TITLE:
Effect of Glycine Betaine on Quality and Yield of Little Cherry
AUTHORS:
Jun Zhang, Li Zhai, Jiada Sun, Chunchun Yang, Yi Zhang, Yanan Sun, Zhuojun Wu, Huajun Luo
KEYWORDS:
Little Cherry, Glycine Betaine, Foliar Spraying, Fruit Quality, Yield
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.17 No.4,
April
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: To investigate the effects of glycine betaine (GB) on the quality and yield of little cherry, a foliar spray experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025) using the 6-year-old little cherry variety “Hongfei” as the test material. Three treatment groups (0.1% GB, 0.3% GB, 0.6% GB) and a control group with water were established. Foliar spraying was performed once during the bud break stage (early March), fruit setting stage (early April), and initial fruit enlargement stage (late April). Fruit appearance quality, internal quality, and yield-related indicators were measured. The results showed that the 0.3% GB treatment group exhibited the most significant growth-promoting effect: the average single fruit weight increased by 35.1% compared to the control over two years, with longitudinal and transverse diameters increasing by 15.7% and 12.4%, respectively. The fruit color depth significantly improved, and the soluble solids content reached 18.5%, an increase of 17.1% compared to the control. The vitamin C content increased by 14.2%, while the titratable acid content decreased by 11.0%. The yield per 666.7 m2 reached 768.08 kg (2024) and 807.79 kg (2025), representing increases of 36.0% and 37.7% over the control, respectively. Therefore, foliar spraying of 0.3% glycine betaine solution during critical growth stages of little cherry can significantly improve fruit quality and yield, demonstrating high practical value in little cherry cultivation.