Explore the latest brassinosteroids research to optimize using these plant growth regulators for improved juice quality.
“Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth regulators with several effects on plant growth and development,” shared a UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article; it looked at the latest brassinosteroids research on improving juice quality. It advised that getting the desired effect from BRs is tricky because “the timing of this effect appears to be short and tightly regulated.” See the details from the article below.
What are Brassinosteroids?
The article maintained that “Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth regulators with several effects on plant growth and development. They engage in crosstalk with other hormones like auxin, gibberellins, ethylene and abscisic acid, influencing all plant growth and development aspects including fruit maturation…”
BRs are being used to help improve the quality of Florida citrus—specifically juice quality—due to the drop in tree health due to citrus greening.
Brassinosteroids Research
- The article shared that brassinosteroids research done by UF/IFAS has shown that “BR treatment may influence internal maturity in Hamlin and Valencia sweet oranges if performed at the right time.” Takeaways from the research include that “To achieve significant results, there are two variables to consider:
- One is tree health status…trees in better shape respond better to the treatments. Using a tree health scale from 0 (healthy looking trees with a dense canopy) to 5 (abundant limb dieback, scarce canopy with small leaves and blotchy mottle symptoms), better and more consistent results were seen in trees ranking 1, 2 or 3.”
- “Since last season, researchers have also been treating with BRs trees that were previously injected with oxytetracycline. In this case, there are more consistent results in Brix increase and in sugar-to-acid ratio, as most trees are at stage 1 thanks to canopy recovery.”
- “The other is the fruit maturation stage, which will determine the right timing… In Hamlin, significant differences in Brix have been seen when treatments are performed in a time window between mid-November and mid-December, with harvesting occurring at least two weeks after treatment. In these conditions, increase in Brix is close to 1 degree. In Valencia, significant results are achieved when treatments are performed around mid-March, with harvesting occurring at least two weeks later as well.”
- “A treatment of 186 milliliters of BR (0.1%)/100 gallons water applied just once at the right time of fruit maturation has the most consistent results. For mature trees 7 years or older, 1 gallon per tree of the prepared solution is typically used for full coverage.”
- “In both cases, the increase in ratio is even more pronounced. The ratio in Hamlin treated with BRs is 12 as compared to 9.8 in the control. In Valencia, the ratio is 12.3 as compared to 10.7 in the control. These time windows coincide with fruit peel at a stage of mature-green to turning yellow, when carotenoid synthesis is fully activated in peel. Since peel maturation occurs later than pulp maturation in citrus, this means that pulp maturation has already started. BRs seem to have the most effect once the natural process of maturation is already underway.”
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