Evaluation of garlic extract on bud dormancy release of 'Royal Gala' apple trees

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of garlic extract (Bioalho) on bud break of ‘Royal Gala’ apple trees compared with the effects of the conventionally used hydrogen cyanamide (H2CN2). In the southern region of Brazil, immediately after winter pruning on 19 September 2005, the following treatments were sprayed at dormant bud stage using a hand sprayer: (1) control (untreated); (2) 1% garlic extract (GE); (3) 5% GE; (4) 10% GE; (5) 2% mineral oil (MO); (6) 1% GE + 2% MO; (7) 5% GE + 2% MO; (8) 10% GE + 2% MO; (9) 0.4% H2CN2 + 4% MO. GE at 1 or 5% + 2% MO showed similar effects compared with H2CN2 alone, achieving ~80% bud sprouting, whereas 2% MO and the untreated control attained 53 and 18% bud sprouting, respectively. The 10% GE + 2% MO treatment was superior to the others treatments, reaching 95% bud sprouting at 50 days after treatments. The application of 10% GE + 2% MO was also the most effective in advancing bloom. Unfortunately, in this experiment, this also contributed to reduced fruit yield, since the early anthesis coincided with an atypical rainfall in the beginning of spring.