Published 2011-12-01
Keywords
- Punica granatum,
- ‘Azadi’,
- ‘Afganski’,
- pomegranate cuttings,
- pomegranate herbicide tolerance
Abstract
The pomegranate is being explored as a species for commercial and homeowner uses in Florida. A collection of ≈75 accessions has been assembled. From those selections ≈3500 plants have been propagated in a commercial nursery and
are being distributed to grower–cooperators and nurseries for evaluation. Two foundation trials have been established in central Florida, one at the University of Florida, IFAS, Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), Lake Alfred
and another at Water Conserv II, Winter Garden. The initial effort showed that all the pomegranate selections were easy to propagate and in the field, nursery plants in 1-gal containers grown on a citrus-based irrigation and nutritional
program reached heights of 4 to 5 ft in 1 year with a healthy appearance. The plants at Water Conserv fruited after 1 year with many selections producing 15 to 35 fruit. Cercospora leaf spot caused some leaf drop and other unknown
pests and/or diseases affected fruit development. An herbicide study using containerized ‘Parfyanka’ plants grown in sand soil showed unacceptable phytotoxicity to label rate applications of indaziflam, diuron, and norflurazon, but the injury from pendimethalin and simazine was ≤10%.