
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Granger, A. R. 
A1  - Traeger, D. R. C. 
T1  - Effect of pre-harvest applications of an antitranspirant and vegetable oil on cracking and size of cherry (<emph type="2">Prunus avium</emph> L.) cv. Van fruit
JF  - Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
JO  - Aust. J. Exp. Agric.
Y1  - 2002
VL  - 42
IS  - 1
SP  - 93
EP  - 96
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/EA99093 
N2  - A 1% solution of antitranspirant and a 0.3% solution of vegetable oil were applied to cherry trees before rainfall during the 3 weeks preceding harvest to evaluate their efficacy in reducing fruit damaged by cracking in field experiments in South Australia from 1993 to 1998. Between 2 and 14% of fruit were cracked on untreated trees during this period. From 6 to 10% less cracked fruit were found in 2 of the 5 seasons following the application of antitranspirant and oil sprays. In the other 3 seasons, levels of cracked fruit were not significantly different between treatments. In the 2 driest seasons, treatment with oil or antitranspirant resulted in larger fruit than on untreated trees, and as in previous studies this was thought to be a result of reduced water loss. In 4 years, total soluble solids content of fruit were similar in all treatments, but in 1996&#8211;97 controls had significantly higher sugar levels than the treated fruit. This being the driest year during the study, it is thought that greater water loss occurred on controls leading to a higher concentration of total soluble sugars. Material costs of oil at A$96/ha per application is less, compared with antitranspirant that cost $4000/ha per application. 
ER  -

