Using early fruit control to adjust the fruit volume to 2 to 3 times the final fruit quantity requires more time for picking flowers than do conventional methods. However, it can work in a dispersed manner at a relatively small margin from the dormant period to the beginning of flowering. Early fruit control is an extremely effective way to reduce labor by drastically reducing the total work time of fruit control. The total working time for fruit control, from picking buds to mature fruit, can be reduced by about 50%, as compared with conventional ways of adjusting fruits. Although there is a difference in the hypertrophic effect depending on the cultivar, when early fruit control is carried out, increased fruit weight in all four varieties can be confirmed. Fruit quality, such as sugar content and coloration, has no effect of early fruit control. It has little influence on deformation and nuclear crack generation. From this fact, it is expected that the technique for the early fruit control of peaches is highly effective at saving labor during actual cultivation, and it can be expected to be widespread as a management method effective for large-scale production.

The present study was carried out to improve fruit set, yield, quality, marketability, and exportability of ‘Washington’ Navel orange. Pre-harvest foliar sprays of GA ₃, K, and Ca, either alone or combined, were applied at full bloom. The following treatments were applied: {control (T ₁), 25 mg/L GA ₃ (T ₂), 2% K ₂SO ₄ (T ₃), 25 mg/L GA ₃ + 2% K ₂SO ₄ (T ₄), 25 mg/L GA ₃ + 2% Ca Cl ₂ (T ₅), 2% K ₂SO ₄ + 2% Ca Cl ₂ (T ₆), and 25 mg/L GA ₃ + 2% K ₂SO ₄ + 2% Ca Cl ₂ (T ₇). All treatments improved fruit set, yield, physical and chemical characteristics, mineral content of leaves and fruit rind, and the percentage of exportable fruit in comparison to the control. Fruit set, fruit detachment force, peel firmness, and the mineral content of leaves and fruit rind were enhanced significantly with the combination of GA ₃ + K ₂SO ₄ + Ca Cl ₂ (T ₇) in comparison to all other treatments and the control. Results indicated that all foliar combination treatments improved fruit quality and marketability, and increased the percentage of exportable fruit and reduced the defects of non-exportable fruit.

‘Williams’ is the highly quality pear cultivar mostly produced in the Eğirdir region of Turkey. ReTain (15% aminoethoxyvinilglycine, AVG) is a plant growth regulator used to control pre-harvest drop and increase fruit weight and firmness. The objective of this study was to determine the responses of AVG treatments on the preharvest drop and fruit quality of ‘Williams’ pear. Pear trees of the cultivar ‘Williams’ were sprayed 30, 21 and 7 days before commercial harvest (DBH) with AVG, at doses of 100, 125 and 150 mg L-1, and assessed for pre-harvest drop, yield, maturity, delay in harvest, fruit quality, ethylene production and respiration rate at the harvest time. Fruit samples were analyzed for fruit quality parameters which are: fruit width, fruit weight, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), fruit firmness, fruit colour, fruit macro and micro elements content. Maturation of the 30 and 21 DBH AVG-treated fruits were delayed 3-4 days compared to the 7 DBH AVG-treated and control groups. The pre-harvest drop decreased with all AVG applications by approximately 38-100% in comparison with the control group fruits. AVG treatments increased fruit size (7-10%), fruit weight (26-41%) and fruit firmness (2-16%) of ‘Williams’ pear. AVG application reduce ethylene production and respiration rate and it was found that the applications enhance the ethylene production and respiration rate by approximately (100%) compared to the control fruits on the harvest date. Results of this study indicated that 30 DBH and 21 DBH AVG-treatments at 100 mg L-1 can be recommended for ‘Williams’ pear cultivar on both pre-harvest fruit drop, as well as in harvest date and fruit quality.

