Thesis (MScAgric)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Excessive shoot growth of fruit trees may have various negative effects. These include a
decrease in fruit set, fruit size, red colour and in return bloom. Cultural practices that are
currently in use, such as the use of dwarfing rootstocks, girdling and pruning do not always
give sufficient shoot growth control. The use of plant growth retardants, in combination with
these cultural practices, offer additional possibilities. Trials were conducted to evaluate the
effect of the new plant growth retardant prohexadione-calcium (P-Ca) on apple, pear and
plum shoot growth. In addition, the effect of P-Ca on fruit set, fruit size, yield, fruit quality
and return bloom were also evaluated.
During the 1999/2000 season P-Ca was applied to full bearing twelfth leaf 'Golden Delicious'
trees on M793 rootstock, twenty-sixth leaf 'Granny Smith' trees on seedling rootstock, ninth
leaf 'Royal Gala' trees on M793 rootstock, seventh leaf 'Rosemarie' trees on seedling
rootstock and eighth leaf 'Songold' trees on 'Marianna' rootstock in the Villiersdorp area in
the Western Cape (33°59' S, 19°17' E; ca. 365 m a.s.l.; Mediterranean climate). P-Ca was
applied at concentrations of 3 x 50, 4 x 50 and 3 x 67 mg.l' to the apple trees. The first
application was at petal drop with no surfactant added with any of the treatments. P-Ca was
applied at concentrations of2 x 62.5,125,250 and 2 x 125 mg.l" to the pear and plum trees.
The first application was at petal drop and pit-hardening for the pear and plum trees
respectively. Agral-90 was used as surfactant only with the first spray applied to the pear
trees. During the 2000/2001 season the same 'Golden Delicious' and 'Royal Gala' trees were
used as in the 1999/2000 season. Thirteenth leaf 'Granny Smith' trees on M793 rootstock in
the Villiersdorp area were used. Sixth leaf 'Rosemarie' trees on BP3 rootstock, fifth leaf
'Golden Russet Bose' trees on BP3 rootstock, seventh leaf 'Forelle' trees on BP3 rootstock
and 16th leaf 'Packham's Triumph' trees on seedling rootstock in the Wolseley area in the
Western Cape were used. P-Ca was again applied at concentrations of 3 x 50,4 x 50 and 3 x
67 mg.l' to the apple trees. The first application in the 'Golden Delicious' and 'Granny
Smith' trees was at full bloom and at petal drop in the 'Royal Gala' trees. The last application
was at 45 days before harvest. No surfactant was added with any of the sprays. P-Ca was
applied at concentrations of 50, 75, 150, 2 x 50,2 x 75 and 3 x 50 mg.l" to the pear trees with
the first spray when 4 to 5 leaves were unfolded and the last one 45 days before harvest.
Agral-90 was added as surfactant with all the pear sprays. The pear trial also included a
girdling treatment. P-Ca effectively inhibited shoot growth of all three apple cultivars in both seasons. Regrowth
occurred in both seasons in all the cultivars, therefore it is not clear which treatment(s)
is optimal for reducing shoot growth. P-Ca increased fruit size in 'Royal Gala' in the
1999/2000 season and decreased yield expressed as kg fruit harvested 1 em trunk
circumference in 'Golden Delicious' in the 2000/2001 season. This reduction in yield can be
attributed to the low number of flower clusters in the spring of 2000 following P-Ca treatment
in 1999. P-Ca decreased the number of developed seeds in 'Royal Gala' in both seasons and
increased the number of seeds with aborted embrios in the 200012001 season. After four
weeks of cold storage (± 5°C) and one week at room temperature (± 20°C), P-Ca had no effect
on the occurrence of bitter pit in 'Golden Delicious'. The 'Granny Smith' trees were
harvested before fruit analysis could be done in the 2000/2001 season.
In pear, girdling was not effective in inhibiting shoot growth in any of the cultivars, but P-Ca
proved to be an effective inhibitor of shoot growth of 'Rosemarie' and 'Golden Russet Bose',
and to a lesser degree 'Packham's Triumph', but not 'Forelle'. Despite the re-growth that
occurred ca. four weeks after harvest in 'Rosemarie' in the 2000/20001 season, it appears that
a single high rate (250 and 150 mg.l' for the 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 seasons respectively)
P-Ca application is more effective than a single low rate or multiple low rates in inhibiting
shoot growth. In the 200012001 season P-Ca increased fruit set in 'Rosemarie' and 'Forelle'.
