Determination of the Effects of Aminoethoxyvinilglycine (AVG) and Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Applications on Pre-Harvest Fruit Drop Amount and Fruit Quality in Hakko Pear Cultivar

This study was conducted to determine the effects of pre-harvest Aminoethoxyvinylgylcine (AVG) and Gibberellic acid (GA3) applications on the pre-harvest fruit drop amount and fruit quality in the 'Hakko' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) cultivar grafted on BA29 rootstock in a private orchard in the Bala district of Ankara in 2021-2022. It was conducted in an orchard belonging to a producer. 50-100-150 mg/l AVG and 25-50-75 mg/l GA3 were applied 4 weeks before the estimated harvest date. Fruits are harvested at full maturity date; Pomological properties including cumulative drop percentage, yield per tree, fruit weight, fruit width and length, fruit stem width and length, fruit firmness, fruit color, as well as chemical properties such as soluble solid content (SSC), pH and titratable acidity (TA) were evaluated. It was observed that all doses of AVG and GA3 during the harvest period reduced the cumulative drop rate compared to the control application (6.78%). In general, the yield per tree was found to be high in GA3 applications. Both AVG and GA3 applications had statistically significant effects on fruit weight, fruit width and length, fruit flesh firmness, SSC, and pH. It was observed that both AVG and GA3 applications reduced pre-harvest fruit drop and improved fruit quality characteristics compared to the control.