Hormonal control of splitting in ‘Nova’ mandarin fruit

Fruit splitting, a physiological disorder of peel development in citrus, has been studied in terms of peel thickness and puncturing resistance in ‘Nova’ mandarins. Both features are negatively correlated with splitting. A mixture of G A, and 2,4-D reduced significantly the percentage of affected fruits. The best results were obtained with two applications at 60 and 30 d before the anticipated onset of the disorder. Calcium nitrate applications have similar effects, but were ineffective in orchards with a low natural incidence of splitting.