ID

SPES-110NP

Authors as Published

W. Chester Allen, Graduate Student, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech; Dr. Sherif M. Sherif, Assistant Professor of Pomology, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech

This publication is available in PDF format only.

Chemical blossom thinning in apple orchards is the practice of spraying chemicals during the blossom time to thin the crop. The purpose of blossom thinning is to reduce or prevent the fertilization of a portion of the blossoms that would cause undesired crop loads if left to set fruits. Chemical blossom thinning can be used as a supplemental and/or alternative practice to standard fruit thinning sprays. Increased fruit size, optimized crop load, improved annual bearing, increased return bloom, and more predictable thinning results are all benefits of chemical blossom thinning in apples. This fact sheet describes chemical materials, rates, and models that can be used to maximize the benefits of blossom thinning applications.


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Publication Date

February 11, 2019