Reproductive Behaviour of Hanita Variety at Different Habitats under Drought Conditions

Abstract

Hanita plum variety has been grown and tested in region of Troyan for more than 10 years. It is distinguished with high makings of fruits. In the years with enough rainfalls, evenly distributed, and during the vegetation, fruits were with high quality, large weight – 31.8 g and an attractive appearance, and the yields were high. The reproductive characteristics of plum variety Hanita, grown in two different areas, were studied for the weather conditions in 2012, characterized by drought for any length of time in the summer months. In the first region, facing eastward and being with lower altitude, the damages to the variety of the drought were significant. A large amount of the fruits – 20% were dry. Suitable for harvesting, although with a very small weight (13 – 17 g) were only 30% of fruits. For some trees drying of the branches was observed. For the second growing region, at the foot of the Balkan, dry fruits were not reported. Fruits were with weight 18.9 g, significantly smaller than the typical large size of the variety but all were with sufficient quality for harvesting.