Flower Thinning Improves Fruit Quality and Oil Composition in Camellia oleifera Abel

Camellia oleifera is a woody oil tree with overlapping flower bud differentiation and fruit maturation. Therefore, mechanical harvesting of fruits leads to abscission. The present study investigated the effects number per on growth, yield, nutrient accumulation, fatty acid composition in C. oleifera. Here, we set different numbers by thinning flowers. Heavy (T2 T3) significantly reduced yield proportion palmitic, palmitoleic, linoleic, linolenic acids compared other treatments. However, heavy favored an increase size weight, seed dry kernel rate fresh fruit, soluble protein accumulation seeds, oleic stearic acids, it had no significant effect light (T1) control (T0). T2 T3 decreased sugar content kernels at later stage development (260–320 days after full bloom (DAFB)) contrast rapid growth period (200–230 DAFB). As crop load decreased, ABA increased continuously during 260–320 DAFB, while IAA 260–300 DAFB then 310–320 DAFB. These data suggest that abscission few flowers will not affect production efficiency