Strawberry Vegetative and Fruit Growth Response to Paclobutrazol

Abstract

Abstract Petiole and scape elongation, leaf expansion, and runner formation were reduced by soil application of paclobutrazol (PP333). Runner number was reduced 90–100% by paclobutrazol dosages of 0.2–0.4 mg a.i. per 15-cm pot, accompanied by smaller reductions in leaf expansion (14–29%), petiole elongation (31–59%), and scape elongation (24–47%). Subsequent foliar applied gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) at 50 ppm alleviated the effects of paclobutrazol. Lateral crown formation was promoted in several experiments. Fruit weight was not affected at 0.6 mg a.i. paclobutrazol per pot, but scape elongation was reduced by 51%. Chemical names used: β-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]α-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1 H -1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol (paclobutrazol).