Uzun ve Siirt Antepfıstığı Çeşitlerinde Hasat Öncesi Ethephon Uygulamasının Hasat Mekanizasyonuna Etkisi.

This thesis was conducted in Gaziantep in 2018 to investigate the effects of pre-harvest ethephon hormone treatments with ripening effects on plants on harvest mechanization of different pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) varieties. Pistachio tree of Uzun and Siirt pistachio varieties (at the age of 40) were used in experiments. Four different ethephon doses (0, 1 000, 3 000, 5 000 ppm) were applied 15 days ahead of two different harvest periods (light, dark). Harvest was performed with a shoulder-type hooked branch shaker. Manual harvest was also performed to make economic analysis. Phenological observation, cluster abscission rate, fruit breaking resistance, endocarp removal force from the seed, flower bud abscission and leaf abscission rates were determined. Also for fruits, split ratios, split space, endocarp colouring, seed colour, endocarp separation, endocarp splitting, 100 endocarped fruit weight, 100 seed weight, 100 red seed coated weight, 100 dry roasted seed weight and 100 seed weight and seed yield were determined. Manual and machine harvests were compared. Applied hormone doses had positive effects on cluster breaking force from the branch and endocarp removal force from the seed, but did not have any significant effects on leaf abscission. The greatest cluster breaking force at both harvest periods was observed in 5 000 ppm treatments of Uzun variety and in 3 000 ppm treatments in light harvest period and 5 000 ppm treatments in dark harvest period of Siirt cultivar. The doses were also prominent for fruit breaking from the clusters. Machine harvest yielded quite fast outcomes as compared to manual harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]