Pollination and Fruit Set of ‘Magness’ Pear

Abstract

'Magness', a new pear cultivar, was planted to considerable acreage soon after its introduction in 1960 (1). This cultivar is moderately resistant to fire blight ( Erwinia amylovora) and the fruit has excellent quality. However, the commercial value of this cultivar is questionable because of low yields, which in some years are too small to warrant commercial harvest (2). On the other hand, some 'Magness' trees consistently produce good crops. In Texas, Stump (5) obtained high yields by hand pollinating flowers in 4-year-old trees. In 1971, moderate crops were observed in large 'Magness' orchards in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. On several trees in one orchards, limbs had been broken by an extremely heavy crop.