ISHS Acta Horticulturae 329: VII International Symposium on Plant Growth Regulators in Fruit Production
THE CYTOKININ COMPLEX AS RELATED TO SMALL FRUIT IN ‘HASS’ AVOCADO |
| Author: | J. G.M. Cutting |
| Abstract:
The ‘Hass’ avocado produces small fruit as the tree becomes older. The trait is more marked and accelerated when the trees are grown in warmer areas. Small fruit are a major problem for producers as the market can only absorb very small quantities. Recent results have shown that young fruits dipped in synthetic urea cytokinins develop into larger fruit when compared to untreated fruit. The possibility that endogenous cytokinin may regulate fruit size was therefore investigated. Young fruit from a warm and a cool production area were sampled and the cytokinin complex determined by combined HPLC isolation and immunoassay quantitation methods. Fruits from the warmer areas had both quantitative and qualitative differences in endogenous cytokinins when compared to fruits from the cooler area. In warmer areas it appears that climate interferes with cytokinin transport and/ or synthesis and metabolism as endogenous concentration and compliment are altered and reduced. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
