ARTIFICIAL POLLINATION INCREASES MACAÚBA FRUIT SETTING RATE

One way to increase fruit production in any crop is to ensure uniform and effective pollination. In breeding programs, the use of artificial pollination is an important strategy to direct crossbreeding and increase fruit set. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of artificial pollination on setting and final production in macaúba bunches. The study was conducted in Araponga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, using genotypes from the region of Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais. The evaluations were divided into two experiments. In experiment I, 30 spathes received the single pollen treatment and 30 received the pollen mix treatment and 60 were defined as control pathes. The pollens used were collected in inflorescences of highly productive plants, naturally opened in the area. In experiment II, 30 spathes received pollen treatment from naturally open spathes, 30 received pollen treatment from artificially open spathes, and 60 were defined as control spathes. In both experiments, the evaluated spathes were in phase IV of development (spathe with full development in growth, with an angle greater than 90º in relation to the main axis of the plant) and the inflorescences were artificially opened by breaking the bract to receive the treatments. A methodology was defined to classify the bunches according to the percentage of fruit set: empty (0%), low (1% to 25%), medium to low (26% to 50%), medium to high (51% to 75%) and high (76% to 100%). In experiments I and II, the highest percentage of empty bunches was observed in plants where natural pollination occurred (85% and 90.25%)