Paclobutrazol Boost Up for Fruit Production: A Review

Abstract

Paclobutrazol (PBZ), a triazole derivative, has been effectively used to induce and manipulate flowering, fruiting and tree vigour in several perennial fruit crops. Soil application of paclobutrazol has been efficacious in promoting flowering and increasing yield in many fruit crops. However, there are some conflicting reports on its impact on fruit quality parameters. Besides reducing gibberellins level, PBZ increases cytokinin contents, root activity and C: N ratio, whereas its influence on nutrient uptake lacks consistency. The ability of the crops to produce fruits throughout year is of great interest in recent years. Usually it is applied as a soil application in the month of September-November in case of mango. It inhibits gibberellins biosynthesis at kaurene stage and has proved to be reduction of vegetative growth, promising for flower initiation in shoot bud, giving early and profuse flowering, increases fruit yield and improving quality regularly in alternate bearing cultivars. The main aim of this review is to focus upon contemporary information about paclobutrazol in fruit production. The persistence of cultar in orchard soil for a long time and its half-life varies with soil type and climatic conditions, which may severely affect the development of subsequent crops and moved rapidly between the shoot tips and basal nodes both in the acropetal and basipetal directions and persisted for several months. The potential of PBZ to contaminate groundwater at optimum concentrations is low however the risk of its exposure to aquatic life is high. PBZ is considered moderately hazardous for human beings with remote chance of being genotoxic and carcinogenic. In view of the above, optimized use of the PBZ to derive maximum benefit with least undesirable impact on food and environmental safety aspects is suggested.