Flower (blossom) thinning If current guidelines on rates and timings are observed, over thinning with a chemical blossom thinner is unlikely. The aim is to reduce the cost of hand thinning. Before deciding on blossom thinning it is important to ask: Does …
Winter pruning can reduce the need for flower or fruitlet thinning on trees that regularly set too many fruits On trees which are making excessive numbers of flowers, too many of which set resulting in poor fruit size, spur reduction should be carried out …
Flower thinning involves the removal of a proportion of the flowers (hand or mechanical methods of flower thinning) or alternatively treating flowers in some way to prevent them setting fruits ( chemical methods of flower thinning ). Mechanical methods of …
The foliar nutrient ATS has a very useful side effect as a blossom thinner on apples and other crops. If applied at flowering time, ATS works by desiccating and, therefore, damaging the stigmas and styles of apple flowers, so preventing them from setting …
European and USA researchers devoted much R&D effort in the 1990s to testing the efficacy of endothallic acid (TD 2337-2 or ‘Endothall’) as a blossom thinner for apples. The chemical is a 5% (w/w) active ingredient formulation of dipotassium 7-oxobicyclo …
Pelagonic acid (60% a.i v/v) is registered in the USA as a blossom thinner under the trade name of ‘Thinex’. Trials in the USA have shown it to have some useful activity as a blossom thinner ( Williams, 1994 ). However, in trials conducted at East Malling …
A 79% active ingredient formulation of monocarbamide-dihydrogen sulphate (MCDS or sulfcarbamide), which is marketed in the USA as ‘Wilthin’, has shown promise in USA trials as an apple thinner ( Williams, 1994) . Trials using the product in high volume …
Armothin is a surfactant manufactured by the Azco-Nobel Co Ltd, which has showed useful activity as a blossom thinner on stone fruits. It is a 98% fatty amine polymer. In trials at East Malling, high volume sprays (1000 l/ha) of Armothin at 0.5% active …
Ethephon (Ethrel C) has been tried on many occasions as a blossom thinner for apples ( Irving et al ., 1989 ). However, the sensitivity of apple flowers varies greatly with the stage of flower development. Apple flowers show high sensitivity at the pink …
Urea has been tested and used as a blossom thinner for apples in Germany for many years. It is recommended at 3% to 4% high volume sprays and is especially useful with varieties prone to biennial bearing, such as Elstar ( Graf, 1997 ). The product seems …
Niab
Park Farm Campus
Villa Road
Histon
Cambridge
CB24 9AT, UK
Tel: +44(0)1223 342200
Email: [email protected]
