Induction of stimulative parthenocarpy in <i>Vitis vinifera</i> L.

Abstract

Stimulative parthenocarpy was induced in two varieties of Vitis vinifera L. Flame Tokay and Rose Muscat (local variety) out of eight varieties studied.
In F l a m e T o k a y the delay or inhibition of bhe abscission of the calyptra and parthenocarpic development of the berries, was obtained with pre-bloom treatments (3 days before beginning of bloom) of 4CPA 30 ppm + KGA₃ 30 ppm. Induction and growth ,of parthenocarpic berries was most pronounced after post-bloom sprays (7 days after the end of bloom) with BA 1500 ppm + KGA₃ 80 ppm or 4CPA 30 ppm. A parthenocarpic development of the berries was also obtained with postbloom treatments of KGA₃ at concentrations of 50 to 100 ppm. BA (Benzyladenine) alone had only a slight effect on the development of parthenocarpic berries. However, the results were surprisingly satisfactory when applied in combination with gibberellin (KGA₃ 80 ppm) or auxins. Treatments at bloom or after bloom with BA 800 ppm + KGA₃ 80 ppm increased bhe number of berries and cluster weight.
Applications of BA 800 ppm + KGA₃ 80 ppm to Rose Musca t at the beginning of bloom resulted in clusters with practically all berries seedless. The artificially accelerated growth of the berries may provoke abortion of all the recently fecundated ovules and the non viability of the not fecundated ones. Clusters of the treated plants with an average of 520 flowers originated 501 parbhenocarpic berries (96%), whereas the control with an average 635 flowers per cluster gave a percentage of seeded + seedless berries of 14% only {95 berries per cluster). BA applied with auxin or gibberellin-like substances in full-bloom or after bloom produced seedless berries, which were smaller in size than the seeded berries of unsprayed clusters.