Effects of different treatments on healthy flower formation with fruit set and quality properties on kutdiken lemon cultivar

In this research, the effects of different treatments on healthy flower formation with fruit set and quality were aimed to study. With this aim, foliar P, Zn and B fertigation and late harvest treatments were made in addition with light pruning and routine fertigation programme. With the made treatments, normally developed flowers, flowers with undeveloped pistils (staminate) and malformed flower ratios were determined. Also, the viability and germination ratios with production quantity of pollens were determined, in vivo pollen tube elongation were specified. Besides these, effects of the treatments on fruit set and quality were determined. As a result of the study, especially Zn and B included foliar fertilizers reduced staminate flower formation, they had positive effects on pollen production, pollen germination and pollen tube elongation and also they increased fruit set. At the same time, the fruit quality properties like fruit bigness and juice quantity were affected positively. It was determined that, in late harvest treatments the malformed flower ratio was increased and in spite of this, pollen production quantity, pollen tube elongation velocity and fruit set ratio were decreased. Also, peel thickness was increased, fruit juice acidity and fruit juice quantity were decreased causing negative effects on fruit quality. Key Words: Citrus, flower structure, pollen, foliar fertilizer, late harvest