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