GA₃inhibits flowering, reduces hand-thinning, and increases fruit size in peach and nectarine

Effects of gibberellic acid treatments on fruit thinning and fruit quality in Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.)

“…The weight of the fruit on which thinning treatment was applied was significantly affected by the applied concentration of GA 3 and by the time of application (Coneva and Cline, 2006). The yield of large peaches and nectarines increased by two-to threefold after 25 mg/L GA 3 was applied during flower bud induction (60 DAA) (Stern andBen-Arie, 2009 Southwick et al (1997) reported that a treatment of 100 mg/L GA 3 on apricots (cv. Patterson) improved fruit weight, which was evident at Stage II of fruit development.…”

“…Gibberellins are thought to move from the fruit toward the nearest internode, thereby inhibiting the formation of fresh fruit buds 6-8 weeks after fruit setting (Webster and Spencer, 2000). Gibberellic acid treatment has been applied in apples (McArtney andLi, 1998), avocados (Salazar-García and, mangoes (Turnbull et al, 1996), citrus fruits (El-Otmani et al, 2000), apricots (Southwick et al, 1995a(Southwick et al, , 1997Southwick and Yeager, 1993), loquat (Reig et al, 2011), peaches and nectarines (Taylor and Geisler-Taylor, 1998;García-Pallas et al, 2001;Coneva and Cline, 2006;González-Rossia et al, 2007;Stern and Ben-Arie, 2009;Southwick et al, 1995b) and Japanese plums (González-Rossia et al, 2006).…”

Gibberellic Acid Reduces Flowering and Time of Manual Thinning in ‘Maciel’ Peach Trees

“…Gibberellins are substances widely distributed in plants with different physiological functions, participating from seed germination, stem growth, until the transition to flowering and floral and fruitful development (TAIZ;ZEIGER, 2013). The results in reducing the number of flowers by applying gibberellins have been demonstrated for many years (HULL;LEWIS, 1959), and the exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) continues to be studied in recent decades, in peach trees, nectarine and plum trees (SOUTHWICK et al, 1995;GARCÍA-PALLAS et al, 2001;STERN;BEN-AIRE, 2009). Coneva and Cline (2006), besides pointing out the advantage of gibberellic acid to be synthesized naturally by plants and have low environmental risks, also noted an improvement in fruit quality of 'Redhaven' peach after applying GA 3 and suggested wide application opening in order to increase the fruit size and reduce thinning costs.…”

Ethephon-Induced Abscission of “Redhaven” Peach

“…Coneva and Cline [9] and Stern and BenArie [10] found that application of GA 3 during flower induction and initiation the year prior to the desired response, reduces the number of flowers, and consequently fruit set and the amount of hand thinning required in "Redhaven" peach. González-Rossia et al [11] were able to demonstrate a similar response for "Springlady" peach and "Zincal 5" nectarine.…”