Abstract
During two consecutive years (2010 and 2011) we evaluated the impact of Progerbalin LG® (mixture of gibberellins (GA4+7) and N 6-benzyladenine) on fruit weight, fruit dimensions, elongation, geometric mean diameter or fruit size, aspect ratio, surface area and fruit volume of five apple cultivars belonging to ‘Red Delicious’ group (‘Hapke’ grafted on M.9 and M.26, ‘Hi Red’, ‘Starking’ and ‘Top Red’ on M.9, and ‘Red Chief Camspur’ on MM.106 rootstock). Trees were sprayed twice with 30, 50 or 100 ml L−1 i.e. between 80 % of open flowers and the following petal fall (first treatment), and 10 days after first application (second treatment); control trees were not sprayed. Results showed that the lowest dose increased fruit weight in all cultivars, except ‘Top Red’ and ‘Red Chief Camspur’; this dose promoted fruit dimensions, fruit size and elongation in ‘Hapke’ on both rootstocks, and also fruit dimensions, surface area and fruit volume in ‘Hi Red’. Regarding ‘Starking’, different doses of Progerbalin LG® did not affect other properties evaluated, but season played an important role in these cases. In contrast, the highest dose of this hormone improved all physical attributes in ‘Top Red’ and ‘Red Chief Camspur’, except elongation and/or aspect ratio. In some cases, good values were found in control treatment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altuntaş E, Özgöz E, Taser ÖF (2005) Some physical properties of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum L.) seeds. J Food Eng 71:37–43
Arteca RN (1996) Plant growth substances: principles and applications. Chapman and Hall, New York, p 332
Bregoli AM, Fabbroni C, Raimondi V, Brunner P, Costa G (2007) 6-BA and NAA effect on ‘Galaxy’ fruit growth, abscission and quality: a comparison between the Po Valley and the South Tyrol producing areas. Plant Growth Reg 49:97–100
Bukovac MJ, Sabbatini P, Schwallier PG, Schroeder M (2008) Characterizing the interaction between NAA and BA on apple fruit abscission and development. HortScience 43:1794–1801
Carlson RD, Crovetti AJ (1988) Comercial use of Ga and cytokinins and new areas of applied research. In: Pharis RP, Roods SB (eds) Plant growth substances. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 605–610
Curry AE, Williams MW (1983) Promalin or GA3 increase pedicel and fruit length and leaf size of delicious apples treated with paclobutrazol. HortScience 18:214–215
Davidson JH, Hammer OH, Reimer CA, Dutton WC (1945) Thinning apples with the sodium salt of naphthylacetic acid. Mich Agr Expt Quart Bul 27:352–356
Dorigoni A (2004) Apple fruit thinning, alternative in northern Italy. Comp Fruit Tree 37:26–29
Eccher T (1986) Russeting and shape of ‘Golden Delicious’ apples as related to endogenous GA content of fruitlets. Acta Hortic 179:767–770
Emongor VE, Murr DP (2001) Effect of benzyladenine on fruit set, quality and vegetative growth of empire apples. E Afr Agric For J 67:83–91
FAOSTAT (2013) Available at: http://faostat.fao.org. Accessed 15 Feb 2013
Greene DW (1995) Thidiazuron effects on fruit set, fruit quality, and return bloom of apples. HortScience 30:1238–1240
Greene DW (2002) Development of new plant growth regulators from a University perspective. HortTechnology 12:71–74
Greene DW, Autio WR (1989) Evaluation of benzyladenine as a chemical thinner on ‘McIntosh’ apples. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 114:68–73
Greenhalgh WJ, Godley GL, Menzies R (1977) Studies of fruit shape in apples: response to gibberellin and cytokinin sprays. Aust J Expt Agr Anim Husb 17:505–509
Halapija-Kazija D, Milinović T, Jelačić T, Čiček D, Vujević P (2012) Pomological characteristics of four Red Delicious clones. In: 47th Croatian and 7th International Symposium on Agriculture, February 13–17, 2012, Opatija, Croatia, p 248
