IMPOLLINAZIONE SUPPLEMENTARE DEL NOCCIOLETO

J. Ciesielska, K. Tylus, A. Godles
In 1986, 17 years old trees of filbert cultivars 'Garibaldi', 'Cosford', 'Barcelona' and 'Webbs Prize Cob' were sprayed during the female inflorescence receptivity time with pollen aqueous solution or with a mixture of pollen and talc. In both combinations a mixture of pollen from all four tested cultivars and from wild filbert (C. avellana) was used. Treatments were accomplished using a sprayer hauled by a tractor. Pollen was harvested from mature catkins at the end of rest period and stored at 2–4°C. Before and after storage, pollen viability was tested. High percent of viable pollen was observed for all examined cultivars: 'Garibaldi', 'Cosford', 'Barcelona', 'Webbs Prize Cob' and C. avellana showed, respectively, a percentage of 94.4, 76.4, 61.2, 93.0 and 100.

All cultivars showed a highly positive effect of treatment combinations on number of pollinated and number of fertilized inflorescence. Even though in case of pollen aqueous solution treatment female inflorescence drop was on average 72.5%, and after talc-pollen mixture treatment the percentage was 76.5, the control combination showed 94.4% of inflorescence drop. A significant increase of yield on additionally pollinated trees was noticed (approximately 50% of control). No effect was pointed out on nut average weight and diameter.

Although the effect on yield of different combinations was similar, the aqueous solution method seems to be easier to realize on commercial orchards using a normal tractor hauled sprayer. Considering that, in Poland, at the time of female inflorescence receptivity, catkins are often damaged by frost and lack of pollen occurs, additional pollination could be a simple method for filbert crop improvement and in some regions the only way to gain a considerable yield.

Ciesielska, J., Tylus, K. and Godles, A. (1994). IMPOLLINAZIONE SUPPLEMENTARE DEL NOCCIOLETO. Acta Hortic. 351, 275-282
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.351.29
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.351.29

Acta Horticulturae