The Effects of Daminozide and Gibberellic Acid on Flower Initiation, Growth and Fruiting of Apple cv Golden Delicious

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Abstract
Summary Nodes were produced at the same rate in all buds of Golden Delicious apple until about 10 weeks after full bloom. Production then became slower and ceased at about 16 nodes in buds which remained vegetative. In buds destined to become floral, primordium production suddenly became faster, leading to a final node number of about 21. This increased rate of node production was detected one to two weeks before the first visible signs of flower differentiation. Applying 550 ppm GA3 or 2000 ppm daminozide at 14 or 39 days after full bloom did not influence the rate of node production, but GA3 decreased, and daminozide increased, the proportion of floral buds. The early application of daminozide increased the crop in the year of application, because it reduced June drop, and in the next year because it enhanced flower number. In the third year, however, fewer blossoms were produced, a reduction not fully explained by the heavier crop and reduced tree growth in the previous year.

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