Effects of Pre-harvest Plant Growth Regulator Sprays on Fruit Quality of ‘Deveci’ Pear (Pyrus communis L.)

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of the pre-harvest benzyladenine (BA) (50 ppm, 100 ppm and 150 ppm) and BA + Gibberallic acid (GA 4+7) (12,5 ppm, 25 ppm and 50 ppm of each) applications on fruit quality in ‘Deveci’ pear (Pyrus communis L.). The pear trees were sprayed with BA or BA + GA4+7 14 days after full bloom. Fruits were harvested at their maturity and evaluated right after harvest in terms of size, firmness, pedicel length, and soluble solids content (SSC). The effects of BA and BA + GA4+7 on pedicel length, SSC and acidity were significant. Fruit treated with 25 ppm BA + GA4+7, 100 ppm BA or 150 ppm BA had significantly higher SSC than the control. 12.5 ppm BA and 50 ppm BA treatments increased the titretable acid content of the fruit as compared to the control. There were no significant differences in fruit size, pH and firmness among the treatments