Effect of boric acid on pear fruit set and seed yield

Abstract

The effect of pear bud treatment with boric acid on fruit set and completed seed yield is discussed. The research was conducted from 2023 through 2025 in the forest-steppe of the Altai region’s Ob River area in the M.A. Lisavenko Research Institute of Gardening for Siberia - the division of the Federal Altai Scientific Center of Agro-Biotechnologies (FASCA). The research goal was to determine the impact of boric acid treatment on pear fruit set and seed yield. The research target was the hybrid 37-05-97 (Veselinka × Karataevskaya) developed in FASCA characterized by high yields, high ovary abscission under unfavorable conditions and unstable yield of completed seeds. The two-factor experiment included Factor A - treatment technique, and Factor B - pollination technique. The record branches were treated with 0.03% boric acid solution at budding stage (bud extension) by hand spraying, the control - without any treatment. Statistical processing of the results was conducted using analysis of variance. It was found that under the conditions of the forest-steppe of the Altai region’s Ob River area, boric acid treatment of pear buds had no significant effect on fruit set under both pollination techniques. On 3-year average, pear fruit set was 10.6-15.0%. Seed yield with boric acid treatment in ‘artificial pollination’ variant was higher than that without treatment; in ‘open pollination’ variant - at the control level. Boric acid treatment did not increase completed seed yield. Significant differences between pollination techniques were revealed. Seed yield with artificial pollination was higher than that with open pollination.