In order to reduce early fruit drop and increment fruit production of 'Monte Parnaso' oranges (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck), during the season 2001/2002 orange trees from an 11 years old orchard grafted onto Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. located in Butiá, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were submitted to the following treatments: 1) control (no girdling and no growth regulator sprays); 2) girdling of branches after 10 days of petal drop; 3) girdling of branches after June drop; 4) 5 mg.L-1 of GA3 sprayed 10 days after petal drop; 5) 15 mg.L-1 of 2,4-D sprayed at the end of June drop; 6) 50 mg.L-1 of 2,4-D sprayed at the end of June drop; 7) 10 mg.L-1 of GA3 plus 15 mg.L-1 of 2,4-D sprayed on May 14th, 2001 and May 11th, 2002; 8) combination of treatments 2 and 3; 9) combination of treatments 2, 3 and 7. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with 5 replicates and 3 trees as experimental units. The results indicate that spraying 5 mg.L-1 of GA3 10 days after petal drop increase fruit weight production but reduce fruit average weight in relation to other treatments that enhances the fruit production; spraying 15 mg.L-1 of 2,4-D in November after June drop reduce fruit juice content; and to have higher fruit production one of the following procedures are recommended: girdling of branches or spraying 5 mg.L-1 of GA3 10 days after petal drop, spraying 15mg.L-1 or 50 mg.L-1 of 2,4-D in November after June drop or spraying orange trees with 10 mg.L-1 of GA3 plus 15 mg.L-1 of 2,4-D in May.
Citrus; navel oranges; fruit production
