Floral production of European pear cultivars in south of Brazil

Pear is the most imported fruit in Brazil, and research in its reproductive and productive behaviour is needed in order to understand the reasons that lead to irregular production. The aim of this study was to characterize the floral biology of the first and second flowering of pear cultivars ‘Abate Fetel’, ‘Clapp’s Favourite’, ‘Packham’s Triumph’, ‘Rocha’, ‘Santa Maria’ and ‘William’s’ grown in southern Brazil. Types of blooming sequence of flowers in the inflorescence, mass of inflorescences and flowers, number of flowers, number and length of floral components and production of pollen grains were evaluated of the first and second bloom. Frequencies of floral anomalies were recorded. ‘Abate Fetel’, ‘Clapp’s Favourite’, and ‘Santa Maria’ emitted a second spring bloom from the shoots, which differed in flower primordia after vegetative development and promoted the emission of inflorescences in the terminal portion. Second bloom was the main source of anthers and pollen grains in ‘Santa Maria’. First bloom showed that ‘Clapp’s Favourite’ and ‘William’s’ had high production of pollen grains per anther (5032 and 4264) and production of pollen grains per flower (102636 and 86431).