Pollination management in apple for sustainable production

In the study eight pollinizer cultivars were tested on main cultivar Red Delicious. Studies on flowering, pollen viability, pollination, and fruit set of the pollinizers and main cultivar Red Delicious In different apple pollinizers and main cultivar, the flower bud initiation were started on 22^nd March and 20^th March, respectively. The mean bloom density varied from 37.97% (Golden Spur) to 83.34% (Snowdrift). All the pollinizers and main cultivar (Red Delicious) produced higher viable pollen (88.10% to 95.46%), showing good germination percentage (74.95% to 93.85%) in 10% sucrose solution. Under all pollination methods the all crabs and Summer Queen exhibited excellent fruit set to Red Delicious. The bouquet placement proved effective (20.3% to 104.72%) against hand pollination (14.3% to 57.81%) and open pollination (14.68%). In case of top working all crabs and Summer Queen resulted into bloom in the same flowering season (2002), soon after top working. Therefore, all crabs as well as Summer Queen can be recommended to apple Cv. Red Delicious as a pollinizer for improving the fruit set and subsequent yield.