Researchers in New Zealand studied avocado flower morphology and fruit set. They found that hand pollination increased fruit set by 30 times compared to natural pollination. Removing flowers from the tips of inflorescences increased fruit set 5 times more than removing flowers from the bases. While determinate and indeterminate trees showed no difference in fruit set, adding pollen was found to be limiting and increasing pollination can help boost avocado production.
15. Determinate vs. indeterminate
Treatment No. of No. of flowers No. of fruit Average %
trees (19/02/09) fruit set
Determinate
Indeterminate
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
16. Determinate vs. indeterminate
Treatment No. of No. of flowers No. of fruit Average %
trees (19/02/09) fruit set
Determinate 20
Indeterminate 20
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
17. Determinate vs. indeterminate
Treatment No. of No. of flowers No. of fruit Average %
trees (19/02/09) fruit set
Determinate 20 29865
Indeterminate 20 23793
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
18. Determinate vs. indeterminate
Treatment No. of No. of flowers No. of fruit Average %
trees (19/02/09) fruit set
Determinate 20 29865 56
Indeterminate 20 23793 40
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
19. Determinate vs. indeterminate
Treatment No. of No. of flowers No. of fruit Average %
trees (19/02/09) fruit set
Determinate 20 29865 56 0.18
Indeterminate 20 23793 40 0.24
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
20. 0.7
0.6
0.5
Percent fruit set
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Inflorescence
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
21. Inflorescence removal
Treatment No. of trees No. of fruit (19/02/09) Average % set
Tip 20
Base 20
Control 20
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
22. Inflorescence removal
Treatment No. of trees No. of fruit (19/02/09) Average % set
Tip 20
Base 20
Control 20
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
23. Inflorescence removal
Treatment No. of trees No. of fruit (19/02/09) Average % set
Tip 20 32 0.398
Base 20 7 0.087
Control 20 35 0.225
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
24. Hand pollination
Treatment No. of No. of No. of No. of Average
trees replicates flowers fruit % fruit set
(19/02/09)
Determinate 11 14 277
Indeterminate 11 14 287
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
25. Hand pollination
Treatment No. of No. of No. of No. of Average
trees replicates flowers fruit % fruit set
(19/02/09)
Determinate 11 14 277 16 5.7
Indeterminate 11 14 287 13 4.6
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
26. 8
6
Percent fruit set
4
2
0
0 1 2 3
Control Hand pollinated
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
27.
28. Summary
• No determinate/indeterminate effect
• Base tip effect 5X
• Pollen added effect 30x
• Suggests pollination limiting
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
29. Conclusion
We can increase fruit set by adding pollen
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
30. Next season
Repeat last season
Distribution of fruit on trees relative to pollinizers
Repeat pollinations - 5 Flowers per inflorescence
Check hand pollinations
Possibly look at bee movements
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
31. The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited
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mark.goodwin@plantandfood.co.nz