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Response of several apple tree cultivars to chemical thinner sprays

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2003

George Ouma  and
Frank Matta
George Ouma
Affiliation:
Department of horticulture, Maseno University, PO box 333, Maseno, Kenya
Frank Matta
Affiliation:
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
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Abstract

Introduction. The chemical fruit thinning of apple trees carried out after flowering is a current practice used to improve fruit size and quality, to ensure the return of flowering and to reduce the biennial bearing. Our work studied the effectiveness of two particular chemical thinners (Accel and carbaryl) applied to three apple tree cultivars, and their effects on the fruit yield and quality. Materials and methods. Two identical experiments were undertaken on mature apple trees in 1995 and 1996. They made it possible to test spraying after flowering of Accel and carbaryl at three different concentrations and applied to the three `Empire', `Jan-A-Red' and `Braeburn' apple tree cultivars. The effect of the chemical substances was evaluated with parameters of fruit set, fruit quality and yield. Results and discussion. For the three apple tree cultivars studied, the spraying of Accel and carbaryl made it possible to reduce the fruit set and to improve the apple yield, pH and soluble solids concentrations. However, the treatments did not affect the fruit seed number, the fruit length and diameter, or the [fruit length / fruit diameter] ratio. Conclusion. With the concentrations used, Accel and carbaryl were effective for thinning the three apple tree cultivars tested. These chemical thinners increased yield and improved certain parameters of the apple quality.

Keywords

USAMalusvarietiescultivationthinningdefruitingchemical pruningfruitsyieldsÉtats-UnisMalusvariétépratique culturaleéclaircissagesuppression de fruitstaille chimiquefruitsrendement
Type
Research Article
Information
Fruits , Volume 58 , Issue 5 , September 2003 , pp. 275 - 281
Copyright
© CIRAD, EDP Sciences

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