.

Abstract

Phenological evaluation of three apple cultivars at Bom Retiro – SC, Brazil. This work was conducted in a single apple orchard, located in Bom Retiro, Santa Catarina, in order to make a phenological assessment of the Imperatriz, Imperial Gala and Fuji cultivars planted there and their relationships with the physical conditions provided by the orchard together with the pollination and fruit production taking place. Seven plants from each cultivar were selected at random for the purpose of measuring the average length of the stems that had achieved up to 1.5m in height from the level of the soil, the numbers of reproductive and vegetative stems, the lengths of the leaves, and the numbers of flowers which were classified according to their stage of development. The averages were compared by Tukey test (5%). The cultivar that was utilized for pollination (Imperatriz) showed early production, but the flowering coincided little with that of the other productive cultivars. However, these characteristics could have been greatly influenced by ambient conditions, considering this cultivar’s production history before its use as the pollinizing cultivar. For remedial purposes, techniques could be employed to synchronize the flowering, and appropriate management would be capable of increasing the populations of pollinating agents to help the effective fertilization.