scholarly journals 657 Relationship between Intensity of Flowering and Cropping in Fruit and Nuts

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 561C-561
Author(s):  
E.W. Stover
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
Substantial Investment ◽  
Flowering Intensity

The relationship between intensity of flowering and various aspects of cropping will be reviewed for fruit and nuts. Clearly, relatively light flowering can limit yield in most fruit and nut species. This commonly occurs before mature bearing commences and in “off” years for varieties that display alternate bearing. During mature bearing, many species will carry fruit numbers that exceed commercially desired levels, resulting in excessively small fruit and accentuating alternate bearing. The economic disadvantages of excess cropload have resulted in considerable research on fruit thinning and widespread commercial application of this practice. Heavy flowering intensity in some crop species results in economic disadvantages beyond the problems of excessive cropload and resultant small fruit size. Many species flower profusely and have initial fruit set far in excess of final tree capacity, resulting in abscission of numerous flowers and fruitlets. Abscised organs can represent a substantial investment in carbohydrates and nutrients, compromising availability at critical periods in flower and fruit development. The potential implications of this process are best exemplified in navel orange, where an increase in flowering beyond intermediate intensity results in a reduction in both initial fruit set and final fruit yield at harvest. In several crops, there is evidence that fruit size may be reduced by excessive flowering, even when cropload is quickly adjusted to an acceptable level. These data suggest that further research on the advantages of controlling flowering intensity is warranted.

scholarly journals Relationship of Flowering Intensity and Cropping in Fruit Species

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 729-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ed Stover
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Fruit Species ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
Full Production ◽  
Flowering Intensity

The relationship between intensity of flowering and various aspects of cropping are reviewed for fruit species. Relatively light flowering can limit yield in most fruit species. This commonly occurs in young trees that have not achieved full production and in “off” years for varieties that display alternate bearing. When trees mature, many species will carry fruit numbers that exceed commercially desired levels, resulting in excessively small fruit and accentuating alternate bearing. The economic disadvantages of excess cropload have resulted in considerable research on fruit thinning and widespread commercial application of this practice. Heavy flowering intensity in some crop species results in economic disadvantages beyond the problems of excessive cropload and resultant small fruit size. Many species flower profusely and have initial fruit set that greatly exceeds tree capacity, resulting in abscission of numerous flowers and fruitlets. Abscised organs can represent a substantial amount of carbohydrates and nutrients, compromising availability of these materials at critical periods in flower and fruit development. The potential implications of this process are best exemplified in `Navel' orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck], where an increase in flowering beyond intermediate intensity results in a reduction in both initial fruit set and final fruit yield at harvest. In several species, there is evidence that fruit size may be reduced by excessive flowering, even when cropload is quickly adjusted to an acceptable level. These data suggest that further research on the advantages of controlling flowering intensity is warranted.

scholarly journals APPLE FRUIT CHEMICAL THINNING IN CHIHUAHUA, MÉXICO

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 243
Author(s):  
David I. Berlanga-Reyes ◽  
Alejandro Romo-Chacón ◽  
Ángel R. Martínez-Campos ◽  
Víctor M. Guerrero-Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Fish Oil ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Apple Fruit ◽  
Naphthalene Acetic Acid ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Equatorial Diameter ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Golden Delicious

Chemical fruit thinning is a common practice in apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) orchards for achieving high quality fruits, reduced costs of hand-thinning and promote return of flowering. Hand thinning is a common and high cost practice, not only due to the labor involved, but also because seedling and vigorous clonal rootstocks result in large trees. The chemical thinning agents: Ethephon (ETH), Carbaryl (CB), Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 6- Benzyladenine (6-BA), and fish oil were evaluated on ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘RedChief Delicious’ apple trees in 2004 and 2005. Chemical thinning effect was compared with early and late handthinnings. Treatments were sprayed when the biggest fruit in the clusters was 10 mm in equatorial diameter. NAA showed the best effect in reducing final fruit set in both cultivars and years evaluated, with results comparable to those of early hand-thinning (thinned when king-fruit size was 10 mm) in ‘Golden Delicious’ trees. In ‘RedChief Delicious’, fruit set reduction by NAA, fish oil and CB treatments was similar to early hand-thinned trees only in 2005. In 2005, time spent during supplementary hand-thinning in ‘Golden Delicious’ trees was reduced by chemical thinning treatments, except by fish oil; whereas in ‘RedChief Delicious’ only NAA K-salt reduced it in 2004. An increase in fruit equatorial diameter was observed only in 2004 with NAA and fish oil. Alternate bearing, typical of ‘Golden Delicious’, was not diminished by these chemical thinning treatments.

