GA and Rain Cracking

GA and Rain Cracking. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Gibberellic Acid know in the cherry industry as simply GA has been used since the 70‘s for sweet cherries to delay maturity and improve quality. Dr. Clive Kaiser, Associate Professor and Horticultural Extension Specialist recently spoke with cherry growers about GA and rain cracking.

KAISER: Gibberellic Acid was first discovered in Japan back in 1924 as an extract from a fungus, gibberella. And it was found to cause elongation in the rice seedlings. So it is a plant growth regulator. It stimulates cell division and cell elongation and it’s involved in fruit set and fruit growth and inhibits flower bud formation

Dr. Kaiser says it can be used to induce bud break if the dormancy requirements of the buds have been met.

KAISER: There are numerous studies that have been done on gibberellic acid in the Unites States and worldwide for that matter. Studies done back in the 1970’s look at the impact of gibberellic acid prior to harvest acid and they found there was a three to five day delay in maturity.

But where does GA fit in with the issue of fruit cracking?

KAISER: Some of the studies that have been done in the past have also suggested there was an impact in reducing fruit cracking but none of those studies have ever substantiated this and the general feeling is that gibberellic acid can induce fruit cracking.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.