ASPEE College of Horticulture & Forestry

Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396 450

Post Graduation Seminar Series -2012
Speaker : Jadhav Parag Babaji Course : FSC -691
Major Guide : Dr. B. V. Padhiar Date : 21st April-2012
Minor Guide : Er. A. K. Senapati Time : 2.00-3.00pm
Use of Paclobutrazol in fruit crops
Introduction:
Today, horticulture contributes 28.5% of GDP in agriculture and 52% of export share in agriculture from
cultivated area of 8.5%. Globally, India is the second largest producer of fruits with potential to reach the first spot
retained by China till date. Production of horticulture crops has jumped 44% to 240 million tonne as well as area has
increased by 14% to 21 million ha in six years from 2004 to 2011 (Khan, 2012). Various fruits are grown in India of
which tropical, sub-tropical and the temperate group are also grown in a sizeable area. Although fruits are grown
throughout the country, the major fruit growing states are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Early bearing and high productivity per ha have the most effect on profitability of
orchards and consequently have been the aim of much tree management research. It is now possible to obtain
commercial crops as little as 18 months after planting and to have fully developed orchards, capable of maximizing
yield within 3- 4 years of planting. Research workers have developed a number of methods to control tree size, early
bearing, precocity in flowering, off season production, increase C:N ratio and fruit quality, etc. For manipulation of all
these aspects growth retardants and especially paclobutrazol (Cultar) have been used successfully. It has been
suggested that paclobutrazol offer a means of increasing yields by controlling vegetative growth, protecting the crop
against environmental stress, promoting reproductive development, increasing assimilate partitioning to flowering
bodies, increasing fruit quality and facilitating harvesting.
Growth Retardants:
Majority of PGR used now days are plant growth retardants. They reduce shoot length of plants without
changing development pattern. This is primarily by reducing cell elongation or also by lowering rate of cell division.
In respect of morphological structure of plant, growth retardants are antagonistic to gibberellins and auxins.
Application Methods of Paclobutrazol (PBZ):
a. Soil Application (Trunk Soil Liquid Pour Method)
b. Foliar Application:
This method may not give consistent results and also it is expensive method than others. Mostly this method is
suitable for annual crops.

Review of literature:
Mango:
Kulkarni (1988) reported that the soil application of paclobutrazol @ 10 g a.i./tree was most effective to
reduce shoot elongation, increase the proportion of flowering shoot (94.1 %) and yield.
Burondkar and Gunjate (1993) concluded that the application of paclobutrazol as soil drench @10 and 5 g
a.i./tree produced significantly minimum vegetative flushes and gives the maximum per cent flowering with highest
yield.
Ram and Tripathi (1993) reported that the use of cultar in Dasheri mango tree in November and September
month gave highest number of panicle and highest of new shoot produce of panicle, respectively.
Anon.,(1994) concluded that application of cultar @ 30 ml/5litres of water as soil drench per tree
significantly increased flowering, number of fruits at marble stage and yield with reduction in fruit drop.
Desai and Chundawat (1994) revealed that with the soil application of paclobutrazol @ 8g a.i. per tree and 12
g a. i./tree gives maximum average weight of ripe fruits (g) and maximum total sugar per cent with non reducing sugar
per cent, respectively.
Shinde et al. (2000) conducted an experiment to standardized the dose and time of paclobutrazol application
on basis of regular cropping mango tree and found that when 1.25g.a.i. of paclobutrazol applied through soil
drenching at 120 days before bud break gave maximum flowering and fruiting yield.
Padhiar (2000) reported that application of 10 g a.i. paclobutrazol per tree in Alphonso and Dasheri gave
maximum percentage of flowering and highest yield.
Hoda et al. (2001) studied that when the application of paclobutrazol @ 10g a.i. during on year and 5g a.i.
during of year showed maximum flowering, fruit yield and fruit quality of mango in cv. Langra.
Murti et al. (2001) observed that application of paclobutrazol @ 10 g a.i./tree reduced tree height, tree
volume, mean shoot length and profuse flowering in mango tree.
Singh and Singh (2005) found that with the soil application of cultar @ 5g a.i./tree reduced length of terminal
shoots, increased the number of flowering shoots, improved fruit set, fruit retention and also the highest yield during
the off year in mango cv. Dashehari.
Reddy et al. (2008) reported that application of 10 g a.i. paclobutrazol per tree in Alphonso gave minimum
shoot length during September.
 Adil et al. (2011) studies the effect of paclobutrazol on floral induction of three distinctly biennially bearing
mango cultivars. Flowering percentage in the PBZ-treated trees were 50 per cent, and 100 per cent at 60, and 90 days,
respectively, after PBZ application.
Tandel and Patel (2011) reported that application of paclobutrazol 5g a.i. (cultar 20 ml/tree) in mid July per
tree in Alphonso, Kesar and Rajapuri resulted, minimum number of shoots per terminal, shoot length (cm) and early
date of full bloom also, maximum no. fruits per tree and fruit yield per tree.
Sapota
Anon., (2000) concluded that non significant results found in sapota cv. Kalipatti after pruning and treating
with paclobutrazol under high density plantation for growth and yield attributes for three years pooled mean.
Pomogranate
El-Khawaga (2007) revealed that the minimum fruit splitting per cent and maximum total soluble solids,
acidity, total sugar and reducing sugar in pomegranate when trees treated by paclobutrazol @ 150 ppm.
Citrus
Baskaran et al. (2011) studied the influence of soil applied paclobutrazol on tree growth & canopy spread in
Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle). Soil application of paclobutrazol @ 3.75 g a.i./tree & 5 g a.i./tree gave the
minimum tree height and canopy spread, respectively.
Litchi:
Faizan et al.(2000) reported a significant increase in the number of flowers/panicle, fruit set (per cent), fruit
yield (Kg/tree) and TSS (per cent) under 5ml/m2 and 90 days before expected bud break application in litchi cv. Rose
scented.

