Floral and Fruit Phenology in Three Young Olive (Olea europaea L.) Cultivars Grown in Central Northern Morocco. Part II: Variations in Chlorophylls as well as Floral and Fruit Density According to the Olive Specific BBCH Scale
摘要
Three major Mediterranean olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars, namely ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’ and ‘Picholine Languedoc’, grown in a sub-humid Mediterranean climate (central northern Morocco) were investigated for chlorophylls using SPAD (soil plant analysis development), floral bud, flower, and fruit density according to the BBCH scale and cardinal points during the 2021/2022 crop season. Cultivar effect was the main variability driver in our data explaining more than 80% of total variance of the SPAD value (SPAD60, SPAD61, and SPAD89), flower density at BBCH69 (Fl D69) and fruit set, followed by cardinal point (up to 30.31%), while the genotype-by-cardinal-point interaction was of lower magnitude. SPAD varied according to cultivars and phenophases (hightest scores were at BBCH65–71). Flower buds transformed into ripe fruit was 09.09–13.45%, fruit set 18.82–32.07%, flower buds (BBCH55) to flowers (BBCH65) 52.47–92.56%, and flower (BBCH69) to fruit (BBCH71) 28.00–57.57%. The branches exposed to the north had the highest chlorophyll value (SPAD), while the branches exposed to the south had the highest density of reproductive organs. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the dominance of genotypic over cardinal point effects in determining chlorophylls and flower and fruit loads. The obtained results could provide a basis for forecasting fruit yield and for programming agronomical practices in olive groves.