In both seasons P-Ca reduced 'Rosemarie' fruit size while girdling increased 'Forelle' and
'Packham's Triumph' fruit size in 2000/2001. P-Ca increased 'Rosemarie' fruit firmness and
'Forelle' fruit colour in the 2000/2001 season and decreased the percentage of 'Packham's
Triumph' fruit with cork spot. Girdling increased 'Packham's Triumph' fruit colour and TSS
concentration while decreasing fruit firmness in 2000/2001. P-Ca reduced return bloom in
'Forelle' and 'Packham's Triumph' in 2001, while girdling increased 'Golden Russet Bose'
and 'Forelle' return bloom. Due to poor flowering and thus low fruit number in 'Golden
Russet Bose', fruit set in 2000 could not be determined and no fruit analysis could be done.
In 'Songold' all four P-Ca treatments inhibited shoot growth, but the 2 x 125 mg.l' treatment
were the most effective, both in terms of total shoot growth and in reduction of the re-growth
that occurred ca. two weeks before the first commercial harvest date. P-Ca increased fruit
firmness and decreased TSS concentration both at harvest and after four weeks of cold storage
at dual temperature (10 days at -O.soC + 18 days at 7.S°C). In conclusion P-Ca is an effective inhibitor of shoot growth of the apples 'Golden Delicious',
'Granny Smith' and 'Royal Gala', the pears 'Rosemarie', 'Golden Russet Bose' and
'Packham's Triumph' and the plum 'Songold', but more work is needed to control re-growth. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oormatige lootgroei van vrugtebome kan verskeie negatiewe effekte tot gevolg he,
insluitende 'n afname in vrugset, vruggrootte, rooi kleur en 'n verlaging in die
daaropvolgende jaar se blom. Boordpraktyke soos die gebruik van dwergende onderstamme,
ringelering en snoei, beheer nie altyd lootgroei doeltreffend nie. Die gebruik van
groeireguleerders, in kombinasie met hierdie boordpraktyke, bied bykomende geleenthede.
Proewe is uitgevoer om die effek van die nuwe groeireguleerder proheksadioon-kalsium (PCa)
op appel, peer en pruim lootgroei te evalueer. Die effek van P-Ca op vrugset,
vruggrootte, opbrengs, vrugkwalitiet en die daaropvolgende jaar se blom is ook geevalueer.
Gedurende die 1999/2000 seisoen is P-Ca toegedien aan voldraende twaalfde blad 'Golden
Delicious' bome op M793 onderstamme, ses-en-twintigste blad 'Granny Smith' bome op
saailing onderstamme, negende blad 'Royal Gala' bome op M793 onderstamme, sewende
blad 'Rosemarie' bome op saailing onderstamme en agste blad 'Songold' bome op
'Marianna' onderstamme in die Villiersdorp area in die Wes Kaap (33°25' S, 19°12' 0;
ligging ong. 270 m.; Meditereense klimaat). P-Ca is aan die appelbome toegedien teen
konsentrasies van 3 x 50, 4 x 50 en 3 x 67 mg.l' met die eerste toediening by blomblaarval.
Geen benatter is by enige van die toedienings gevoeg nie. P-Ca is aan die peer- en
pruimbome toegedien teen konsentrasies van 2 x 62.5, 125, 250 en 2 x 125 mg.l' met die
eerste toediening by blomblaarval en pitverharding vir onderskeidelik die peer- en
pruimbome. Agral-90 is as benatter gebruik slegs saam met die eerste toediening op die
peerbome. Tydens die 2000/2001 seisoen is dieselfde 'Golden Delicious' en 'Royal Gala'
bome gebruik as in die 1999/2000 seisoen. Derde blad 'Granny Smith' bome op M793
onderstamme in die Villiersdorp area is gebruik. Sesde blad 'Rosemarie' bome op BP3
onderstamme, vyfde blad 'Golden Russet Bose' bome op BPI onderstamme, sewende blad
'Forelle' bome op BP3 onderstamme en sestiende blad 'Packham's Triumph' bome op
saailing onderstamme in die Wolseley area in die Wes Kaap is gebruik. P-Ca is weereens aan
die appelbome toegedien teen konsentrasies van 3 x 50, 4 x 50 en 3 x 67 mg.l". Die eerste
toediening aan die 'Golden Delicious' en 'Granny Smith' bome was by volblom en die eerste toediening aan die 'Royal Gala' bome by blomblaarval. Die laaste toediening is 45 dae voor
oes gedoen. Geen benatter is met enige van die toedienings bygevoeg nie. P-Ca is aan die
peerbome toegedien teen konsentrasies van 50, 75, 150,2 x 50, 2 x 75 en 3 x 50 mg.l' met
die eerste toediening toe vier tot vyf blare ontvou was en die laaste een 45 dae voor oes.
