Certain varieties of citrus plants present high flowering levels which do not subsequently lead to larger fruit yields, and thus require autumnal treatments to correct the issue.

BROTOMAX® provides easily-absorbed, high-energy nutrients leading to more balanced vegetative and flower development, equating to better flower differentiation. This makes BROTOMAX® the perfect product to apply in autumn to lower-yield citrus varieties to ensure better spring flowering, and as such better fruit set and fruit growth.

It has been demonstrated that BROTOMAX®, when applied at the time recommended time to stimulate growth, affecting the last budding of citrus plants in autumn, has a triple effect on flowering and budding the following year:

Imagen 1. Flor campanera

• 1. Increase in the number of buds with ‘flor campanera’ (see image 1), a single flower surrounded by a large number of leaves. This is the most desirable type of floral budding in citrus plants, given that it leads to better fruit set and subsequent fruit growth. As well as an increase in buds with flor campanera, it was observed that BROTOMAX® does not have a significant effect on the number of mixed buds, the second type of floral budding which is also of interest from a perspective of the development of fruit produced.
• 2. The development of new vegetative buds in the following spring’s budding, also contributing to an increase in leaf to flower ratio.
• 3. A reduction in the number of multi-flower (flower clusters) and mono-flower (single flower) buds without leaves (see image 2). These buds, with a low leaf to flower ratio, are the least productive, producing low-quality fruits with a low capacity to develop.

Image 2. Flower cluster (left) and single flower (right)

These results have been shown in a study carried out by a group of researchers at the IRTA (Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture). The results following a single foliar application of BROTOMAX® at 0.5%, on ‘Nave Late’ oranges are shown in table 1 below.

TABLE 1.

To summarise, a single application of BROTOMAX® in autumn leads to better control (more qualitative than quantitative) of budding and flowering the following year through a redistribution of types of budding to a ‘flor campanera’, reducing the number of mono- and multi-flower buds with poorer fruit development, and increasing the number of new plant buds and the leaf to flower ratio.