ISHS Acta Horticulturae 463: VIII International Symposium on Plant Bioregulation in Fruit Production
HIDROXI-MCPA AND ETHEPHON CAN IMPROVE THE PRODUCTION OF ‘SWEET ROUND’ PEPINO GROWN IN AN AUTUMN-WINTER GROWING CYCLE. |
| Authors: | J. Prohens, J.J. Ruiz, J.V. Valcárcel, F. Nuez |
| Keywords: | Auxins, earliness, ethylene, fruit set, ripening, Solanum muricatum |
| Abstract:
In our environmental conditions (Mediterranean climate) the organoleptic quality of pepino (Solanum muricatum Aiton) fruits is better when grown in an autumn-winter growing cycle. In this cycle, we studied the improvement in the production of ‘Sweet Round’ pepino by comparing the use of truss vibration with the spraying of the synthetic auxin hidroxi-MCPA at 40 mg· l-1 at inflorescences. To shorten the ripening period, we also sprayed ethephon at 0, 300, 600, or 900 mg· l-1 on the fruits, when they reached their final size and began to develop the characteristic colour of ripeness. The experiment was performed under two environmental conditions, represented by two blocks. The first block had better light conditions, resulting in a 2 C mean increase of the maximum daily temperature when compared to the second block. In the first and second trusses, environmental conditions favoured good pollination and with the vibration treatment resulted in greater fruit set, yield, and mean fruit weight than obtained with the application of hidroxi-MCPA, especially in the first block. On the third truss, due to low temperatures, environmental conditions did not favour pollination. In this truss, the application of hidroxi-MCPA resulted in a higher fruit set and yield and the mean weight of the fruit did not differ from that obtained with truss vibration. In addition, fruits from the auxin treatment developed nine days earlier than the vibrated ones. Applications of ethephon at 600–900 mg· l-1 advanced the harvest by 15 days and did not affect fruit set, yield, and mean weight. The environmental conditions clearly affected earliness. For the third truss, anthesis was 17 days earlier in the warmer block than in the colder one and the time of fruit development was also advanced by five days. | |
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