scholarly journals The Potential Use of Metamitron as a Chemical Fruit-thinning Agent in Mandarin

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ockert P.J. Stander ◽  
Johané Botes ◽  
Cornelius Krogscheepers
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Citrus Reticulata ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Total Carbohydrates ◽  
Leaf Carbohydrates ◽  
Potential Use

Under conditions of profuse flowering and excessive fruit set, citrus (Citrus sp.) fruit need to be thinned to increase the size of remaining fruit, reduce the intensity of alternate bearing, or both. Metamitron was recently developed as a chemical fruit-thinning agent for apple (Malus ×domestica) and pear (Pyrus communis), and it inhibits photosynthesis and is thought to transiently reduce the carbohydrate pool in fruit trees. Citrus trees are sensitive to carbohydrate stress during and immediately after flowering, but the response of citrus to foliar treatment with a photosynthesis inhibitor, such as metamitron, is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate metamitron for its effects on leaf carbohydrates and its ability to chemically thin citrus fruitlets. Significant fruit-thinning effects were found in all the experiments conducted over two seasons. A 300 mg·L−1 metamitron treatment reduced leaf sugars and leaf total carbohydrates, and consistently reduced the total number of fruit per tree in both seasons in ‘Nadorcott’ mandarin (Citrus reticulata), irrespective of the timing of application. In the second season, a reduction in fruit yield was reported with an increase in metamitron concentration, both in mass and number of fruit per tree. A 150 mg·L−1 metamitron treatment in November had no fruit-thinning effects, and fruit yield was not different from the control. The application of metamitron did not increase the fruit size of ‘Nadorcott’ mandarin and had no direct effect on other fruit quality attributes in either season. Metamitron can be used as a chemical fruit-thinning agent to reduce fruit numbers in ‘Nadorcott’ mandarin, but an increase in fruit size or quality should not be expected.

scholarly journals 518 Regulating Fruit Set and Maturity of `Macoun' Apples

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 535A-535
Author(s):  
J.R. Schupp
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Apple Cultivar ◽  
Fruit Firmness ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Fruit Characteristics ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
Red Color ◽  
Fruit Maturity

`Macoun' is a high-value apple cultivar in the northeastern United States that is very difficult to produce. It is difficult to thin and prone to alternate bearing. `Macoun' is also prone to preharvest drop. Small fruit size, bruising, and lack of red color are additional obstacles to profitable production. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of two chemical thinning treatments—accel plus carbaryl, or NAA plus carbaryl—with an untreated control. A second objective was to evaluate the efficacy of ReTain for delaying `Macoun' fruit maturity and to determine if there was an interaction between ReTain and thinning treatment on fruit characteristics at harvest. Both thinning treatments were effective in reducing fruit set in 1997. Accel plus carbaryl was effective again in 1998, while NAA plus carbaryl over-thinned. Accel increased fruit size in 1997 compared to unthinned controls, and both thinning treatments increased fruit size in 1998. Accel increased fruit firmness in both years. ReTain reduced preharvest drop and delayed fruit maturity both years. In 1997, firmness was greatest for fruit treated with accel and ReTain, while ReTain had no effect on firmness of fruit from NAA thinned trees. ReTain had no effect on fruit firmness in 1998.

scholarly journals `Empire' Apple Responses to Fruit-thinning Chemicals

HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 765E-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren C. Stiles
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Diameter Ratio ◽  
Time Of Application ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Small Fruit

