Effect On Fruiting Conditions And Nut Quality From Variety Configuration

Castanea mollissima earned a great reputation in the international arena due to its rich nutrient and unique flavor. As the large-scale cultivation of the same species high empty shell rate and low seed-setting rate increasingly appeared, which decreased the yield greatly. In this experiment, Yan mountain chestnut Castanea mollissima cv.’Yanhong’,’Zunyu’,’Zipo’,’Donglingmingzhu"Duanci’ were choose as materials for the study to find out effect on fruiting conditions and nut quality from variety configuration. The last purpose of the present study is to provide a theoretical basis for scientific combination of the pollination varieties for new chestnut orchard. The results are as follows:1.Although seed-setting rate of self-pollination combinations differs not so significantly with cross-pollination combinations, their fruiting rate was much lower than that of cross-pollination tree. Fruiting rate of5self-pollination combinations are respectively23.3%、26.5%、44.5%、27.3%and19.0%, only30.0%、30.0%、46.0%、28.8%and19.6%of the corresponding cross-palliation combinations. Cross-pollinations improved yield of self-pollination combinations evidently, in which ’Zunyu’ improved the yield of ’Yanhong’ most;’Donglingmingzhu’ was regarded as the best tree to improve ’Zunyu"s yield; the best variety to improve yield of ’Zipo’ was ’Zunyu’;’Donglingmingzhu’ and ’Duanci’ improved each other most. The variety which promoted yield of’Yanhong’,’Zunyu’,’Zipo’,’Donglingmingzhu’ and ’Duanci’ most was not necessarily the variety which improved its fruiting rate and seed-setting rate most, because yield was decided not only by fruiting rate, seed-setting rate, but also by nut number per burr and nut weight.2. Pollen vigor and stigma receptivity were significantly affected by flowering periods, as a result, flowers periods affected seed-setting rate a lot. Considerring configuration condition,’Donglingmingzhu’was the best pollination tree for ’Yanhong’ and ’Zipo’;’Zipo’ and ’Donglingmingzhu’was regarded as the best pollination tree for ’Zunyu’; the best variety to comply with’Donglingmingzhu’was’Duanci’; the best variety to comply with.’Duanci’was’Zunyu’.3. The nut size, content of soluble sugar, protein and starch were greatly decreased after cross-pollination, meanwhile, moisture content was significantly increased. It is probably because cross-pollination increased fruiting rate and seed-setting rate of those trees; however, more fruits share the same water and fertilizer conditions as before. As a result, nut size, content of soluble sugar, protein and starch were greatly decreased and moisture content was significantly increased. So, yield of those trees would be evidently increased if the level of water and fertilizer management could be enhanced.4.It proved to be that the pollen morphology has no significant effect on nut size.