Some factors influencing flowering and fruit-set of clementine mandarin

A four-year research study conducted in center Sardinia on clementine
mandarin has evidenced that flowering and subsequent fruit-set can be
affected by several factors, i.e., growth substances, light intensity and temperature
before flowering. Particularly it has been shown that gibberellic
acid sprayed during flower differentiation reduced the number of flowers/
square meter of canopy,but increased the number of leafy inflorescences
and the fruit-set percentage. Alar sprayed in the same conditions increased
the number of flower/square meter and reduced the number of leafy inflorescences
and the fruit-set percentage. Low light intensity obtained by
shading trees with large cages covered with nets of black nylon decreased
the number of flowers and leafy inflorescences, but no clear effects were
found on the fruit-set percentage. Warm temperatures before flowering
increased the number of flowers/square meter, but decreased the fruit-set
percentage.