Fruit-Setting of Apples using Gibberellic Acid

Abstract

ATTEMPTS in the past to produce parthenocarpic development of pome fruits with growth substances have had only very limited success^1,2. Because of a greater natural tendency towards parthenocarpy, experiments with pears have been much more successful than with apples. Luckwill³, however, recently reported that gibberellic acid sprays caused the initial development of seedless fruitlets on several apple varieties, although with only one, Miller's Seedling, did treated parthenocarpic fruits reach maturity. In experiments at this Division during the 1959–60 season, gibberellic acid, applied as a 1 per cent lanolin paste, has produced mature seedless fruits on four apple varieties—Sturmer, Cox's Orange and two cider varieties, Strawberry Norman and Red Jersey.