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Date: | Tue, 29 Oct 1996 12:42:02 +0000 |
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Kelley Rosenlund wrote -
> Hello All,
> I am trying to get a blueberry account for pollination next
> spring(yeah!!!:))) and the foreman mentioned they were considering using
> g-acid along with bees to increase pollination.
>
> Does anyone have experience with this?
>
> Any side affect to the bees?
>
> Any other info...?
I have no experience of using Gibberellic Acid, but can give you some
'other info'..
Gibberellins are naturally occurring terpenoid compounds that affect
cell enlargement/division. They have often been used to transform
bush/dwarf varieties of crops to 'normal' size. The actual amount of
a Gibberellin needed to cause changes is extremely small, eg 0.006g to
change dwarf corn to 'normal' corn.
Gibberellins can be used to induce seedlessness - as in the Thompson
Seedless grape cultivar - and tend to induce maleness. Grapes are
often given 2 treatments, the first to induce seedlessness and the
second to increase size.
As such, as far as I know, Gibberellic acid does not promote
pollination but crop size, (although someone on BEE-L who is really
in the know about the use of Gibberellic acid may tell me otherwise).
I suspect that whatever the likely effects of GA on bees, the most
important factor is whether it will be applied at the time that bees
will working the blueberrys - I think this is unlikely because GA is
mainly absorbed by plant leaves - and if the owner wishes good
pollination he will ensure that it is not.
Best wishes
Joe
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