Abstract
SummaryTwo different spray programmes for split application of prohexadione-calcium (ProCa) were tested on ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Fuji’ apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) to evaluate their effect on red colour development in the fruit. Applications of ProCa split into two sprays at full-bloom and 60 d after full-bloom (DAFB) were sufficient to control shoot growth in these cultivars. A third application (95 DAFB) did not result in any additional beneficial effects. In addition to obtaining significant reductions in shoot elongation, reductions in leaf area were also noted. No effects on yield or on various fruit quality parameters resulted from the ProCa treatments, with one important exception, fruits from ‘Fuji’, a late-season cultivar, displayed a greater percentage of fruit surface with red colour. Simultaneously, a deeper red colour was recorded on the blushed side of the fruit, resulting from greater concentrations of anthocyanins and carotenoids. In contrast, fruits of ‘Royal Gala’, a mid-season cultivar, did not show differences in fruit colouration following treatment with ProCa.
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