Timing, selectivity and varietal response to mechanical thinning of apples and pears

Menzies, A.R.

doi:10.1080/00221589.1980.11514913

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Fitch (1980) recommended the use of tree shaking to thin plum trees in heavy crop years but cautioned about the potential for tree trunk damage. Menzies (1980) used a tree shaker to thin apple and pear (Pyrus communis L.) trees, but found it to be nonselective in fruit sizes removed; apples and short peduncle pears were effectively thinned. Berlage and Langmo (1977) reported that machine thinning of peach trees with an inertia trunk shaker produced a 57% time savings but resulted in a 30% reduction in yield due to overthinning.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical Thinning of Peaches is Effective Postbloom

Glenn¹,

Peterson²,

Giovannini³

et al. 1994

HortSci

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Hand-thinning (Prunus persica L. Batsch) “Y”-trained peach trees at bloom and 51 days after full bloom (DAFB) was compared to mechanical fruit thinning 51 DAFB using a spiked-drum and an impact shaker. The spiked-drum shaker removed more fruit from horizontal branches than from vertical branches, yet did not selectively remove either large or small fruit. Bloom thinning by hand increased fruit size compared to postbloom thinning 51 DAFB, and both postbloom mechanical thinning techniques were as effective as postbloom hand thinning. The spiked-drum shaker may be a better thinning technique than the impact shaker because it transfers less shaking energy to the fruit, can be used in high-density plantings, and does not contact the trunk, lessening the potential for tree damage.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical Thinning of Peaches is Effective Postbloom

Glenn¹,

Peterson²,

Giovannini³

et al. 1994

HortSci

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“…Fruit morphology can also play a role in the success of mechanical thinning. Menzies [103] reported that 'Williams', 'Josephine' and, to a lesser extent, 'Beurré Bosc' could be mechanically thinned successfully, but found that the long flexible peduncle of 'Packham's Triumph' was a major limitation in mechanically thinning this cultivar. However, Seehuber et al [102] attributed successful mechanical thinning of 'Conference' and 'Alexander Lucas' cultivars partly to the steep upright long peduncles, particularly when compared with the shorter flower stalks of apples.…”

Section: Mechanical Thinningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mechanical and hand thinning have been reported to be equally effective in reducing the proportion of small fruit in 'Williams' pears [103]. One advantage of mechanical thinning is the saving in hand-thinning labour costs, the cost of mechanical thinning has been reported to be half that of hand thinning based on 20 ha and 10 years depreciation of the mechanical thinner [102].…”

Section: Mechanical Thinningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Crop Load in European Pear (Pyrus communis L.)—A Review

Bound

2021

Agriculture

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Reducing levels of fruit set is often desirable in many European pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars. With a negative linear relationship between crop load and fruit size, crop load management early in the season minimises wastage of tree carbohydrate resources and provides maximum benefits in terms of fruit size and quality. There are several tools available for managing crop load including hand thinning, chemical thinning, photosynthetic inhibition through shading or application of chemicals, mechanical thinning and pruning. While hand thinning is the most accurate method of reducing excessive crop loads, there are some major drawbacks. With awareness that the early thinning offered by chemical thinning provides distinct advantages with regard to fruit size and other quality parameters, chemical thinning is gaining increasing acceptance in pear production. Some chemicals are used worldwide for thinning, but there are differences between countries and growing regions on recommended application timing and concentrations. The risks involved in chemical thinning can be mitigated by use of a structured approach, using a sequential spray program with both bloom and post-bloom thinners. Knowledge of conditions that impact the carbon balance of the tree and the ability to make use of carbon-deficit conditions are likely to improve the predictability of chemical thinning. Mechanical thinning has potential as a thinning tool, with advantages over chemical thinning in that it is environmentally friendly, can be used in organic production and is not weather dependent. Although artificial bud extinction has not been trialled on pears to date, it has been shown to be economically viable in apple. As it is a precision crop load management method that minimises tree resource wastage, it should be given serious consideration. As growers require large annual yields of high-quality fruit, the aim of this review was to examine current and potential crop load management methods for European pear cultivars and provide a portfolio of available options that can be integrated into a systematic approach for managing crop load.

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“…Therefore, the fruit yield might be reduced after fruit thinning but it helps to produce more marketable fruits. To keep producing marketable fruit and to ensure regular cropping it is essential to reduce the number of developing fruits in "on" years (Menzies, 1980). Buwalda et al (1989) reported that leaving trees un-thinned increased the incidence of natural drop before harvest, and this presumably resulted in the reduced fruit yield, which may be responsible for the apparent yield drop in non-thinning treatments.…”

Section: Yieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Fruit Thinning on ‘Hosui’ Pear Fruit Quality and Yield

Yangchen¹,

Lungki²,

Phuntsho³

2021

BJA

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In Bhutan, naturally occurring local type of pears were grown. Asian or Nashi pears are recent introduction which have become quite popular in eastern Bhutan since it was promoted by Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC) Wengkhar. Although, horticulture has been gaining momentum in recent years, many growers in Bhutan follow traditional methods of crop cultivation and thus, majority of farmers still do not adopt important aspects of fruit production like fruit thinning. In commercial fruit farms elsewhere, fruit thinning is an essential management practice. However, in Bhutan, it is rarely practiced and there is no empirical study on its benefits. Fruit thinning is believed to be beneficial in increasing yield efficiency whilst also sustaining or increasing market returns by improving the fruit size and quality. Thus, a study was conducted in 2019 and 2020 at ARDC, Wengkhar. Effect of hand thinning on Hosui pear was assessed by randomly sampling 15-year-old Hosui trees with four replications – each tree treated as an experimental unit. Canopy of these trees were divided into two equal halves so that one half represents thinning and the other half non-thinning treatments. The treatments were randomly assigned to the two halves of each tree. Hand thinning resulted in significant increase in the fruit weight by 39%, fruit diameter by 12% and fruit height by 12 % over the non-thinning treatments; Total Soluble Solids (TSS) content, an indicator of taste, was greater by 9%. However, the overall yield was lower in the thinning treatments but in the second year of the study, the mean fruit yield in thinning treatments increased by 55% while the yield of non-thinning treatments plummeted by 33%. Hence, the study indicates that fruit thinning has significant effect on fruit quality and yield stability.

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Timing, selectivity and varietal response to mechanical thinning of apples and pears

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Mechanical Thinning of Peaches is Effective Postbloom

Mechanical Thinning of Peaches is Effective Postbloom

Managing Crop Load in European Pear (Pyrus communis L.)—A Review

Effect of Fruit Thinning on ‘Hosui’ Pear Fruit Quality and Yield

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