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The basic conditions of fruit set (synchronic bloom, transfer of pollen, etc.) still do decide definitely the fate of the flower (Cano-Medrano & Darnell, 1998) in spite of the best weather conditions (Stösser, 2002). Beyond a set quantity of fruits, the tree is unable to bring up larger load. A system of autoregulation works in the background and causes the drop of a fraction of fruits in spite of the accomplished fertilisation and the equality of physiological precedents (Soltész, 1997). There are also basically genetic agents in action. The further development of fruits maintained on the tree depends mainly on the growing conditions (e.g. water, supply of nutrients, weather adversities, pruning, fruit thinning, biotic damages, etc.), which may cause on their own turn fruit drop especially at the time of approaching maturity.

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PHenologicAl evAluAtion of different fruiting HAbits of 'gAlA' And 'fuJi' APPles in tHe soutHern brAZilAbstrAct -Apple shows two distinct phases that characterizes its annual cycle: dormancy and vegetative/ reproductive growth. The importance of knowing the influence of climate conditions on tree reproductive processes and furthermore, developing technologies that minimize the future effects increases upon the global warming predictions becomes concerning. The goal of this study was to characterize the behavior of the main phenological events of apple, from bud break to harvest, on different fruiting habits under the subtropical climatic conditions of the South of Brazil. The experiments were carried out on nine year old 'Gala' and 'Fuji' apples in the Experimental Station of EPAGRI (Brazil -26°50'S, 50°58'W, altitude 950m) during two different growing seasons, 2011/12 and 2013/14. Date and days after dormancy breaking treatment and heat requirements of the main phenological stages from bud break to harvest were evaluated. Evaluations were performed on each fruiting habit: spur buds, terminal and axillary buds on long shoots. Differences found on the onset of bud break and flowering among fruiting habits greatly depended on climate conditions of the particular year. High temperatures conditions after the dormancy breaking treatment induced to a phenological synchrony among fruiting habits, and vice versa. From dormancy breaking treatment, spur buds, especially 'Gala' buds, required less heat accumulation to bud break. Terminal buds of long shoots required higher amount of heat than spur buds to start flowering. index terms: Malus domestica Borkh., degree-days, bud break, flowering.