Growers are finding it increasingly difficult to find a workforce to manually thin fruit crops, and the cost of farm labor is increasing. Glozer and Hasey (2006) estimated that hand thinning labor represented 31% of all cultural costs associated
It is well established that peach ( Prunus persica L. Batsch) requires some form of thinning early in the growing season to produce a crop of marketable size fruit ( Byers et al., 2003 ; Havis, 1962 ; Tukey and Einset, 1938 ). Early studies by
vivipary can occur when green shucks fail to dehisce, and is often associated with high humidity between the shell and shuck and high air temperatures during ripening ( Sparks et al., 1995 ). Mechanical fruit thinning has been used as a tool to minimize the
of action are normally made during this period to reduce fruit set to commercially acceptable levels that eliminate the need for hand thinning, increase fruit size at harvest, and increase the probability of adequate return bloom in the next year
Mechanical methods of thinning fruit trees such as high-pressure spray guns, tree shakers, club thinning, rope thinners, drum shakers, and string thinners can produce a thinning response in stone fruits and some nut crops ( Dennis, 2000 ). There has
). Successful implementation of minimal or machine pruning in vineyards often requires hand follow-up or fruit thinning to achieve desired fruit maturity and composition ( Fendinger et al., 1996 ; Fisher et al., 1996a , 1996b ; Morris, 2005 ; Petrie and
In South Africa and elsewhere in the world, the use of synthetic plant growth regulators (PGRs) as chemical fruit-thinning agents is a common cultural practice of citrus fruit production to increase fruit size and other important quality attributes
Fruit of `Mohawk' in 1986 and 1988 and `Shoshoni' pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] in 1986 were thinned during early August using a pecan shaker with modified shaker pads. Fruit removed ranged from 44% to 57% of the crop load. Fruit thinning increased nut size of `Mohawk' in both years, but did not affect nut size of `Shoshoni'. Kernel percentage of thinned `Mohawk' and `Shoshoni' trees increased, and kernel grade of `Mohawk' improved relative to unthinned trees. Return bloom of `Mohawk' was not affected either year by thinning, but return bloom on `Shoshoni' was increased by thinning. Mechanical fruit thinning appears to be a useful commercial tool until better thinning methods are available.
purpose of this investigation was to confirm the effect of ProCa on fruit set and to examine several chemical thinning strategies that may be used to effectively and appropriately thin ProCa-treated apple trees. Materials and Methods Expt. 1
; Wiedemann and Neinhuis, 1998 ). Cultural practices such as pruning, fruit thinning, and irrigation could promote the occurrence of cuticular cracks by acting on fruit growth, its water balance, and cuticle strain. Orchard management practices such as