<b>Floral biology aspects related to the production of sugar apple (<em>Annona squamosa</em> L.) fruits</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v29i4.875

Abstract

The State of Bahia is the largest producer of sugar apple in Brazil, reaching a production area of 5,400 ha. In order to ensure good fruit productivity and quality, studies related to pollination are essential, and provide data that subsidize phyto-improvement programs. The objective of this work was the study of floral biology aspects linked to the production of sugar apple. The study was carried out in two commercial orchards in the Southwestern region of the State of Bahia, Brazil, comprising the following steps: observation of the morphological characteristics of the flowers; collection and storage of pollen grains under two temperature conditions; analysis of the viability and pollen germinability; and manual pollination at five different times after collecting the pollen grains. The experimental design used was entirely randomized blocks. The results provided by the regression analysis and by the variance analysis enabled the conclusion that: Anthesis occurs at 5 a.m., and that the pollen grains preserved in a refrigerator (5 to 7ºC) are still viable up to 12 hours after collected, enabling the production of fruits with commercially accepted weight