ISHS Acta Horticulturae 370: International Symposium on Tropical Fruits
PRELIMINARY STUDY OF PACLOBUTRAZOL (PP333) EFFECTS ON GREENHOUSE PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.) IN THE CANARY ISLANDS |
| Authors: | M.C. Rodriguez, V. Galán |
| Keywords: | Paclobutrazol, Growth Regulator, Papaya, Canary Islands |
| Abstract:
When cultivated in greenhouse in the Canary Islands, the papaya (Carica papaya L.) cultivar Sunrise experiences rapid growth with widely separated internodes. First flowering occurs at a greater plant height, with reduced fruit production. Foliar (PF) and soil (PS) applications of Paclobutrazol were applied twice to plants of 25 – 30 cm in heigth, at a dosage of 1000 ppm, to study its retardant effect; vegetative and production development were monitored over a 20-month period. Results show that soil application significantly delays flower initiation and reduces both overall plant height and the height at which first flowers are emitted, although it does not affect the moment at which production begins. No significant differences in yearly fruit production are found for either PF or PS treatments. Hermaphrodite fruits of treated plants (PF and PS) show higher than usual total soluble solids (T.S.S.) content, although female fruit register the highest TSS percentages. | |
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