603 PB 217 IMPROVEMENT OF APRICOT BUDBREAK BY APPLICATION HIDROGEN CYANAMIDE
A major obstacle to economic production of deciduous fruit tree under desert conditions is an insufficient period of chilling temperatures. Inadequate chilling on apricot may result in poor and uneven budbreak, reduced and delayed foliage development, sparse bloom, poor fruit set, and/or early grown cesation, with the objective of improve budbreak, applications of Hidrogen Cyanamide (H2 C N2) were made to mature apricot `Canino' trees on January 30. Two rates of H2 C N2 and a control were evalluated for that proposal. Amount of chilling accumulated was 360 chill hours according Da Motta model. Hidrogen Cyanamide advanced budbreak 7 days at the highest rate as compared to control. Cumulative percent budbreak on March 15 were 40, 64 and 72% for o, 0.75 and 1.5% respectively. In this year, bud abscission was similar for all the treatments.