Gibberellic Acid (GA3), an Influential Growth Regulator for Physiological Disorder Control and Protracting the Harvesting Season of Sweet Orange

Citrus particularly sweet orange occupies an exalted position in fruit industry. Quality sweet orange production is affected by various factors including fruit physiological disorders and harvesting season which contribute towards consumer preference. This study was designed to find out an economically feasible solution to these problems. Three different GA3 treatments (10, 20 and 30ppm) were applied as a foliar spray to three different sweet orange cultivars (Blood Red, Mosambi and Succari) at full bloom stage to investigate its influence on Physiological disorder in fruits as well as in shoots, fruit growth and fruit maturity delay. The obtained results revealed that all GA3 treatments specially 30ppm significantly controlled fruit as well as shoots physiological disorders and was also found efficient in case of fruit maturity delay as compared to untreated trees. Finally we were able to conclude that; 30ppm GA3 should be applied as a foliar spray to control fruit and shoot physiological disorders and to protract the harvesting season of sweet orange.