defoliation and hydrogen cyanamide on dormancy release, bud break and fruiting of Anna apple cultivar. Scientia Horticulturae 118:25–32.Google Scholar
Murisier, F., Jelmini, G., Ferretti, M. and Madonna, A. (1990). Amélioration du débourrement du Merlot au moyen de la cyanamide d'hydrogène. Revue Suisse de Viticulture Arboriculture Horticulture 22:399–402.Google Scholar
Nee, C. C. and Fuchigami, L. H. (1992). Overcoming rest at different growth stages with hydrogen cyanamide. Scientia Horticulturae 50:107–113.Google Scholar
Nielsen, J. P. (1943). Rapid determination of starch: An index to maturity in starchy vegetables. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Analysis Edition 15:176–179.Google Scholar
Pesis, E., Fuchs, Y. and Zeuberman, G. (1978). Starch content and amylase activity in avocado fruit pulp. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 103:673–676.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, L. E. (1987). Hormonal aspects of bud and seed dormancy in temperate zone woody plants. HortScience 22:845–850.Google Scholar
Procopiou, J. (1973). The induction of earlier blooming in female pistachio trees by mineral oil-DNOC winter sprays. Journal of Horticultural Sciences 48:393–395.Google Scholar
Rahemi, M. and Asghari, H. (2004). Effet of cyanamide (Dormex), volk oil and potassium nitrate on bud break, yield and nut characteristics of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.). Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 79:823–827.Google Scholar
Richardson, E. A., Seeley, S. D. and Walker, D. R. (1974). A model for estimating the completion of rest for Redhaven and Elberta peach trees. HortScience 9:331–332.Google Scholar
Ruiz, D., Campoy, J. A. and Egea, J. (2007). Chilling and heat requirements of apricot cultivars for flowering. Environmental and Experimental Botany 61:254–263.Google Scholar
Seif El-Yazal, M. A. and Rady, M. M. (2012). Changes in nitrogen and polyamines during breaking bud dormancy in Anna apple trees with foliar application of some compounds. Scientia Horticulturae 136:75–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shulman, Y., Nir, G. and Lavee, S. (1986). Oxidative processes in bud dormancy and the use of hydrogen cyanamide in breaking dormancy. Acta Horticulturae 179:141–148.Google Scholar
Theron, K. I., Gerber, H. J. and Steyn, W. J. (2011). Effect of hydrogen cyanamide, mineral oil and thidiazuron in combination with tip pruning on bud break, shoot growth and yield in Bourjasotte Noire, Col de Damme Noire and Noire de Caromb figs. Scientia Horticulturae 128:239–248.Google Scholar
Viti, R., Andreini, L., Ruiz, D., Egea, J., Bartolini, S., Iacona, C. and Campoy, J. A. (2010). Effect of climatic conditions on overcoming of dormancy in apricot flower buds in two Mediterranean areas: Murcia (Spain) and Tuscany (Italy). Scientia Horticulturae 124:217–224.Google Scholar
Wood, B. W. (1993). Hydrogen cyanamide advances pecan bud break and harvesting. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 118:690–693.Google Scholar
Zhang, J. and Taylor, C. (2011). The dynamic model provides the best description of the chill process on ‘Sirora’ pistachio trees in Australia. HortScience 46:420–425.Google Scholar