A polinizacao do cacaueiro no Reconcavo Baiano, Brasil, 2: Avaliacao do método de ventilacao forcada
Mechanical pollination tests with portable Knapsack mistblowers were carried out in the Salvador Bay region (Reconcavo Baiano), Bahia, Brazil, on the local cultivars. Productivity of cacao in this region is considered poor due to the low index of diversity of pollinator insects. This situation is attributed to several factors such as sugar cane as predominant monoculture in the region, a climate of long dry spells, very young cacao plantations and predominance of self incompatible varieties of cacao. Results indicate that mechanical pollination with mistblower equipment almost doubled fertilization rates as compared to control. Results also indicate that increase in fertilization were equivalent to 2.38 percent as compared to 1.16 percent in the control. Production in terms of numbers of fruits per tree increased to 10.39 fruits/tree in the treatment, as compared to 5.71 fruits/tree in the control. Assessment in dry weight of cacao beans indicated 393.56 g/tree in the pollinated areas as compared to 176.0 g/tree in the control. In general, numbers almost doubled in the treated areas as compared to the ones of the control. It is expected that a population made up of self compatible varieties is able to yield more after mistblower pollination. Mistblower pollination, therefore, seems to be a promising technique when applied to self compatible varieties. On the other hand, natural pollination rates encountered at the Reconcavo region were quantitatively similar to the ones encountered in the South of Bahia, the most traditional cacao producing area of Brazil. It is necessary to accumulate more information in relation to natural pollination rates, due to the fact that populations studied were considered extremely young.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
1986
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| Subjects: | THEOBROMA CACAO, POLINIZACION ARTIFICIAL, VENTILACION, BAHIA, BRASIL, |
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