Regulation of crop load and quality in sweet cherry cv. ‘Sweet Heart’ using blossom thinning

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Effect of blossom thinners on fruit weight, increase in fruit weight, stone weight, flesh weight and fruit/stone ratio of sweet cherry cv_ ‘Sweet Heart’_

Treatment	Fruit weight (g)	Increase in fruit weight (%)	Stone weight (g)	Flesh weight (g)	Fruit/stone ratio
T1 (Control)	5.90 ± 0.77	0.00	0.43 ± 0.02	5.47 ± 0.79	12.72 ± 0.27
T2 (ATS 1%)	6.72 ± 0.12	13.89 ± 0.24	0.45 ± 0.02	6.27 ± 0.12	13.93 ± 0.81
T3 (ATS 1.5%)	6.97 ± 0.17	18.13 ± 0.04	0.44 ± 0.02	6.53 ± 0.19	14.84 ± 1.20
T4 (ATS 2%)	7.30 ± 0.11	23.70 ± 0.05	0.45 ± 0.02	6.85 ± 0.09	15.59 ± 0.70
T5 (NAA 20 ppm)	6.70 ± 0.18	13.50 ± 0.29	0.43 ± 0.02	6.26 ± 0.15	14.22 ± 0.50
T6 (NAA 40 ppm)	6.90 ± 0.14	16.90 ± 0.25	0.43 ± 0.02	6.47 ± 0.16	15.04 ± 1.30
T7 (NAA 60 ppm)	7.07 ± 0.09	18.60 ± 0.28	0.45 ± 0.02	6.55 ± 0.07	14.71 ± 0.60
T8 (Corn oil 1%)	6.50 ± 0.08	10.10 ± 0.15	0.45 ± 0.02	6.05 ± 0.08	13.44 ± 0.70
T9 (Corn oil 2%)	6.80 ± 0.21	15.20 ± 0.05	0.44 ± 0.03	6.36 ± 0.20	14.45 ± 0.90
T10 (Corn oil 3%)	6.87 ± 0.09	16.40 ± 0.09	0.43 ± 0.03	6.44 ± 0.10	14.97 ± 1.20
C.D (p ≤ 0.05)	0.282	0.264	NS	0.280	0.690

Effect of blossom thinners on the chemical characteristics of sweet cherry cv_ ‘Sweet Heart’_

Treatment	SSC (°Brix)	Total sugars (%)	Titratable acidity (%)	SSC/acid ratio
T1 (Control)	17.37 ± 0.77	12.82 ± 0.09	0.89 ± 0.01	19.51 ± 1.45
T2 (ATS 1%)	18.07 ± 0.36	13.55 ± 0.26	0.87 ± 0.01	20.77 ± 0.92
T3 (ATS 1.5%)	18.77 ± 1.38	14.57 ± 0.35	0.77 ± 0.02	24.38 ± 2.19
T4 (ATS 2%)	19.35 ± 0.62	15.32 ± 0.09	0.74 ± 0.02	26.14 ± 1.65
T5 (NAA 20 ppm)	17.95 ± 0.23	13.50 ± 0.08	0.87 ± 0.02	20.63 ± 0.65
T6 (NAA 40 ppm)	18.65 ± 0.65	14.35 ± 0.31	0.80 ± 0.02	23.31 ± 1.45
T7 (NAA 60 ppm)	19.00 ± 0.90	14.87 ± 0.25	0.76 ± 0.02	25.00 ± 1.53
T8 (Corn oil 1%)	17.45 ± 0.53	13.10 ± 0.11	0.86 ± 0.01	20.29 ± 0.80
T9 (Corn oil 2%)	18.35 ± 0.23	13.80 ± 0.08	0.88 ± 0.01	20.85 ± 0.68
T10 (Corn oil 3%)	18.50 ± 0.81	14.10 ± 0.18	0.82 ± 0.02	22.56 ± 1.20
C.D (p ≤ 0.05)	0.102	0.061	0.026	0.483

Effect of blossom thinners on colour intensity of sweet cherry cv_ ‘Sweet Heart’_

Treatment	L*	a*	b*	Hue°	Chroma
T1 (Control)	24.46 ± 0.11	29.49 ± 0.59	10.71 ± 0.18	19.95 ± 0.55	31.28 ± 0.05
T2 (ATS 1%)	23.94 ± 0.21	30.93 ± 0.15	12.04 ± 0.17	21.25 ± 0.39	33.17 ± 0.06
T3 (ATS 1.5%)	23.03 ± 0.06	31.84 ± 0.13	12.46 ± 0.18	21.35 ± 0.29	34.18 ± 0.05
T4 (ATS 2%)	22.98 ± 0.10	32.21 ± 0.06	13.25 ± 0.12	22.34 ± 0.20	34.81 ± 0.06
T5 (NAA 20 ppm)	23.99 ± 0.15	30.86 ± 0.12	12.00 ± 0.32	21.20 ± 0.58	33.11 ± 0.09
T6 (NAA 40 ppm)	23.74 ± 0.05	31.75 ± 0.20	12.36 ± 0.10	21.25 ± 0.07	34.06 ± 0.09
T7 (NAA 60 ppm)	23.01 ± 0.24	31.94 ± 0.10	12.44 ± 0.07	21.25 ± 0.13	34.27 ± 0.03
T8 (Corn oil 1%)	24.01 ± 0.38	30.10 ± 0.16	10.97 ± 0.17	20.00 ± 0.34	32.03 ± 0.14
T9 (Corn oil 2%)	23.90 ± 0.21	31.66 ± 0.23	12.12 ± 0.12	20.90 ± 0.30	33.89 ± 0.03
T10 (Corn oil 3%)	23.89 ± 0.14	31.72 ± 0.13	12.29 ± 0.11	20.90 ± 0.51	34.01 ± 0.20
C.D (p ≤ 0.05)	0.231	0.223	0.154	0.382	0.081

