DOES REPRODUCTIVE BUD REMOVAL AFFECT HARVEST TIMING OF CACTUS PEAR?

Abstract

To produce out-of-season cactus pear (Opuntia spp) fruit is important for obtaining higher sale prices. This work tested the hypothesis that eliminating reproductive buds might delay or advance fruit maturation of cultivars ‘Cristalina’ and ‘Rojo Liso’. Treatments consisted in eliminating either the most developed or the youngest reproductive buds, plus control plots in which normal development of the current reproductive buds was allowed, but all twin buds which were thinned out regardless of their age. Elimination of the most developed or the youngest reproductive buds neither delayed nor advanced the harvest timing in both cultivars. Therefore, this thinning strategy is not useful for moving their harvest time, but it allowed to increase fruit size, although fruit yield become reduced in both cultivars (not significantly for ‘Cristalina’).These treatments of bud thinning produced larger fruits compared to control plants, which it is important for a national and exportation select market.