Rc. Yuan et Dw. Greene, 'McIntosh' apple fruit thinning by benzyladenine in relation to seed number and endogenous cytokinin levels in fruit and leaves, SCI HORT A, 86(2), 2000, pp. 127-134
The relationship of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA)-induced fruitlet abscission to
seed number and endogenous cytokinin levels in the fruit and leaves was ex
amined in 'McIntosh' apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). BA applied at the 10
mm stage of fruit development effectively thinned apple fruit and increased
fruit size. The seed number of abscising fruit increased as BA concentrati
ons increased. Ln persisting fruit, BA reduced the number of normal seeds,
increased the number of aborted seeds, but had no influence on the number o
f total seeds. The total number of seeds was significantly higher in persis
ting fruit than in abscising fruit. BA increased zeatin riboside levels in
the fruit 2 days after application, but it had no effects on zeatin levels
in the fruit. The levels of zeatin and zeatin ribosides in the leaves were
not affected by BA application. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r
eserved.