Effect of blossom thinners on fruit volume, firmness, pedicel length and stone length of sweet cherry cv_ ‘Sweet Heart’_

Treatment	Fruit volume (cm3)	Fruit firmness (N)	Pedicel length (mm)	Stone length (mm)
T1 (Control)	5.25 ± 0.50	3.81 ± 0.14	38.19 ± 0.01	11.45 ± 0.02
T2 (ATS 1%)	5.90 ± 0.14	3.06 ± 0.19	38.18 ± 0.01	11.46 ± 0.02
T3 (ATS 1.5%)	6.25 ± 0.50	2.57 ± 0.05	38.20 ± 0.02	11.45 ± 0.01
T4 (ATS 2%)	6.55 ± 0.10	2.24 ± 0.18	38.20 ± 0.01	11.46 ± 0.01
T5 (NAA 20 ppm)	5.75 ± 0.95	2.76 ± 0.27	38.19 ± 0.02	11.46 ± 0.01
T6 (NAA 40 ppm)	6.22 ± 0.20	2.62 ± 0.35	38.18 ± 0.01	11.46 ± 0.02
T7 (NAA 60 ppm)	6.42 ± 0.09	2.40 ± 0.16	38.18 ± 0.01	11.45 ± 0.02
T8 (Corn oil 1%)	5.50 ± 0.57	3.25 ± 0.20	38.19 ± 0.02	11.46 ± 0.02
T9 (Corn oil 2%)	5.92 ± 0.95	3.07 ± 0.27	38.20 ± 0.03	11.46 ± 0.01
T10 (Corn oil 3%)	6.00 ± 0.01	2.71 ± 0.20	38.19 ± 0.02	11.46 ± 0.01
C.D (p ≤ 0.05)	0.406	0.198	NS	NS

Effect of blossom thinners on fruit length, diameter, thickness and L/D ratio of sweet cherry cv_ ‘Sweet Heart’_

Treatment	Fruit length (mm)	Fruit diameter (mm)	Fruit thickness (mm)	Fruit length/diameter ratio
T1 (Control)	17.70 ± 0.21	19.87 ± 0.12	17.25 ± 0.57	0.89 ± 0.01
T2 (ATS 1%)	18.80 ± 0.14	20.97 ± 0.33	17.85 ± 1.20	0.89 ± 0.01
T3 (ATS 1.5%)	19.77 ± 0.33	21.80 ± 0.47	18.60 ± 0.86	0.90 ± 0.01
T4 (ATS 2%)	22.05 ± 0.31	22.85 ± 0.23	19.90 ± 0.92	0.96 ± 0.02
T5 (NAA 20 ppm)	18.65 ± 0.17	20.75 ± 0.55	17.75 ± 0.35	0.89 ± 0.02
T6 (NAA 40 ppm)	19.42 ± 0.26	21.75 ± 0.61	18.10 ± 0.29	0.89 ± 0.01
T7 (NAA 60 ppm)	20.85 ± 0.26	22.42 ± 0.49	19.80 ± 0.6	0.92 ± 0.02
T8 (Corn oil 1%)	18.62 ± 0.18	20.62 ± 0.72	17.65 ± 1.40	0.90 ± 0.02
T9 (Corn oil 2%)	19.00 ± 0.21	21.40 ± 0.40	17.92 ± 0.60	0.88 ± 0.01
T10 (Corn oil 3%)	19.35 ± 0.17	21.57 ± 0.45	18.08 ± 0.70	0.89 ± 0.01
C.D (p ≤ 0.05)	0.238	0.444	0.441	0.019

Effect of blossom thinners on anthocyanin and ascorbic acid content of sweet cherry cv_ ‘Sweet Heart’_

Treatment	Anthocyanin (mg · 100 g−1)	Ascorbic acid (mg · 100 g−1)
T1 (Control)	18.42 ± 0.29	12.22 ± 0.09
T2 (ATS 1%)	19.37 ± 0.48	12.72 ± 0.17
T3 (ATS 1.5%)	19.77 ± 0.38	13.40 ± 0.14
T4 (ATS 2%)	20.87 ± 0.29	13.64 ± 0.12
T5 (NAA 20 ppm)	18.77 ± 0.40	12.72 ± 0.17
T6 (NAA 40 ppm)	19.57 ± 0.35	13.30 ± 0.24
T7 (NAA 60 ppm)	19.85 ± 0.28	13.77 ± 0.12
T8 (Corn oil 1%)	18.85 ± 0.12	12.40 ± 0.14
T9 (Corn oil 2%)	19.42 ± 0.29	13.07 ± 0.09
T10 (Corn oil 3%)	19.45 ± 0.33	13.15 ± 0.12
C.D (p ≤ 0.05)	0.327	0.145

Chemicals and their concentrations used in different treatments_

Treatment	Chemical	Concentration
T1	Water spray (Control)	–
T2	ATS	1%
T3	ATS	1.5%
T4	ATS	2%
T5	NAA	20 ppm
T6	NAA	40 ppm
T7	NAA	60 ppm
T8	Corn oil emulsion	1%
T9	Corn oil emulsion	2%
T10	Corn oil emulsion	3%