Effects of Different Crop-Load and Ethephon Treatments on Yield, Quality and Biochemical Parameters of Erciş Grape Cultivar

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different crop-load and ethephon treatments on yield, quality and biochemical characteristics of Erciş grape cultivar in 2017. Experimental vines were grown on their own roots and trained in gobble style. Following the fruit-set, cluster thinning was performed as to have two different fruit loads (20 and 30 cluster/vine). Ethephon (CEPA 2-Chloroethylphosphonic acid) was sprayed externally only to the clusters in 4 different doses (0-100-500-1000 ppm) twice 7th and 14th days after veraison. Crop loads and ethephon treatments had significant effects on vine yield, cluster width, 100-berry weight, berry length and width, L* and b* values, syringic and p-coumaric acid contents of Erciş grapes. In both crop loads, as compared to the control, ethephon doses generally decreased vine yield, cluster weight, length and width, berry length, width and 100-berry weight, tartaric and malic acid contents, pH and total acidity and increased soluble solid contents. © 2020, Centenary University. All rights reserved.