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Spring frosts are usual in many of Spain's fruit-growing areas, so it is common to insure crops against frost damage. After a frost, crop loss must be evaluated, by comparing what crop is left with the amount that would have been obtained under normal conditions. Potential crop must be evaluated quickly through the use of measurements obtainable at the beginning of the tree's growth cycle. During the years 1997 through 1999 and in 86 commercial plots of peach and nectarine [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch], the following measurements were obtained: trunk cross-sectional area (TCA, cm²), trunk cross sectional area per hectare (TCA/ha), estimated total shoot length per trunk cross-sectional area (SLT, shoot m/cm² TCA), crop density (CD, amount of fruit/cm² TCA), fruit weight (FW, g), yield efficiency (YE, kg of fruit/cm² TCA), yield per tree (Y, kg fruit/tree) and days between full bloom and harvest (BHP, days). CD and average FW were related to the rest of the variables through the use of multiple regression models. The models which provided the best fit were CD = SLT - TCA/ha and FW = SLT + BHP - CD. These models were significant, consistent, and appropriate for all three years. The models' predictive ability was evaluated for 32 different plots in 2001 and 2002. Statistical analysis showed the models to be valid for the forecast of orchards' potential yield efficiency, so that they represent a useful tool for early crop prediction and evaluation of losses due to late frosts.

Spring frosts are usual in many of Spain's fruit-growing areas, so it is common to insure crops against frost damage. After a frost, crop loss must be evaluated, by comparing what crop is left with the amount that would have been obtained under normal conditions. Potential crop must be evaluated quickly through the use of measurements obtainable at the beginning of the tree's growth cycle. During 1996 and 1997 and in 95 commercial plots of `Blanquilla' and `Conference' pear (Pyrus communis L.), the following measurements were obtained: trunk cross-sectional area (TCA, cm²), space allocated per tree (ST, m²), trunk cross-sectional area per hectare (TCA/ha), flower density (FD, number of flower buds/cm² TCA), flower density per land area (FA, number of flower buds/m² land area), cluster set (CS, number of fruit clusters/number of flower clusters, %), crop density (CD, number of fruit/cm² TCA), fruit clusters per trunk cross-sectional area (FCT, number of fruit clusters/cm² TCA), fruit clusters per land area (FCA, number of fruit clusters/m² land area), fruit number per cluster (FNC), average fruit weight (FW, g), average yield per fruit cluster (CY, g), yield efficiency (YE, fruit g·cm^-2 TCA), and tree yield (Y, fruit kg/tree). CS and average CY were related to the rest of the variables through the use of multiple regression models. The models that provided the best fit were CS = TCA/ha - FA and CY = -FA - FCT. These models were significant, consistent, and appropriate for both years. Predicted yield per land area was obtained by multiplying FA × CS × CY. The models' predictive ability was evaluated for 46 different plots in 2001 and 2002. Statistical analysis showed the models to be valid for the forecast of orchards' potential yield efficiency, so that they represent a useful tool for early crop prediction and evaluation of losses due to late frosts.

Spring frosts are usual in many of Spain's fruit-growing areas, so it is common to insure crops against frost damage. After a frost, crop loss must be evaluated, by comparing what crop is left with the amount that would have been obtained under normal conditions. Potential crop must be evaluated quickly through the use of measurements obtainable at the beginning of the tree's growth cycle. During the years 1998 and 1999 and in 62 commercial plots of `Golden Delicious' and `Royal Gala' apple (Malus ×domestica Borkh.), the following measurements were obtained: trunk cross-sectional area (TCA, cm²), space allocated per tree (ST, m²) trunk cross-sectional area per hectare (TCA/ha), flower density (FD, number of flower buds/cm² TCA), flower density per land area (FA, number of flower buds/m² land area), cluster set (CS, number of fruit clusters/number of flower clusters, percent), crop density (CD, number of fruit/cm² TCA), fruit clusters per trunk cross-sectional area (FCT, number of fruit clusters/cm² TCA), fruit clusters per land area (FCA, number of fruit clusters/m² land area), fruit number per cluster (FNC), average fruit weight (FW, g), average yield per fruit cluster (CY, g), yield efficiency (YE, fruit g·cm^-2 TCA), and tree yield (Y, fruit kg/tree). FCT and average CY were related to the rest of the variables through the use of multiple regression models. The models which provided the best fit were FCT = FD - TCA/ha - FD and CY= -FCA - FCT. These models were significant, consistent, and appropriate for both years. Predicted yield per land area was obtained by multiplying TCA/ha × FCT × CY. The models' predictive ability was evaluated for 64 different plots in 2001 and 2002. Statistical analysis showed the models to be valid for the forecast of potential yields in apple, so that they represent a useful tool for early crop prediction and evaluation of losses due to late frosts.

Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Peach Group] tree productivity is improved if trees are thinned early, either in full bloom or when the fruit is recently set. Chemical thinning reduces the high cost of manual thinning and distributes the fruit irregularly on the shoots. The effect is similar to a late spring frost that mostly affects early flower buds on the tip of the shoot. To simulate frost damage (or chemical thinning) and evaluate the effect of fruit distribution on production, fruit growth of several peach cultivars—'Catherine', `Baby Gold 6', `Baby Gold 7', `O'Henry', `Sudanell' and `Miraflores'—and the nectarine [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Nectarine Group] `Queen Giant' was studied in the central Ebro Valley (Spain) in 1999 and 2000. The factors investigated were the intensity of thinning and fruit distribution on the shoot (concentrated in the basal area or uniformly placed). The treatments were performed at 30 days after full bloom in 1999 and at bloom in 2000. For `Baby Gold 6' and `Miraflores' and when fruit load was high after thinning (over four fruit per shoot), a high concentration of fruit on the basal portion of the shoot had a negative influence on final yield and fruit size. The intensity of thinning (or simulated frost) greatly affected fruit diameter but was also strongly related to cultivar, tree size, and length of shoots. Thus, relationships between thinning intensity and fruit diameter varied, even among trees of the same cultivar.