Conclusion:
Paclobutrazol significantly reduces the vegetative growth, shoot elongation and panicle length of many tree
species. PBZ reduce internode extension on various plant taxa. Due to paclobutrazol carbohydrate content of various
plant tissues can be increased and high reservation of photosynthesis assimilates in temporary sinks. Paclobutrazol
application leads to initiation of flowering, precocity flowering, better fruit set and production. paclobutrazol
application increase TSS, total sugar, reducing sugar. Hence, it is advisable to exploit the use of paclobutrazol on a
commercial scale in fruit crops such as mango, apple, litchi and citrus where it has shown proven results.

References:
Adil, O. S.; Rahim Abdel.; Elamin, O. M. and Bangerth, F. K. (2011). Effects of paclobutrazol (PBZ) on floral
induction and associated hormonal and metabolic changes of biennially bearing mango (Mangifera indica l.)
cultivars during off year. J. of Agri. and Bio. Sci., 6(2):55-67.
Anonymous (1994). Fruit and vegetable research sub-committee report, G.A.U. pp-222-223.
Anonymous (2000). Agresco report, N.A.U. pp45-46.
Baskaran, A.; Parthiban, S. and Sundharaiya, K. (2011). Influence of soil applied paclobutrazol on tree growth and
canopy spread in Acid Lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle). Madras Agric. J., 98 (1-3): 79-81.
Burondkar, M. M. and Gunjate, R.T. (1993). Acta Horticulture, 341:206-215.
Desai, M. M. and Chundawat, B. S. (1994). Regulation of flowering in Mango by paclobutrazol. Indian J. Hort.,
51(1):9-15.
El-Khawaga, A. S. (2007). Reduction in fruit cracking in pomogranate following a foliar application with
paclobutrazol and zinc sulphate. J. of Applied Sci. Res., 3(9): 837-840.
Faizan A.; Ather M.; and Kumar G. (2000). Effect of Paclolbutrazol growth, yield and quality of Litchi. Indian J.
Hort., 57(4):291-294.
Hoda, M.N..; Singh S. and Singh J. (2001). Effect of cultar on flowering and fruiting quality of Mango cv. Langra.
Indian J. Hort., 58 (3): 224-227.
Khan M. J. (2012). Demystifying Indian Horticulture. Agric. Today, 6(4):1.
Kulkarni, V. J. (1988). J. Horticulture Sci., 63(3):557-566.
Murti, G. S. R.; Upreti, K. K..; Kurian, R. M. and Reddy, Y. T. N. (2001). Indian J. Plant Physiol., 6(4):355-360.
Padhiar, B. V. (2000). Use of paclobutrazol (cultar) in Mango (Mangifera indica L.) in South Gujarat. Ph.D (Hort.)
Thesis. G.A.U., Navsari.
Ram, S. and Tripathi, P. C. (1993). Indian .J. Hort., 50(4): 292-295.
Reddy, Y. T. N. and Kurian, R. M. (2008). Cumulative and residual effect of Paclobutrazol on growth, yield and fruit
quality of ‘Alphonso’ Mango. J. Hort. Sci., 3 (2):119-122.
Shinde, A. K.; Waghmare, G. M..; Wagh, R. G. and Burondkar, M. M. (2000). Effect of dose and time of
paclobutrazol application on flowering and yield of Mango. Indian J .Plant Physiol., 5(1):82-84.
Singh, S. and Singh, J. (2005). The Orissa J. of Hort., 31(1):40-43.
Tandel, Y. N. and Patel, N. L. (2011). Effect of chemicals on growth, yield and economics of Mango (Mangifera
indica L.). Karnataka J. Agric. Sci., 24 (3):362 – 365.