A field trial was conducted during 2015 and 2016, to study the effect ofgrowth regulators on growth, flowering, yield and fruit quality of strawberry cv. Chandler. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design with 16 treatments viz.CPPU at 1, 2 and 4 ppm, GA3 at 25, 50 and 75 ppm, Promalin at 2, 4 and 6 ppm, GA4+7 at 5, 10 and15 ppm, NAA at 10, 20 and 30 ppm and control (water spray) and each treatment was replicated thrice. The results revealed that the plants sprayed with 15 ppm GA4+7 two weeks before flowering significantly reported highest plant height (33.43 cm), leaf area (239.70 cm2), number of flowers (31.94), fruit set (87.45 %), number of fruits per plant (29.02), yield (540.01 g/plant), fruit length (53.63 mm) and fruit diameter (37.19 mm) and fruit weight (23.70 g) as compared to control. This treatment resulted in 196.36 % increase in yield and 56.22 %in fruit weight over control. Plants sprayed with 6 ppm promalin also showed significant improvement in vegetative growth, fruit size, yield and fruit quality, which resulted in 137.92 % increase in yield and 51.81 % increase in fruit weight over control. Hence, it is concluded that foliar spray of 15 ppm GA4+7 applied 2 weeks before flowering is beneficial in improving growth, yield and fruit quality of strawberry plants.

This short review report the results obtained with the main plant growth regulators/plant bioregulators (PGRs or PBRs) that are currently tested or used as registered pre-harvest and post-harvest compounds. The PBRs used in pre-harvest concern the regulation of fruit setting, bearing, fruit thinning and of shoot growth control. The auxin-like compounds are mainly used for fruit set and for pre-harvest drop control; Gibberellins for fruit set; auxins and citokinins for fruit thinning/quality improvement and prohexadione-Ca (Regalis) for shoot growth and fire-blight control. The PBRs for improving fruit quality and storability can be used in pre- and post-harvest. Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) is used in pre-harvest while 1- methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) can be used in cold storage room or, in some countries, also in pre-harvest (Harvista) to affect fruit post-harvest maturation and storability management.

A near infrared spectroscopic method was used to non-invasively assess dry matter (DM) of fruit on tree with a R2p=0.82 and RMSEP=0.52% across fruit from a range of water denied treatments. A variety of techniques for manipulating tree fruit carbohydrates (fruit thinning, girdling, nitrogen and water manipulation) were implemented on six mango farms in 2013. Fruit thinning and water denial treatments resulted in increased DM. Water denial for periods as short as 2 weeks before harvest resulted in increased DM (17.6 cf. 16.5% in control) and ripened fruit Brix (14.3 cf. 13.3° in control) without decrease in fruit size associated with long periods of water denial.

This study was carried out to examine the effects of soil sulfur mixture on the control apple valsa canker in apple orchard for two years. In organic apple orchard, The recovery percentages of apple valsa canker were compared among control (no treatment), lime sulfur, and soil sulfur in organic orchards. In conventional apple orchards, those of recovery percentages were compared among control, neoasozin, lime sulfur, and soil sulfur. Compared with control, soil sulfur treatments significantly improved the recovery percentages of apple valsa canker infected trees in organic orchard. However, there were no differences between lime sulfur and soil sulfur treatment in organic apple orchard, except BongHyun orchard experiment in 2013. Compared with control fruit qualities, fruit skin red color and fruit firmness were improved in lime sulfur and soil sulfur treatment, respectively. In conventional orchard, apple trees treated with lime sulfur, soil sulfur or neoasozin improved recovery percentages, compared with those of control trees. Soil sulfur treatments recovered 87.5~97.5% of infected 'Fuji'/MM106 apple trees in organic and conventional apple orchards. The trees applied with neoasozin showed significant lower shoot growth than those of soil sulfur treatment in conventional orchard. Soli sulfur treatment improved fruit red color, but did not affected fruit weight, fruit firmness, soluble solids concentrations, and titratable acidity.

