| Background In commercial almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] orchards in Chile, the percentage of fruit set is low and commonly reaches 530%. As almond trees bloom during a cool period and also suffer from self-incompatibility, any factor that can improve pollination, pollen germination and pollen tube growth or extend the effective pollination period, such as the application of plant bioregulators (PBRs), should be beneficial for fruit production. Results Three plant bioregulators (PBRs): brassinolide (BL), gibberellic acid (GA3) and kinetin (KN) were evaluated for pollen germination and pollen tube growth in vitro, as well as for fruit set in almond cultivars Non Pareil and Carmel, in central Chile, during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. For pollen... |