Agral-90 is as benatter gebruik met al die peer bespuitings. By die peer proef is ook 'n
ringeleer behandeling ingesluit.
In beide seisoene het P-Ca die lootgroei van al drie appel kultivars verminder. Hergroei het in
beide seisoene in al drie kultivars plaasgevind. Dit is dus onduidelik watter behandeling(s)
optimaal is vir lootgroei beheer. In die 1999/2000 seisoen het P-Ca 'Royal Gala' vruggrootte
verbeter. In die 2000/2001 seisoen is 'Golden Delicious' opbrengs, uitgedruk as kg vrugte
geoes / cm stamomtrek, verlaag. Hierdie verlaging in opbrengs kan toegeskryf word aan die
lae blom aantal in die lente van 2000 wat gevolg het op die P-Ca behandeling in 1999. In
beide seisoene het P-Ca die aantal ontwikkelde sade in 'Royal Gala' verminder terwyl die
aantal sade met geaborteerde embrios verhoog is in die 2000/2001 seisoen. Na vier weke
koelopberging (± 5°C) en een week by kamertemperatuur (± 20°C) het P-Ca geen effek op die
voorkoms van bitterpit in 'Golden Delicious' gehad nie. Die 'Granny Smith' bome is in die
2000/2001 seisoen geoes voordat enige data ingesamel kon word.
Ringelering het geen effek op lootgroei gehad in enige van die peer kultivars nie, maar P-Ca
het lootgroei effektief beheer in 'Rosemarie' en 'Golden Russet Bose' en tot 'n mindere mate
'Packham's Triumph', maar het geen effek op 'Forelle' lootgroei gehad nie. Ten spyte van
die hergroei wat voorgekom het in die 'Rosemarie' bome ongeveer vier weke na oes in die
2000/2001 seisoen, wil dit voorkom asof P-Ca toegedien teen 'n enkele hoe konsentrasie (250
en 150 mg.l' vir die 1999/2000 en 2000/2001 seisoene onderskeidelik) meer effektief was om
lootgroei te beheer as 'n enkele lae konsentrasie of veelvuldige lae konsentrasies. P-Ca het
vrugset in 'Rosemarie' en 'Forelle' verhoog in die 2000/2001 seisoen. In beide seisoene het
P-Ca 'Rosemarie' vruggrootte verlaag terwyl ringelering 'Forelle' en 'Packham's Triumph'
vruggrootte verbeter het in die 2000/2001 seisoen. P-Ca het 'Rosemarie' vrugfermheid en
'Forelle' vrugkleur verhoog in die 2000/2001 seisoen en die aantal 'Packham's Triumph'
vrugte met kurkvlek verlaag. Ringelering het 'Packham's Triumph' vrugkleur en TSSkonsentrasie
verhoog, maar vrugfermheid verlaag in die 2000/2001 seisoen. P-Ca het die
aantal blomme in 'Forelle' en 'Packham's Triumph' verlaag in 2001, terwyl ringelering blom
in 'Golden Russet Bosc' en 'Forelle' verhoog het. As gevolg van 'n lae blom- en dus vruggetal in 'Golden Russet Bosc' kon vrugset In 2000 nie bepaal word nie en geen
vrugontledings kon gedoen word nie.
Al vier P-Ca behandelings het lootgroei in 'Songold' beheer, maar die 2 x 12S mg.l'
toediening was die effektiefste, beide in terme van totale lootgroei en in beheer van die
hergroei wat ongeveer twee weke voor die eerste kommersieele oesdatum plaasgevind het. PCa
het vrugfermheid verhoog en die TSS-konsentrasie verlaag, beide tydens oes en na vier
weke koelopberging by dubbel temperatuur (10 dae by -O.soC + 18 dae by 7.S0C).
Om saam te vat kan gese word dat P-Ca 'n effektiewe inhibeerder van lootgroei van die
appels 'Golden Delicious', 'Granny Smith' en 'Royal Gala', die pere 'Rosemarie', 'Golden
Russet Bosc' en 'Packham's Triumph' en die pruim 'Songold' is. Meer werk is egter nodig
om die hergroei te beheer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53054 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Smit, Mariska |
| Contributors | Theron, K. I., Jacobs, G., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Horticultural Science . |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 114 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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