Volume 51 Number 2 Article 23
Year 1997 Month 4
Title: Fruit Set of Eight Rabbiteye Blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) Cultivars in Response to Gibberellic Acid Application
Authors: D.S. NeSmith and G. Krewer
Abstract:
Eight rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cultivars were treated with gibberellic acid (GA3)
under greenhouse conditions to determine the growth regulators effectiveness in inducing parthenocarpic
fruit set.
Cultivars were 'Baldwin', 'Bluebelle', 'Briteblue', 'Brightwell', 'Climax', 'Premier', 'Tifblue', and
'Woodard'. All cultivars had less than 10% fruit set in the absence of pollination or GA3. Fruit set of most
cultivars was increased to 25% or more by a single application of 250 mg/L GA3 applied at stage 5 to 6 of
development (just before anthesis). A second application of GA3 7 to 10 days later further increased fruit
set of all cultivars except 'Premier' and 'Woodard'. Fruit set in response to GA3 ranged from 30% for
'Briteblue' to over 74% for 'Brightwell'. Average weight of the parthendcarpic fruit ranged from 0.62
g/berry for 'Briteblue' to 1.08 g/berry for 'Baldwin'. These results suggest that exogenously applied GA3 can
induce parthenocarpic fruit on many rabbiteye cultivars, although the resulting fruit set and size may vary.
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