Harada T, Kurahashi W, Yanai M, Wakasa Y, Satoh T (2005) Involvement of cell proliferation and cell enlargement in increasing the fruit size of Malus species. Sci Hortic 105:447–456
Jain RK, Bal S (1997) Physical properties of pearl millet. J Agric Eng Res 66:85–91
Koukourikou-Petridou MA, Voyiatzis DG, Stylianidis DK, Sotiropoulos TE, Therios IN (2007) Effects of some growth regulators on pre- and after-storage quality of ‘Red Chief Delicious’ apples. Europ J Hort Sci 72:8–11
Kumar J, Rana SS, Verma HS, Jindal KK (2003) Effect of promalin on fruit shape, set, yield and quality of apple cv. starking delicious. Indian J Hortic 60:143–146
Lakso AN, Grappadelli LC, Barnard J, Goffinet MC (1995) An expolinear model of the growth pattern of apple fruit. J Hortic Sci 70:389–394
Letham DS (1958) Cultivation of apple fruit tissue in vivo. Nature 182:473–479
Looney NE, Granger RL, Chu CL, Mander LN, Pharis RP (1992) Influences of gibberellins A4, A4+7 and A4 + iso-A7 on apple fruit quality and tree productivity. II. Other effects on fruit quality and importance of fruit position within the tree canopy. J Hortic Sci 67:841–847
Luckwill LC, Lloyd-Jones CP (1962) The absorption, translocation and metabolism of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid applied to apple leaves. J Hortic Sci 37:190–206
Malladi A, Hirst PM (2010) Increase in fruit size of a spontaneous mutant of ‘Gala’ apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is facilitated by altered cell production and enhanced cell size. J Exp Bot 61:3003–3013
Marini RP (1996) Chemically thinning spur ‘Delicious’ apples with carbaryl, NAA, and ethephon at various stages of fruit development. HortTechnology 6:241–246
McCabe WL, Smith JC, Harriott P (1986) Unit operations of chemical engineering. McGraw-Hill, New York
Milosevic T, Milosevic N (2009) The effect of zeolite, organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil chemical properties, growth and biomass yield of apple trees. Plant Soil Environ 55:528–535
Mohsenin NN (1980) Physical properties of plant and animal materials. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers Inc., New York, pp 51–87
Rom CR (1996) Environmental factors regulating growth: light, temperature, water, nutrition. In: Maib KM, Andrews PK, Lang GA, Mullinix K (eds) Tree fruit physiology: growth and development. Good Fruit Grower, Washington
Ryugo K (1988) Fruit culture: its science and art. Wiley, New York, p 344
Sánchez E, Soto JM, Uvalle JX, Hernández AP, Ruiz JM, Romero L (2001) Chemical treatments in ‘Golden Delicious Spur’ fruits in relation to russeting and nutritional status. J Plant Nutr 24:191–202
Stern A, Flaishman MA (2004) Synthetic cytokinins increase fruit size of royal gala (Malus domestica) apple in Israel. Acta Hortic 636:557–563
Unrath CR (1974) The commercial implications of gibberellin A4A7 plus benzyladenine for improving shape and yield of ‘Delicious’ apples. J Amer Soc Hort Sci 99:381–384
Wertheim SJ (2000) Developments in the chemical thinning of apple and pear. Plant Growth Reg 31:85–100
Westwood MN, Batjer LP (1960) Effects of the environment and chemical additives on absorption of naphthaleneacetic acid by apple leaves. Proc Am Soc Hort Sci 76:16–29
Williams MW (1979) Chemical thinning of apples. Hortic Rev 1:270–300
Williams MW, Letham DS (1969) Effect of gibberellins and cytokinins on development of parthenocarpic apples. Hortic Sci 43:215–216
Acknowledgments
This study is part of the project TR–31064 financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. Special thanks to Ms. Aleksandra Milošević for technical assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Milošević, N., Milošević, T. & Lukić, M. Impact of Progerbalin LG® on the apple fruit physical attributes. Plant Growth Regul 72, 105–112 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-013-9841-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-013-9841-4