Effects of Pre-Pollination Application of 1-Methylcyclopropene on Fruit Set and Stigma Receptivity in 'Housui' Japanese Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai)

Abstract

The effect on fruit set and stigma receptivity of a pre-pollination treatment with 0.75 μl l-1 1-MCP, an inhibitor of ethylene action, was tested in flowers of 'Housui' Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai). 1-MCP increased the fruit set and the number of stigmas with pollen germination in flowers hand-pollinated at 6 and 7 days after anthesis. Twenty hours after in vitro pollination, 1-MCP reduced the ethylene production of pollinated and non-pollinated styles of 1 day after anthesis flowers. Collectively, these results suggest that style senescence was delayed by 1-MCP resulting in the higher fruit set in late pollinated flowers.