Effects of NAA at 5, 10, and 15 ppm, Accel at 50, 75, and 100 ppm, NAA at 7.5 ppm plus carbaryl at 600 ppm, and a nontreated control on fruit set, fruit size, length–diameter ratio, seed numbers per fruit, and total yield of fruit were evaluated during the 1994 season. All treatments were applied to 10-year-old `Empire'/M.9/MM.111 trees as dilute sprays at a rate of 935 liters·ha–1 with an airblast sprayer on 3 June. King fruit measured 9–11 mm in diameter at time of application. Fruit set (fruits per 100 blossom clusters) was reduced significantly by Accel at 50 ppm (17%) and by NAA plus carbaryl (26%) in comparison with the nontreated control. Total yield of fruit was increased by all treatments; however, fruit from trees treated with NAA plus carbaryl was significantly larger than that from all other treatments. Percentages of small fruit, <108 g, were reduced by all treatments. Percentage of fruit ≥ 153 g was increased significantly only by NAA plus carbaryl. Length–diameter ratios and numbers of fully developed seeds per fruit were not influenced significantly by treatments. NAA at rates of 5, 10, and 15 ppm, or Accel at 50, 75, or 100 ppm, were less effective than a combination of NAA at 7.5 ppm plus carbaryl at 600 ppm in reducing fruit set and in affecting fruit size or fruit size distribution.

Understanding the fruit sink.

2022 ◽  
pp. 67-91
Author(s):  
T. M. DeJong
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Effects ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Floral Development ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Fruit Growth ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Spring Temperature

Abstract This chapter deals with understanding the fruit sink by studying the floral development and structures; pollination, fertilization, fruit set and types; limitations of fruit growth; thinning effects on fruit growth, size and yield; spring temperature effects on fruit size; nut development and growth; and the condition of alternate bearing.

scholarly journals Temperature Has a Greater Effect on Fruit Growth than Defoliation or Fruit Thinning in Strawberries in the Subtropics

Agriculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Menzel
Keyword(s):  
Opposite Effect ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Fruit Growth ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Fragaria Ananassa ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Mature Leaves ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
Marketable Fruit

Fruit size declines in strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) as the season progresses in many subtropical areas, possibly due to inadequate leaf area, over-cropping, or high temperatures. An experiment was conducted to investigate the importance of these factors on fruit growth in ‘Festival’ in Queensland, Australia. Groups of plants were defoliated to remove half of the mature leaves on each plant, thinned to remove all the inflorescences on each plant, or defoliated and thinned. Control plants were left intact. Defoliation, thinning, or defoliation + thinning decreased yield (total and/or marketable) by 15% to 24% compared with the control. Defoliation, or defoliation + thinning decreased average fruit weight (total and/or marketable fruit) by 1 to 2 g compared with the control, whereas thinning had the opposite effect. The incidence of small fruit increased towards the end of the season. There were strong relationships between fruit weight and average daily mean temperature in the seven weeks before harvest (R2s greater than 0.80). Fruit weight decreased from 24 g to 8 g as the temperature increased from 16 °C to 20 °C. This response was not affected by defoliation or thinning. The strong effect of temperature on fruit size indicates a problem for production in the future in the absence of heat-tolerant cultivars.

Improving fruit size and packout of Late Valencia oranges with ethephon fruit-thinning sprays

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 753 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Hutton
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Cropping Pattern ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Unaffected Control ◽  
Marketable Fruit ◽  
Orange Trees ◽  
Spray Treatment

This study set out to establish concentrations of ethephon sprays that could reliably thin alternate cropping orange trees in a heavy set year to improve fruit quality for fresh marketing. An optimum concentration of ethephon as a thinning agent was identified for the practical control of alternate cropping in Late Valencia oranges. A single, high volume spray of ethephon (as Ethrel, 42-60 mL/100 L water), applied in a heavy-set year at 6-8 weeks post bloom when fruitlet size was 10-15 mm diameter, induced a 15-20% reduction in fruit number. This resulted in significantly improved fruit size and marketable outturn with negligible yield penalty. In the 2 successive harvests following spray treatment, the cropping pattern remained uniform and a 14% improvement in packout (marketable fruit size <100 counts per carton) was maintained. Internal fruit quality was unaffected. Control of alternate bearing was carried forward for at least 2 seasons with relatively stable yields following a single spray treatment.

