Effects of gibberellic acid and paclobutrazol on fruit size, shape, locule number and pedicel length of kiwifruit

Abstract

Fruit locule numbers of kiwifruit ( Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa cultivar ‘Hayward’) were negatively correlated to fruit length:diameter ratio. Fasciated fruit always contained more than 70 locules. Gibberellic acid (GA 3) or paclobutrazol (PP333) applied to kiwifruit canes at 100 mg 1 −1 three times at weekly intervals from bud swell to advanced bud burst (early), or from advanced bud burst to when most shoots were longer than 100 mm (late), did not change fruit locule numbers. The early growth-regulator treatments had no effect on fruit shape, size or pedicel length. The late PP333 treatment reduced fruit weight, length and length maximum diameter ratio. The late GA 3 treatment had no effect on fruit length but reduced fruit diameters and weight, and increased pedicel length.