EXPERIMENT ON THE POTENTIAL GROWTH REGULATION

OF ARBEQUINA OLIVES WITH PROHEXADIONE CALCIUM

2002 Córdoba, Spain (Pedro Abad Orchard)

Paul Vossen, Diego Barranco, and Antonio Muñoz

The growth regulator Apogee (27.5%) also named Regalis (10%) – trade name Prohexadione
calcium (calcium 3-oxido-5-oxo-4-proionylcyclohex-3-enecarboxylate) has shown good growth
reduction effects on pome fruits such as apple and pear. It has allowed growers of those crops that
have experienced excess vigor problems to limit shoot elongation, reduce pruning needs, reduce
the incidence of fire blight disease, and maintain light penetration into the lower canopy for good
flower and fruit development. On apple and pear, Apogee (27.5%) is applied at a rate of 12-48
ounces per acre and acts to inhibit the biosynthesis of gibberellin, regulating cell elongation.

Thousands of new super-high-density oil olive orchards are being planted every year in Europe,
America, Australia, and South Africa. This super-high-density system has only been evaluated for
nine years, since 1993, and shows great promise for a quick return on investment and reducing
costs of production, especially harvest. One of the problems with the system may be an inability
to control excess vigor when the trees get older, outgrow their space, and get too big to be
harvested with an over-the-row straddle harvester. A growth regulator that could be applied when
needed to stop or slow the growth of these trees would be an excellent tool in maintaining light
penetration, encouraging heavy annul bearing, reducing pruning costs, and keeping the tree stature
around 3 meters for ease of mechanical harvest.

Materials and Methods:

The product Regalis (10%) [BAS 125 10W] Prohexadione-Ca is registered for use in Europe and
was tested at two different rates in an experiment on vigorous Arbequina oil olive trees in Pedro
Abad, Spain near Córdoba at the Todolivo Orchard. Also tested were two different
surfactant/adjuvants in order to see if they assisted in the absorption of the hormone into the leaf.
The trees had been planted in April of 1999 at a spacing of 3.75 x 1.35 meters (1975 trees per
hectare). The tree dimensions were about 3 meters tall and 2.5 meters wide, see table 1.

Applications were made by hand with a backpack sprayer at a rate of 1 liter per tree with five
replications of seven different treatments. The first application was made on May 31, 2002 at an
ambient temperature of 19oC, early in the morning. The shoots were approximately 8 to 24 cm
long. One treatment received a second application on June 25 at an ambient temperature of 18oC,
early in the morning. Groups of three trees were sprayed for each treatment and an untreated guard
tree was left on each side of the treated trees to avoid spray drift effects. Measurements were
made of the initial shoot growth on June 5, 2002 and compared to the end of the season growth
just before harvest on November 14, 2002. Ten shoots were measured on each of the three treated
trees at random on the north and south sides of the tree for a total of 20 shoots per tree.
Measurements were taken in centimeters of growth in the year 2002. Averages were calculated
for each of the seven treatments, five replications, and June and November dates.
 Table 1. EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT PROTOCOL

Nr. Sample Rate Product Rate a.i. Application at Remarks

(1 pr kg/ha) (g/ha) Growth Stage
(BBCH)

1. Untreated
White
2. BAS 125 10 W + 2,5 250 31* ***
Red BAS 160 00 S 1,5 (1500)
3. BAS 125 10 W + 3,75 375 31* ***
Pink BAS 160 00 S 1,5 (1500)
4. BAS 125 10 W + 2,5 250 31* ***
Brown BAS 9075 1 S 0,2 (200)
5. BAS 125 10 W + 3,75 375 31* ***
Yellow BAS 9075 1 S 0,2 (200)
6. BAS 125 10 W + 2,5 250 31* ***
Green BAS 160 00 S + 1,5 (1500)
BAS 9075 1 S 0,2 (200)
7. BAS 125 10 W + 2,5 250 31* ***
Blue BAS 160 00 S f.b. 1,5 (1500)
BAS 125 10 W + 2,5 250 33**
BAS 160 00 S 1,5 (1500)

BAS 125 10 W = Regalis (100 g/kg prohexadione-Ca WG)

BAS 160 00 S = Euro Dash
BAS 9075 1 S = Break Thru S 240

* = 2 to 4 fully developed leaves on new flush of shoot growth (= end of flowering?).

** = 3 to 5 weeks after first application.
*** = Restrict water volume to approximately 50% of what is required for having run-off.
(Break Thru S 240 may otherwise lead to losses due to drip-off).

Results and Discussion

It did not work. There was no significant difference in shoot growth between treatments or
replications, see table 2. The end of season shoot growth measurements show no difference in
shoot elongation between the trees that were treated at any rate, with any of the combinations of
surfactant/adjuvants, or with multiple applications. Either Prohexadione calcium does not work
on olives, the rate used was too low, the material was not adequately absorbed into the leaves, or it
was not adequately translocated within the plant to create an effect on suppression of shoot
growth.

Growth regulation of excess vigor in olive trees could significantly lower fruit production costs.
The use of a growth regulator on super-high-density olive orchards to control excess growth has a
potential for significant use if it were effective and not excessively expensive. Clearly this
material under this treatment protocol is not the answer. There may be a need to look at other
sprayable materials, dwarfing rootstocks, compact varieties, irrigation management, nutrient
management, and pruning as alternatives.
 TABLE 2. EARLY SEASON AND END OF SEASON SHOOT GROWTH COMPARING
ARBEQUINA OLIVE TREES THAT WERE UNTREATED OR TREATED WITH
PROHEXADIONE-CA AND VARIOUS SURFACTANT/ADJUVANTS

Initial growth in June End of Season growth in November

Treatments Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3 Rep 4 Rep 5 Ave. Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3 Rep 4 Rep 5 Ave.
Control 21.33 19.88 23.02 21.67 23.12 21.80 34.37 23.03 30.73 30.95 35.37 30.89
2.5 k/h +
21.52 21.23 24.10 23.47 24.95 23.05 37.63 29.33 34.24 32.13 33.33 33.33
1.5 BAS 160
3.75 k/h + 1.5
19.72 22.18 24.10 21.83 23.48 22.26 43.75 37.73 29.98 30.25 31.82 34.70
BAS 160
2.5 k/h + 0.2
22.52 20.57 26.52 24.97 23.63 23.64 37.72 37.75 39.78 30.48 31.03 35.35
BAS 9075
3.75 k/h + 0.2
22.13 22.87 16.13 24.27 21.30 21.34 32.95 30.15 30.57 32.37 28.53 30.91
BAS 9075
2.5 k/h + 1.5
BAS 160 & 21.05 21.57 22.40 24.67 25.37 23.01 32.32 31.83 34.42 32.02 28.78 31.87
0.2 9075
1st - 2.5 k/h +
1.5 BAS 160
22.08 23.48 23.47 24.73 25.58 23.86 41.13 23.45 32.17 38.82 35.35 34.18
2nd--2.5 k/h +
1.5 BAS 160

Paul Vossen Diego Barranco Navero Antonio Jesús Muñoz

University of California University of Córdoba Gutiérrez
Cooperative Extension Department of Agronomy Ingeniero Agrónomo
2604 Ventura Ave. Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n Paseo de la Victoria, 41-5o A
Santa Rosa, California P. O. Box 3048 14004 Córdoba, Spain
(707) 565-2621 14080 Córdoba, Spain torreon@bohollo.com
pmvossen@ucdavis.edu ag1banad@uco.es