Paclobutrazol in the flowering management affects the quality of Malpighia emarginata fruits

Abstract

Floral management using the growth regulator paclobutrazol may be an alternative for promoting the uniformity of flowering and fruiting in West Indian cherry (Malpighia emarginata D.C.) plants. However, the effects of its use on fruit quality are still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of paclobutrazol doses on the fruit quality of M. emarginata. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement, with three replications and three plants per plot, with the studied factors consisting of two M. emarginata cultivars ('Junko' and 'Flor Branca') and five paclobutrazol doses (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 g a.i. m-1 of canopy diameter). The following variables were evaluated: fruit mass, fruit transverse and longitudinal diameters, pH, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio and vitamin C content. The use of paclobutrazol, to some extent, promoted the increase of fruit mass, longitudinal diameter and soluble solids contents. The 'Junko' cultivar presented a higher vitamin C content than that for 'Flor Branca', and the maximum vitamin C contents were obtained with the paclobutrazol doses of 0.64 and 0.81 g a.i. m-1, respectively for the 'Junko' and 'Flor Branca' cultivars. None of the studied factors promoted differences for pH and fruit acidity.

Importance of paclobutrazol in out-of-season citrus production

“…This process is performed through the deactivation of cytochrome-dependent oxygenase p450 (Rady & Gaballah, 2012), as noted in Figure ( 1) consequently, there is a decrease in cell division and elongation, causing a reduction in vegetative growth. The assimilates intended for this function will be used in generative growth, improving the uniformity of flowering (Sousa et al, 2020).…”

Association between Cuttings Maturity and Alternative Substrates in the Rooting of Acerola Cherry

“…Almost all orchards have a marked mixture of acerola cherry plant types and forms due to the obtaining of seedlings by seeds [6]. This has caused serious problems for acerola cherry producers, because plants' unevenness causes management difficulties, such as the need for pruning, and losses in orchard productivity and fruit quality [7]. Orchards must be from well-defined acerola cherry varieties, with agronomic and technological characteristics, suitable for their intended purpose [8].…”