Effect of Gibberellic Acid and Pachlobutrazol Spraying on Fruit Characteristics of Williams Banana under Assuit Conditions

Abstract

This study was carried out during two consecutive seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 on the third and fourth ratoons of Williams banana plants. The plants were grown in the experimental orchard of Al Azhar University., Assiut Governorate., Egypt. The experiment was set up in a split plot arrangement design. Bunches were sprayed twice (just after emergence of the last hand and one month later and thrice) with gibberellic acid (GA 3) and Aug. at a rate of 40 ppm Pachlobutrazol (PB) sprayed at rates of 2g and 4g /L at Aug.The obtained results revealed that spraying (GA 3) and pachlobutrazol (PB) led to increase bunch and finger weights the fruit characteristics There was an improvement of chemical fruit constituents in term of increasing total soluble solids (TSS %), sugars contents and decreasing the total acidity percentages due to spray of GA 3 or pachlobutrazol (PB) singly or interaction of them compared to the control treatment. Then, it could be concluded that spraying 40 ppm GA 3 thrice. As well as spraying pachlobutrazol (PB) at (2g) /L seems to be the promising treatment under this experiment conditions to get the best results with regard to yield and fruit quality.