Alternancy Study on Rambutan (<i>Nephelium lappaceum</i> L.) Tree in Mexico

Abstract

Rambutan growing in the state of Chiapas has brought about a demand for new plantations; however, this species has several biotic and abiotic factors that limit its production. These factors include phytosanitary problems, deficient agronomical handling, and production alternancy. Because of this, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the application of agronomical practices such as pruning, ringing, water stress, and their interaction on the rambutan alternancy. The experiment was carried out in the “La Chinita” commercial orchard located on KM. 4.5 the Huehuetan Station, municipality of Huehuetan, Chiapas, Mexico. We used 48 rambutan trees in production with an age of 14 years. Two production cycles were evaluated. The experiment was established under a divided plot experimental design in random complete blocks with a factorial arrangement and six replicates; each tree being a replicate. The study factors were: water stress, pruning, girdling, irrigation (control), and their combinations, resulting in eight treatments. The evaluation was done during flowering, fruit set, and harvest. In flowering, the treatments with permanent irrigation in both evaluated cycles (2010-2011 and 2011-2012) manifested a production alternancy behavior, with an average 36.4% flowering in the first evaluation cycle and increased to 82.1% in the second cycle. The treatments with water stress kept a proportional flowering during the first and second cycles of 97.9% and 95.3%, respectively. The water stress influenced the bunch weight (PR) variable fruit set with bigger fruits and higher bunch weight than the irrigated treatments. In production, pruning and girdling together with water deficit had no alternancy in both production cycles.