The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitors on shoot growth above the panicle, as well as on fruit yield, size, and shape of nonirrigated 'Hass' avocado (Persea americana) trees. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, with five treatments, four replicates, and 40 trees. From 2013 to 2015, the following treatments were applied at full bloom, as foliar sprayings: water (control), 250 mg L-1 prohexadione-calcium, 2,500 mg L-1 trinexapac-ethyl, 1,750 mg L-1 paclobutrazol, and 350 mg L-1 uniconazole; the first two are acylcyclohexanediones and the last two, triazoles. Fruit yield, yield efficiency, and alternate bearing were not affected by the application of plant growth regulators. However, the gibberellin inhibitors increased fruit size and modified the fruit shape of nonirrigated 'Hass' avocado. Uniconazole reduces shoot growth above the panicle, and this effect may vary depending on environmental conditions, especially water supply.

Climate is a limiting factor for cultivating blueberries in new areas in Brazil, being the commercial production restricted only to the colder and high-altitude regions of the southern states. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of low-chill requirement 'Emerald' and 'Jewel' blueberry cultivars. For that, the stages of vegetative growth, sprouting, flowering fruiting and yield were assessed. The 'Emerald' cultivar has two peaks for both flowering and fruiting, with the main harvest period occurring between August and October, while the 'Jewel' cultivar shows two peaks for budding, but only one flowering peak and only one harvest, which extends from October through January. For both cultivars, the production occurs during the off-season of the internal and external markets, resulting in higher fruit prices. Growing both cultivars is feasible in a subtropical region with no-chill incidence, thus demonstrating that these cultivars have much lower chill requirements than those referred to in the literature, and favoring, this way, the fresh fruit production during the off-season of the main producing countries in the northern hemisphere.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplemental irrigation, during winter dry season, on the water status and productivity of 'Hass' avocado (Persea Americana) trees. The experiment was carried out on a clayey Oxisol from 2014 to 2016, when extreme climatic events were recorded in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The rainfed regime was compared with two irrigation regimes, applied during the whole and half of the irrigation run time defined by the grower, corresponding to 5,091 and 2,545 m3 ha-1 water, respectively. The following variables were evaluated: soil water tension; leaf water potential, color, and chlorophyll content; leaf and fruit abscission rates; tree size; and fruit size and yield. Supplemental irrigation applied during half of the run time increased fruit yield by 18.2%. However, irrigation applied during a fixed-time period and the occurrence of unusual rainfall spells caused soil water logging, negatively affecting tree growth and water status.