Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Effects of self-incompatibility control substance and blossom thinner on fruit set and quality of apple (Malus domestica)
Tae Kwon SON¹, Jung Hee KIM², Cyren RICO¹, Sang Chul LEE³, Il Kyung CHUNG²
¹R&D Center, ISTECH, Inc., 408 CU Techno Center, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk,
712-702, KOREA
²Department of Biotechnology, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, 712-702, KOREA
³School of Applied Plant Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, 712-702, KOREA

Abstract: Effects of calcium nitrate (CN) and sodium sulfate (SS) blossom thinning agents applied after self-incompatibility control substance (SICS) treatment on the fruit set rate and quality of apple were investigated for 2 cropping seasons. CN and SS at 0.1% and 0.2% concentrations were applied once (3 or 4 days after SICS treatment) or twice (3 and 5 or 4 and 6 days after SICS treatment). Commercial Japanese flower thinning agent (FTA: Ekoruki) treated and untreated apple trees were used as treated and untreated controls. SICS was sprayed 7 days before full bloom. Both agents showed a fertilizing effect in 'Hongno', improving its fruit yield and quality. SS obtained 29.8% and 36.3% thinning rates in the central floret of 'Fuji'. Both CN and SS were effective in 'Gala', which induced a lower fruit set than SICS treated plants. Earlier and double applications of CN and SS at 0.2% concentration resulted in a higher thinning rate and improved fruit quality in 'Gala'. Results also showed similar thinning efficacies in Ekoruki, CN, and SS.

Key words: Blossom thinning, fruit set, self-incompatibility

Turk. J. Agric. For., 34, (2010), 207-212.
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Other articles published in the same issue: Turk. J. Agric. For.,vol.34,iss.3.