:: Fincas de Ambato :: Polinización de la Jojoba en Catamarca / Introducción

This work compares the general jojoba flowering behavior and different climatological parameters during the flowering stage in 2002 and 2003.

A comparison between fruit yields for years 2002 and 2003 shows that the 2003 level was only about one third of the 2002 level. Production in 2002 remained within the anticipated values, and may be described as very satisfactory. The decrease in production levels also affected neighboring jojoba plantations, all of which consist of adult plants.

In 2003 the entire plantation was in very good agronomical condition. The winter season contributed the low temperatures needed to fully meet the vernalization requirements of the plantation’s most demanding clone (Table 2-V). The tolerance limits for the 4 genotypes selected by FdeA (and even for most planted clones) were not exceeded either as regards below-zero temperatures, number of frost episodes, or late frosting (Table 4-CJ), Only a few genotypes were in fact damaged by the late August low temperatures which, in certain cases, caused light, isolated frost episodes that killed the plants’ open flowers (even though these were not identified at the weather station).
In 2003, due to the forecasted late frosts, irrigation was pushed back to September 1. This entailed a 15-day gap as compared to the initial irrigation date in the previous year.

Tabla Fincas de Ambato_2v_esp

Tabla Fincas de Ambato_4cj

The outcome of the 2003 reproduction process shows at least three clearly distinguishing features as compared to 2002. In addition to the steep fall in the number of pollinated female flowers, virtually 100% of the process took place over the first half of the bud opening period, and pollen release ended 7 to 10 days in advance, whereas female bud opening experienced no differences relative to the previous year.

Conversely to what happened in 2002, in 2003 there was no fruit bearing at all in lots with no adult male rows. Virtually all of the 2003 fruit yields were from plants lined up directly south of the adult male rows, and located in the same lot. Moreover, as regards female plants located south of incomplete male rows, only plants located opposite the male ones were pollinated. Obviously enough, the sharp drop in the 2003 fruit yields is a pollen-related issue.