Going In-Depth On PGRs

摘要

The discussion on plant growth regulators was sweet news to fruit growers. ON February 25, 130 fruit growers made their way to Hershey, PA, home of one of the oldest chocolate companies in the world and host to a one-day Intensive Plant Growth Regulator workshop sponsored by the International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA). Never has a one-day workshop packed so much information on plant growth regulators (PGRs) for tree fruit growers. Curt Rom of the University of Arkansas fired up the group with a look at the history of crop load management, reminding the audience that looking at removing apple fruit to manage crop load is not a new science. The use of napthalene acetic acid (NAA, Amvac Chemical, et al) for apples was first looked at by George Mattus in the early 1940s at Cornell University. This work was featured in a cover story in American Fruit Grower around the same time.