Manipulation of fruit set and stylar-end fruit split in 'Nova' mandarin hybrid

'Nova' mandarin hybrid is prone to stylar-end fruit splitting when produced in solid, isolated blocks. In addition, self-incompatibility and weak parthenocarpy result in poor fruit set. Calcium nitrate application during flowering reduced fruit split, while girdling using a Spanish girdling tool increased fruit set dramatically. A strategy to increase export packout is presented. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.