Effects of water stress, nitrogen and paclobutrazol on flowering, yield and fruit quality of the low-chill peach cultivar, 'Flordaprince'

Three cultural treatments, i.e. water stress, growth retardant (paclobutrazol) and nitrogen, applied in the late summer and autumn prior to endo-dormancy, were evaluated for their subsequent effects on flowering, fruit set, yield, fruit maturity and fruit quality of the low-chill peach cultivar 'Flordaprince'. When nitrogen and paclobutrazol were applied together, the fruit development period was shortened and fruit maturity was advanced considerably. Both paclobutrazol and water stress, when used either singly or in combination, were highly effective in reducing tree growth. Compared with other treatments, nitrogen alone increased fruit set by 48% and tree fruit yields by about 40%. When nitrogen and paclobutrazol were applied together, yield per butt cross-sectional area, a measure of yield efficiency, was significantly increased by about 60%. Mean fruit weight was increased by both paclobutrazol (49%) and nitrogen (39%). Water stress improved fruit size by 37% in treatments not receiving paclobutrazol. Compared with untreated trees, nitrogen improved brix by about 14%.