Articles
Ethephon applications delay the bloom of southern highbush cultivars
Article number
1440_42
Pages
305 – 308
Language
English
Abstract
Spring freezes are the primary constraint for blueberry production in the southeastern United States.
A tool to mitigate freeze damage is the placement of overhead irrigation, however this method is expensive and does not prevent damage.
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used as aids in various agricultural industries to alter plant developmental processes.
Ethephon is a PGR that has been studied as a tool to delay bloom with the goal of avoiding freeze damage of stone fruit and older blueberry cultivars.
This study examined the efficacy of ethephon to delay bloom in three southern highbush (SHB) blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids): ‘Farthing’, ‘Georgia Dawn’, and ‘Kee Crisp’. Ethephon was applied at different concentrations: 200, 400, and 800 mg L‑1, and a control treatment water/surfactant was also included.
Flower buds were visually assessed using a modified growth stage scale (Growth Stages-Blueberries (msu.edu)) from December to March.
Flower buds were counted on the top 10 inches of each tagged shoot.
Bloom was delayed in ‘Georgia Dawn’ and ‘Kee Crisp’, in all ethephon treatments.
No relevant results were found for ‘Farthing’. Fruit ripening was not delayed by ethephon application.
Thus, our preliminary results indicate that ethephon can be used as a tool to prevent freeze damage.
A tool to mitigate freeze damage is the placement of overhead irrigation, however this method is expensive and does not prevent damage.
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used as aids in various agricultural industries to alter plant developmental processes.
Ethephon is a PGR that has been studied as a tool to delay bloom with the goal of avoiding freeze damage of stone fruit and older blueberry cultivars.
This study examined the efficacy of ethephon to delay bloom in three southern highbush (SHB) blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids): ‘Farthing’, ‘Georgia Dawn’, and ‘Kee Crisp’. Ethephon was applied at different concentrations: 200, 400, and 800 mg L‑1, and a control treatment water/surfactant was also included.
Flower buds were visually assessed using a modified growth stage scale (Growth Stages-Blueberries (msu.edu)) from December to March.
Flower buds were counted on the top 10 inches of each tagged shoot.
Bloom was delayed in ‘Georgia Dawn’ and ‘Kee Crisp’, in all ethephon treatments.
No relevant results were found for ‘Farthing’. Fruit ripening was not delayed by ethephon application.
Thus, our preliminary results indicate that ethephon can be used as a tool to prevent freeze damage.
Publication
Authors
L. Carcamo, M. Brannon, M. Czarnota, Z.R. Ames
Keywords
blueberry, plant growth regulator, ripening, bloom delay, freeze damage
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