Floral Bud Development of Cherry Laurel (Laurocerasus Officinalis Roemer) in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye

Abstract

Floral bud development of horticultural plants is necessary for reproduction development and is critical for controlling crop production. The period from flower bud differentiation to flowering constitutes an extensive period of reproductive development. In this study, the floral development stages of the cherry laurel genotypes were determined in 2015-2017. Buds and flowers of the trees belonging to the 08-02, 28-04, 52-08, 52-12, 52-17, 52-18, 52-20, 53-05, 54-03, and 55-04 genotypes were used for the experiment. In these 10 genotypes, floral development was divided into seven phases by using microscopic examination. The Stage I floral differentiation began in the first half of July. The dates of Stage I differed between genotypes and years. The period between floral differentiation and blooming was 245 days for genotype 55-04 and 268 days for genotype 08-02. Analyzing the cherry laurel tree's floral bud development from summer to spring is vital because flower formation is strictly correlated with flowering in late spring. A clear understanding of cherry laurel flower development would allow orchard management practices to be optimized for stable annual production.