scholarly journals EFFECTS OF HYDROGEN CYANAMIDE ON APPLE AND PLUM FRUIT THINNING

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 690a-690
Author(s):  
Esmaeil Fallahi ◽  
Brenda R. Simons ◽  
John K. Fellman ◽  
W. Michael Colt
Keyword(s):  
Malus Domestica ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Apple Fruit ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Full Bloom ◽  
Hydrogen Cyanamide ◽  
Fruit Thinning ◽  
Prunus Salicina

Influence of various concentrations of hydrogen cyanamide (HC) on fruit thinning of `Rome Beauty' apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), `Friar,' and `Simka' plums (Prunus salicina Lindley) were studied. A full bloom application of HC at all tested concentrations decreased `Rome Beauty' apple fruit set and yield, and increased fruit weight. Hydrogen cyanamide at 0.25% (V/V) resulted in adequate apple thinning, indicated by the production of an ideal fruit weight. Prebloom and full bloom applications of HC at greater than 0.75% reduced plum fruit set and yield in `Friar.' Full bloom application of HC at 0.25% to 0.50% showed a satisfactory fruit set, yield, and fruit size in `Friar' plum. Full bloom application decreased fruit set and yield in `Simka' plum. Hand thinning, as well as chemical thinning, is recommended for plums.

scholarly journals Effective Pollination Period of Actinidia chinensis ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and A. deliciosa ‘AU Fitzgerald’ Kiwifruit

HortScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 656-660
Author(s):  
Ashley K. Brantley ◽  
James D. Spiers ◽  
Andrew B. Thompson ◽  
James A. Pitts ◽  
J. Raymond Kessler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Alternate Bearing ◽  
Size Index ◽  
Days After Anthesis ◽  
Female Flowers

Commercial kiwifruit production often requires substantial inputs for successful pollination. Determining the length of time that female flowers can be successfully pollinated can aid management decisions concerning pollination enhancement. The purpose of this research was to determine the effective pollination period (EPP) for ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and ‘AU Fitzgerald’. Either 30 (2013) or 32 (2014, 2015) flowers of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ were hand pollinated each day for 1 to 5 (2013) days after anthesis (DAA) or 1 to 7 DAA (2014, 2015), and then isolated to prevent open pollination. Anthesis was considered the day the flower opened. Similarly, ‘AU Fitzgerald’ flowers were pollinated and then isolated 1 to 6 DAA in 2013 and 1 to 7 DAA in 2015. For ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ in 2013, fruit set was consistent over the 5-day period, but fruit weight, fruit size index, and seed number decreased between 1 and 3 and 4 and 5 DAA. In 2014, fruit set decreased between 1 and 6 and 7 DAA, whereas fruit weight, fruit size index, and seed number each decreased in a linear trend. In 2015, fruit set also decreased between 1 and 6 and 7 DAA, whereas all other responses decreased linearly. Based on fruit set in 2014 and 2015, the EPP for ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ was 6 DAA. The EPP for ‘AU Fitzgerald’, however, was more variable. In 2013, fruit weight, fruit size index and seed number decreased between 1 and 4 and 5 and 6 DAA, suggesting that the EPP was 4 DAA. In 2015, fruit set remained consistent over the 7-day period with fruit weight, fruit size index, and seed number decreasing linearly. Differences in temperature and the alternate bearing tendency of kiwifruit species likely contributed to the discrepancies between the years for the EPP. For each cultivar, reductions in fruit weight, size, and seed number were observed before an observed decrease in fruit set. Greater fruit weight, size, and seed number were observed when flowers were pollinated within the first few DAA, with results varying thereafter.

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