Volume 50 Number 3 Article 24
Year 1996 Month 7
Title: Variability in Pecan Flowering
Authors: L.J. Grauke and T.E. Thompson
Abstract:
Efficient pecan orchard design requires accurate information concerning flowering patterns
of cultivars.
Methods of evaluating pecan flowering vary widely in the literature, and may influence reported patterns.
Critical aspects of pecan
flowering are reviewed, especially, as they relate
to monitoring bloom.
Dichogamy patterns are
reported for 13 pecan cultivars observed over
four years at Shreveport, LA. Patterns of flower
ing varied between years, with dates of inner
scale split, pollen shed, and stigma receptivity
being related to seasonal growing degree day
accumulations.
Cultivars did not flower in identical sequence in all years, but did consistently
exhibit either protogyny or protandry.
Data
from 12 cultivars collected at Brownwood, TX
in 1992 are evaluated in relation to previous
reports of flowering for those cultivars in the
1972 and 1974 seasons.
Dichogamy data for
three consecutive years from New Mexico are
also evaluated for patterns due to season.
At all
locations, date of first bloom varied by year.
Pollen shed and pistil receptivity for a cultivar
varied in relation to bloom dates of other culti
vars in different years.
Two cultivars may have
altered patterns of bloom overlap in different
seasons.
When designing orchard configurations,
planners should rely on observations made over
several seasons, and from trees as close as
possible to the proposed orchard location.
Rather
than attempting to pick two cultivars that closely
overlap bloom, or choosing a certain number of
Erotandrous and protogynous cultivars, it may
e preferable to select multiple cultivars to
provide early, mid-, and late-season pollen,
with the pistillate receptivity period of key
cultivars in the orchard being heavily targeted.
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