Effect of bee pollination and GA3 on fruit size and maturity of three rabbiteye blueberry cultivars with similar fruit densities

Plants of the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cultivars Brightwell, Climax, and Tifblue were subjected to pollination with bees or to applications of 250 mg.L-1 of gibberellic acid (GA(3)) to examine the influence on fruit size and maturation period. Plants were thinned to a similar fruit density (FD)4 weeks after anthesis, 'Tifblue' and 'Climax' fruit were smaller on GA(3)-treated than on bee-pollinated plants, but no difference was observed for 'Brightwell'. The fruit maturation period for 'Climax' was not affected by treatments, but 'Brightwell' and 'Tifblue" fruit on pollinated plants ripened 2 weeks earlier than fruit on GA(3)-treated plants, These data suggest that excess fruit load is not the primary factor responsible for the smaller fruit size and lengthened fruit development period resulting from GA(3) applications to rabbiteye blueberries.