Yield efficiency, leaf area and alternate bearing indices of apple cv. bravo de esmolfe

Abstract

The Bravo de Esmolfe apple tree is the most reputed and valued regional variety, but the available technical knowledge about it does not suffice. It must be deepened, especially on what concerns tools for management and control of one of this cultivars most negative characteristics, the strong tendency to alternate bearing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify some yield relations that dont cause alternate bearing, when grafted onto the dwarfing rootstock EMLA9, which has been considered as one of the best for intensive cultivation. For this, thirty 8 year-old apple trees of similar bulk, with different yield levels during 2004, were selected. Leaves were collected in November 2004 and their area measured, and corresponding inflorescences were recorded in April 2005, thus achieving a yield prospective for that campaign. From these values, together with yield background of the selected apple trees, some parameters were calculated which made it possible to analyse their behaviour and yield regularity.

The results obtained at this first approach suggest that yield intervals of around 8–11 g per leaf, which correspond to 20–30 apples per centimetre of trunk diameter, as well as to values of among 10–15 leaves per harvested fruit, ward off alternate bearing, provided pruning is done in time, achieving good balance between yield and growth.