Effect of gibberellin on vine behavior and crop production in seeded and seedless
      Vitis vinifera

Weaver, R; McCune, S

Effect of gibberellin on vine behavior and crop production in seeded and seedless Vitis vinifera

Authors

Robert J. Weaver
Stanley B. McCune

Authors Affiliations

Robert J. Weaver was Lecturer in Viticulture and Viticulturist in the Experiment Station, Davis; Stanley B. McCune was Senior Laboratory Technician in the Department of Viticulture and Enology, Davis.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 30(15):425-444. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v30n15p425. February 1961.

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Abstract

In 1957, vines of Zinfandel, Red Malaga, Tokay, and Ribier grapes were sprayed, at four developmental stages, with gibberellin in a range of 0 to 25 ppm. In the spring of 1958, certain seeded varieties showed severe injury as a result of the higher concentrations of gibberellin. In 1958 and 1959, therefore, those experiments were followed up with the work reported in the present study, designed to determine the degree of recovery in vines injured by gibberellin.

Cropping, vine vigor, and spring foliation were studied as indicators of recovery. Results showed that two seasons were usually required for vines to return to normal crop weights, pruning brush weights, spring foliation, and cluster counts.

Experiments with seedless grapes—Thompson Seedless and Black Corinth—showed no injury to these varieties at concentrations of gibberellin as high as 100 ppm. (In one instance, a Thompson Seedless vine was sprayed at 1,000 ppm in two consecutive years, with no apparent damaging effect.) Thus, gibberellin proved very toxic to the seeded grapes studied, but nontoxic to the seedless.

Little or no change in percentage of sugar or starch occurred in either seeded or seedless varieties, as determined by carbohydrate analysis of basal portions of canes during dormancy.

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