USE OF GROWTH REGULATORS TO DELAY MATURITY AND PROLONG SHELF LIFE OF CITRUS

Separate and combination preharvest applications of GA₃ and 2, 4-D are used widely in California to prolong the preharvest and postharvest life of navel orange fruit. 2, 4-D is used to delay fruit abscission and GA₃ to delay fruit maturation, preharvest applications of 2, 4-D to reduce drop of mature lemons, and postharvest 2, 4-D treatments to delay senescence of the fruit button and thereby reduce decay during storage.
Although 2, 4-D is used widely in grapefruit and ‘Valencia’ orange crops to reduce drop of mature fruit, GA₃ is not in general use on these crops due to an increase in regreening of rind tissue.
The delay in rind senescence, however, is of value to these crops.
It is possible that degreening agents or treatments to increase carotenoid levels would provide an opportunity to take advantage of the GA₃ response.

Symposium on growth Regulators in Fruit Production

Ch.W. Coggins Jr

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1973.34.64