Bottle Gourd Female Flower Induction
隐藏域元素占位
Bottle Gourd Female Flower Induction
Application of Plant Growth Regulators for Inducing Female Flowers in Bottle Gourd
Ethephon
When applied to bottle gourds, ethephon inhibits the formation of stamens within specific regions of the plant, thereby achieving the objective of chemical emasculation. Consequently, by spraying ethephon when the floral primordia in the leaf axils at each node are in their "bisexual phase," stamen development is suppressed while pistil development continues—characterized by stigma enlargement, ovule differentiation, and ovary elongation. Ultimately, this process converts male flowers into female flowers, laying a solid foundation for increased yields. According to trials conducted by the Department of Horticulture at the former Zhejiang Agricultural University, treating bottle gourds with ethephon can boost yields by 60%. The specific application methods are as follows:
1. Spraying Method: When the bottle gourd seedlings possess 5 to 6 true leaves, spray them with a 150 mg/L ethephon solution. Apply a second spray 7 to 10 days later (when the plants have approximately 10 true leaves). If transplanting larger seedlings, ethephon may be sprayed onto the nursery bed 2 to 3 days before final field planting; a second application should be performed after the transplanted seedlings have established themselves and resumed growth. This regimen ensures that the entire plant begins bearing female flowers from the 10th or 11th node onward, with continuous female flower production extending up to the 23rd or 24th node. Since the spraying method causes the entire plant to convert to female flowers, it is necessary to leave a certain number of untreated plants to facilitate pollination, whether by bees or through manual means.
2. Shoot-Dipping Method: When the bottle gourd seedlings have 6 to 8 true leaves, apply a few drops of a 100–120 mg/L ethephon solution onto the central "heart" leaves (youngest leaves) of the plant, or briefly dip the shoot tip of the seedling into a container holding the ethephon solution. This technique ensures that ethephon acts exclusively on the shoot tip and its central leaves, leaving the lower sections of the plant unaffected; this approach also eliminates the need to designate separate "control rows" for pollination, thereby contributing to an overall increase in yield per unit area.
Ethephon and Triacontanol
According to trials conducted by the Fujian Provincial Vegetable Research Institute, a mixed spray application of 150 mg/L Ethephon and 1.0 mg/L Triacontanol effectively regulates the balance between the "source" (leaves) and "sink" (flowers and fruits) in bottle gourd plants. This treatment promotes increased branching and vigorous growth, while also significantly boosting both the number of fruits set and the average weight per fruit; compared to the control group, it resulted in a 52% increase in yield—a result superior to that achieved by using Ethephon alone.
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