초록
BACKGROUND: Control of alternate bearing satsuma mandarin in Jeju is very important to maintain the optimum price of fruit and get the sustainable income of farmers. Unlike orange, Satsuma mandarin is well known to sensitive on alternate bearing. We carried out the experiment to know the effect of foliar application of $GA_3$ on the flowering and fruit quality of satsuma mandarin (C. unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa). METHODS AND RESULTS: To experiment, the treatments consist of control, different concentration of $GA_3$ (25, 50 and 100 mg/L), machine oil emulsion 100 times and mixture of various concentration of $GA_3$ (25 and 50 mg/L) with machine oil emulsion 100 times which it was applied on 15 year-old Miyagawa satsuma mandarin at December 29, 2011. Foliar application of $GA_3$ in winter reduced the flowering of satsuma mandarin. Flower-leaf ratio was significantly reduced at 100 mg/L $GA_3$, while no differences observed in low concentration of $GA_3$ (25 and 50 mg/L). However, it was significantly decreased to 0.19 in application of $GA_3$ 25 and 50 mg/L with machine oil emulsion 100 times mixture. Number of leaves per fruit was significantly increased as foliar application of $GA_3$ also it reduced the fruits remarkably. Soluble solid contents and Hunter's a of peel color ratio showed no difference among $GA_3$ single treatments, but it was reduced in $GA_3$ 25 and 50 mg/L with machine oil emulsion 100 times mixtures significantly. From the results, it has been found that higher $GA_3$ concentration can reduce the number of flowers on the alternate bearing of satsuma mandarin. However, it was found that lower concentration of $GA_3$ with machine oil emulsion mixture 100 times can reduce flowering. CONCLUSION(S): The foliar application of $GA_3$ (100 mg/L) can alleviate alternate beraring. Also, mixture of lower concentration of $GA_3$ with machine oil emulsion 100 times can retard flowering more significantly while it needs further confirmation.
