Figure 1.
Mean daily air temperature (°C), bee activity (hours with air temperature >15°C and solar radiation >300 W · m−2) and precipitation (mm) during the bloom periods of a fruit set of cv. 'Regina' established in San Clemente, Chile. Yellow arrow: dates of assisted pollination.
Figure 2.
(A) Assisted pollination during blooming in an orchard of 'Regina' sweet cherry trees under plastic cover. (B) Experimental unit of plant material.
Table 1.
Fruit set, retention and yield in 'Regina' sweet cherries.
| Treatment | Total flowers | Fruit set (%) | Fruit retention (%) | Yield | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (kg ⋅ tree−1) | (kg ⋅ ha−1) | ||||
| Traditional pollination | 567 | 14.1 ± 5.9 b | 50.9 ± 29.6 a | 11.1 ± 4.9 a | 15424 ± 3229 a |
| Assisted pollination | 455 | 19.9 ± 6.0 a | 52.6 ± 24.8 a | 13.3 ± 2.3 a | 18479 ± 6830 a |
Table 2.
Fruit quality in sweet cherries 'Regina' at harvest and after 30 days of cold storage (0 ± 1°C/85%–90% RH).
| Period | Treatment | Weight (g) | Diameter (mm) | Colour (1–5) | Firmness (g ⋅ mm−1) | SSC (Brix) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | Traditional pollination | 12.4 ± 1.5 a | 28.1 ± 1.3 a | 4.0 ± 0.0 b | 285 ± 38 a | 19.1 ± 0.6 b |
| Assisted pollination | 11.7 ± 1.5 b | 28.2 ± 1.4 a | 4.4 ± 0.5 a | 262 ± 36 b | 20.4 ± 0.7 a | |
| 30 days MAP | Traditional pollination | 11.8 ± 1.3 a | 28.4 ± 1.2 a | 4.1 ± 0.4 a | 322 ± 63 b | 19.1 ± 0.6 a |
| Assisted pollination | 11.7 ± 1.3 a | 28.0 ± 1.2 a | 4.1 ± 0.4 a | 355 ± 46 a | 20.5 ± 0.9 a |