GA3 increases fruit weight in 'Yu Her Pau' litchi

In order to increase the fruit weight of a shriveled-seed cultivar, trees of 'Yu Her Pau' litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) growing in Taiwan were sprayed with Gibberellic acid (GA(3)) (ProGibb (R), 20% of GA(3)) at 5 and 10 mg/l 14 days after full bloom (AFB) over 2 years. Both concentrations of GA(3) significantly increased fruit longitudinal and transversal diameter, and fruit, aril and pericarp weight (40-41 and 37-38 mm, and 27.3-28.4, 21.7-22.7 and 5.0-5.3 g, respectively) compared with control (35-36 and 33-34 mm, and 22.3-22.4, 17.8-17.9 and 3.9-4.0 g), but had no significant effects on seed weight, percentage of aril weight of total fruit weight or total soluble solids (0.5-0.7 g, 78.9-80.3% and 18.1-19.0 degrees Brix, respectively). Fruit characteristics within the two concentrations of GA3 showed no significant difference. The results indicated that sprays of GA3 should be evaluated in 'Yu Her Pau' commercial orchards, and in other elite cultivars. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.