Effects of postharvest biocontrol treatment with antagonistic bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LY-1 on quality attributes and storability of harvested litchi fruit were investigated. “Wuye” litchi fruit were immersed in 1.0×108 colony-forming units (CFU) mL−1B. amyloliquefaciens LY-1 culture broth (BLCB) or sterile water (control) for 5min, respectively. Litchi fruit were then air-dried and stored at 25±1°C and 85%–90% relative humidity. Comparing to control litchi fruit, the BLCB-treated litchi fruit exhibited lower pericarp browning index, and percentages of fruit decay and weight loss. Moreover, the BLCB-treated litchi fruit maintained higher contents of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total soluble sugars and vitamin C in pulp, as well as higher activities of disease resistance-related enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia lyase, chitinase, and β-1, 3-glucandase) and higher content of natural disease-resistive material like lignin in pericarp. Thus, it can be concluded that the 1.0×108 CFUmL−1 BLCB treatment delayed the progress of pericarp browning, lowered fruit decay and weight loss, and maintained higher quality of harvested “Wuye” litchi fruit during storage, which might suggest that the BLCB treatment was a promising and effective biological control method for prolonging the shelf-life of harvested litchi fruit.

RESUMO A Bahia é o maior produtor nacional de pinha (Annona squamosa L.) e a broca-do-fruto (Cerconota anonella, Sepp. 1830) é praga chave da cultura. O uso de inseticidas é a principal tática de controle da praga, mesmo não havendo registros de agrotóxicos para a cultura. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a eficácia de inseticidas para o controle da broca e determinar os níveis de resíduos dos inseticidas nos frutos, visando à solicitação de extensão de uso dos produtos para pinha. O experimento foi conduzido em pomar irrigado, adensado (2 x 4 m) com oito anos, em Anagé, Bahia, Brasil. O delineamento foi em blocos casualizados com 10 tratamentos (três inseticidas em três doses e um tratamento testemunha - água) e cinco repetições. As parcelas compreenderam quatro plantas, sendo as duas centrais úteis. Os inseticidas e as respectivas doses (g de i.a. 100 L-1 de água) foram: Bacillus thuringiensis: 0,8; 1,7; e 2,5; triflumurom: 2,4; 3,6; e 4,8; e imidacloprido: 4,0; 10; e 16. Foram realizadas nove pulverizações em intervalos quinzenais com pulverizador costal de pressão constante, bico JA-2, com jato dirigido aos frutos e 10 avaliações da presença da broca em 30 frutos por parcela marcados previamente. Eficácia de controle foi comprovada apenas para imidacloprido na maior dose estudada. Análises de resíduo do imidacloprido aos 21 e 30 dias após a aplicação da maior dose indicaram níveis superiores ao limite máximo permitido. Os produtos nas condições testadas não se enquadram nas normas para solicitação de extensão de uso de citros para pinha. | ABSTRACT Bahia is the Brazilian state with the largest production of sugar apple fruits (Annona squamosa L.), and fruit borer (Cerconota anonella, Sepp. 1830) is a key crop pest. Insecticides are the main strategy for pest control even though there are no pesticides registered for this crop. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of insecticides to control fruit borer and determine the levels of insecticide residues in sugar apple fruits aiming at requesting the extension of authorization to use insecticide products in this crop. The experiment was conducted in an eight-year-old irrigated orchard (2 × 4 m) located in Anagé, Bahia, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block design with 10 treatments (three insecticides with three doses and a control with water) and 5 replications. Each plot was composed of four plants but only the two central ones were assessed. Insecticides and doses (g a.i. 100 L−1 water) were Bacillus thuringiensis: 0.8, 1.7, and 2.5; triflumuron: 2.4, 3.6, and 4.8; and imidacloprid: 4.0, 10.0, and 16.0. Nine sprayings were carried out at fortnightly intervals with a costal sprayer with constant pressure, JA-2 nozzle, and with jet directed to the fruits. Ten assessments were performed in order to observe fruit borer presence in 30 previously marked fruits per plot. Imidacloprid, at the highest studied dose, was the only effective treatment. Analyses of imidacloprid residues, at 21 and 30 days after the highest dose application, indicated levels higher than the maximum limit allowed. Insecticides under the conditions tested do not meet the norms for requesting the extension of authorization to use insecticides for citrus in sugar apple fruits.