Narrative on paclobutrazol

A paper submitted by Alangelico San Pascual in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Hort 230: Fruit
Crops Physiology under the supervision of Dr. CM Protacio

The advent of KNO3 floral bud break technology has still some questions that needs to be
addressed such s its mechanism. There are still unsuccessful incidence in this technology but the
use of Paclobutrazol caused an improvement on this technology.
A study made by Protacio et al. (2000) stated the mechanism of paclobutrazol and its effect on
the different chemical attributes on flowering such as GA and starch contents to explain the
mechanism of flowering in mango. One important information is the gibberellic acid synthesis.
He cited an example saying that Pro Gibb when applied in 100ppm a.i. inhibited flowering in
Africa. In addition, it was found that GA level is negatively correlated with flowering. Lowering
GA concentration was observed in flowering. And was found absent after few weeks of flower
emergence.
In this mechanism, Protacio et al. (2000) examined the GA level of paclobutrazol treated mango
and was found to decrease unlike the untreated with paclobutrazol mango trees. The same
author concluded that there was a threshold level that needs to be met before physiological
event may happen such as GA levels when low may cause flowering. More than the mechanism
of lowering GA concentration on the shoots, starch content which is also negatively correlated
with GA level can also be explored. He tested that in Carabao mango, and trees with
paclobutrazol were found to have higher starch content as compared to the control. It was found
that GA synthesis was inhibited by Paclobutrazol which in consequence promote starch
accumulation.
Furthermore, paclobutrazol is known to be a growth inhibitor while gibberellic acid, which was
first detected in Bakanae disease of rice due to G. fujikoroi which causes the plant to increase in
height but will cause the plant to die due to instability due to height.
Paclobutrazol induces starch accumulation which was needed for production of flowers.
Competence and determination in shoots to shift reproductive phase is the accumulation of
starch in the shoots and the brittling of leaves near the terminal part of the shoot. But
development of photosynthates requires sunlight, high irradiance, high temperature is
necessary. Therefore, even though paclobutrazol is applied and the shoots are already
competent but without photosynthates available due to low irradiance, flowering cannot
proceed.
It is suggested that before application of Potassium nitrate, addition of paclobutrazol as fertilizer
by drenching should be done to improve starch accumulation in the shoots and also to lower the
ga concentration/ levels in the shoots that is known to be inhibitory to flowering. Floral bud
break will be successful also if high irradiance and high temperature will be observed 7 days prior
to spraying and 7 days after spraying to maximize photosynthesis and photosynthates deposition
and accumulation.
Literature cited:
Narrative on paclobutrazol
A paper submitted by Alangelico San Pascual in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Hort 230: Fruit
Crops Physiology under the supervision of Dr. CM Protacio

Protacio CP, Bugante, RD, Quinto J, Molinawe G and Palemo G. 2000. Regulation and Flowering
of Carabao Mango trees by Paclobutrazol. Philipp J Crop Sci. 25(1): 27-33.