DOES PACLOBUTRAZOL HAVE A ROLE IN LYCHEE CULTURE?

The effects of foliar (4 g L^-1) and soil (1 g m^-2 tree ground cover) applications of paclobutrazol during autumn on vegetative flushing and incidence of flowering of 3 lychee (Litchi chinensis) cultivars (Bengal, Kwai May Pink and Tai So) were investigated over 3 years at 8 sites in subtropical southern Queensland, Australia.
Cultivars at these sites varied in the level of vegetative flushing prior to panicle emergence in May-August (0–100% of terminal branches) and flowering in spring (0–100% of terminal branches).

Paclobutrazol restricted vegetative flushing before panicle emergence and promoted flowering when the trees would have bloomed lightly (< 70% of terminal branches flowering), although the responses were sometimes weak when the trees were very vigorous in vegetative growth (< 30% of terminal branches flowering). Paclobutrazol had no significant effect or slightly reduced flowering when the trees would have flowered heavily (70–100%). Further experiments are required to demonstrate the commercial benefits of paclobutrazol in lychee.

International Symposium on the Culture of Subtropical and Tropical Fruits and Crops

C.M. Menzel, D.R. Simpson

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.275.23