AGROSTUDIES POJECT PROPOSAL

THE EFFECT OF BENDING ON BLOOM, FRUIT SET

AND FRUIT GROWTH IN “OR” VARIETY

Chapter I

Introduction

Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family,

Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops

such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus Citrusis

native to Southeast Asia, Melanesia,East Asia and Australia. Various citrus

species South Asia have been utilized and domesticated by indigenous cultures

in these areas since ancient times. From there its cultivation spread into

Micronesia and Polynesia by the Austronesian expansion (c. 3000–1500 BCE);

and to the Middle East and the Mediterranean (c. 1200 BCE) via the incense

trade route, and onwards to Europe. (Wu Ga et al.)

These plants are large shrubs or small to moderate-sized trees, reaching

5–15m (16–49ft) tall, with spiny shoots and alternately arranged evergreen

leaves with an entire margin. The flowers are solitary or in small corymbs, each

flower 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57in) diameter, with five (rarely four) white petals and

numerous stamens; they are often very strongly scented. The fruit is a
hesperidium, a specialized berry, globose to elongated, 4–30cm (1.6–11.8in)

long and 4–20cm (1.6–7.9in) diameter, with a leathery rind or "peel" called a

pericarp. (Dafna 2017)

Shoot bending is known to reduce shoot growth and to enhance flowering

on fruit and forest trees. (Blench, RM 2005)

Objectives

To know whether bended branch produce better fruit compared to un

bended.

To know if branch bending affects timing of flower initiation.

To determine the significant effect of branch bending on bloom and fruit

production.

Problem

The research was taken into consideration to address the problem on low

fruit development as well as its low fruit quality due to branch density resulted

to low luminosity or lower caption of sunlight.

Hypothesis

Bending branches on citrus of “OR” variety will cause an increase in fruit

set and yield. The fruits in bended branches also will develop faster than

vertical branches because the bended branches will have less vegetative

strenght.

Methodology

The experimental research will be performed using completely

randomized block design. Multiple factor will be observe for the analysis and
collecting data. Through this we could be able to determine the effect of

bending of branches on bloom, fruit set and fruit growth in OR variety. Ten

samples trees will be used in our research. The following treatments will be

performed.

Treatments

1. Control. Five uniform trees with four vertical branches in each

tree with similar length, width and luminosity.

2. Bended. Five uniform trees with four vertical branches with

similar characteristics. The four vertical branches of each tree will

be bended.

Data to be Gathered/Parameters

Branches dimensions: the length and width at the base of each branch will be

measured before starting the research project to ensure their uniformity . Not

uniform branches will be excluded from the research. The length and width of

the branches will be recorded.

Flower begin: We measure at least one flower open in each branch twice a

week beginning from the middle of March until all the branches reach this

phenological stage. The percentage of branches that already beganbegan to

flower will be calculated for every survey.

Full bloom: We measure at least 95% of the flower open twice a week starting

from the middle of March until all the branches reach full bloom. The

percentage of branches that reaches full bloom will be calculated for every

survey.
Fruit set: We count the number of fruitlets per branch every week. This is

done from the end of April till the end of June 2020.

Fruit growth: We measure the the diameter of the biggest fruit let of each

branch 40 fruit lets control and 40 fruit lets bended. This is done from fruitset

to the end eo June.

References

1.  Wu GA, Terol J, Ibanez V, López-García A, Pérez-Román E, Borredá

C, Domingo C, Tadeo FR, Carbonell-Caballero J, Alonso R, Curk F, Du D,
Ollitrault P, Roose ML, Dopazo J, Gmitter FG, Rokhsar DS, Talon M
(February 2018). "Genomics of the origin and evolution of
Citrus". Nature. 554 (7692): 311–
316. Bibcode:2018Natur.554..311W. doi:10.1038/nature25447. PMID 
29414943.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Fuller, Dorian Q.; Castillo, Cristina; Kingwell-
Banham, Eleanor; Qin, Ling; Weisskopf, Alison (2017). "Charred pomelo
peel, historical linguistics and other tree crops: approaches to framing the
historical context of early Citrus cultivation in East, South and Southeast
Asia". In Zech-Matterne, Véronique; Fiorentino, Girolamo
(eds.). AGRUMED: Archaeology and history of citrus fruit in the
Mediterranean. Publications du Centre Jean Bérard. pp. 29–
48. doi:10.4000/books.pcjb.2107. ISBN 9782918887775.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c Zech-Matterne, Véronique; Fiorentino, Girolamo;
Coubray, Sylvie; Luro, François (2017). "Introduction". In Zech-Matterne,
Véronique; Fiorentino, Girolamo (eds.). AGRUMED: Archaeology and
history of citrus fruit in the Mediterranean: Acclimatization, diversification,
uses. Publications du Centre Jean Bérard. ISBN 9782918887775.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c Langgut, Dafna (June 2017). "The Citrus Route
Revealed: From Southeast Asia into the
Mediterranean". HortScience. 52 (6): 814–
822. doi:10.21273/HORTSCI11023-16.
5. ^ Blench, R.M. (2005). "Fruits and arboriculture in the Indo Pacific
region". Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association. 24: 31–50.