MANAGEMENT OF YELLOW PASSION FRUIT CULTIVATION WITH AND WITHOUT APICAL PRUNING AND FLOWERING REGULATOR

Abstract

The passion fruit tree is managed, above all, with the use of apical pruning, however, there are those who cultivate it in the absence of this. On the other hand, in addition to the use of pruning, in the search for greater productive gains, the use of products (substances) that reduce the abortion of fruits, which are called flowering insurers, is frequent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the management of the passion fruit crop with and without apical pruning and the use of flowering insurers. The experiment was conducted from January to June 2023, on a private property located in the Bom Intento region, rural area of Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. The design was randomized blocks, arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme, with four replications and two plants per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of two ways of conducting the culture (with and without apical pruning) and application of two flowering insuring products (Product X and Product Y). The characteristics of number of type 1 fruits, number of type 2 fruits, number of open flowers, number of flower buds and total number of fruits were evaluated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance with the application of the F test at 5% probability and the means were compared using the Scoot-Knott test, also at 5% probability. The results obtained allow us to conclude that, up to the 203 day after transplanting the seedlings, the conduction with or without pruning and the application of flowering regulators did not interfere in the productive characteristics of the culture. The crop was attacked by a large number of bees, which carried the pollen from the flowers, causing a generalized abortion and, therefore, resulting in a lack of response in the final result of the study, since, even some plants presenting a greater number of flowers, these have not reverted to fruit.