Effect of hydrogen cyanamide, mineral oil and thidiazuron in combination with tip pruning on bud break, shoot growth and yield in ‘Bourjasotte Noire’, ‘Col de Damme Noire’ and ‘Noire de Caromb’ figs

Commercial fig production is relatively new to the Mediterranean-type climate Western Cape Province of South Africa. A lack of lateral branch development impedes tree structure development and therefore adequate yields of quality fruit. The chemical rest breaking agents, Lift® (thidiazuron 3 g L−1) at 6%, Dormex® (hydrogen cyanamide, 520 g L−1) at 4%, mineral oil at 4% and a combination of mineral oil and Dormex® at 2% each were evaluated in a split plot design in combination with tip-pruning vs. no-pruning to overcome apical dominance and increase complexity (Experiment 1). During the 2008/2009 season, an additional investigation was conducted to evaluate the use of thidiazuron and hydrogen cyanamide for harvest scheduling (Experiment 2). Dormex® at 3% and Lift® at 6%, were applied to dormant trees on 30 June 2008, 3 August 2008, 15 August 2008 or 30 August 2008. In general, Lift® can be used to increase the number of buds breaking in ‘Bourjasotte Noire’ and ‘Col de Damme Noire’, while tip pruning decreased bud break with a resultant increase in shoot length. Dormex® and oil combined decreased bud break in these two cultivars but was effective on ‘Noire de Caromb’. Where bud break was increased the resultant N + 1 shoot length was decreased. RBAs increased the number of fruit in both the breba and main crop of ‘Noire de Caromb’, but decreased fruit size of the breba crop. Our data are not conclusive as to what the reason for low lateral bud break might be but leans towards strong AD in seasons with 400 Utah CU or more, but might include some delayed foliation response in seasons with less than 200 Utah CH.

Research highlights
► Thidiazuron increased and tip-pruning decreased bud break in ‘Bourjasotte Noire’.
► Tip-pruning reduced the new growth and yield in ‘Noire de Caromb’.
► Hydrogen cyanamide and oil and oil alone, increased bud break in ‘Noire de Caromb’.
► Thidiazuron and hydrogen cyanamide hastened bud break and breba harvest in ‘Noire de Caromb’.