Articles
THE GROWTH RETARDANT UNICONAZOLE IS AN EFFECTIVE BLOSSOM THINNER FOR ‘BING’ CHERRY (PRUNUS AVIUM)
Article number
1020_69
Pages
513 – 519
Language
English
Abstract
Small fruit size is one of the limiting factors in marketing cherries (Prunus avium L.). Several techniques have been used to improve fruit size; among them, blossom and fruit thinning in order to reduce crop load have proved effective.
Unfortunately, hand thinning is very costly, and chemical thinning has proved ineffective or inconsistent.
In the present study, carried out in two consecutive years (2006-2007), application of uniconazole (E-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl-1-penten-3-ol) at 100-125 mg L-1, in the form of 0.2-0.25% MagicTM, at 30% full bloom, reduced the fruit-set of Bing cherry fruit.
As a result, time spent in hand- thinning was reduced by about 50% and the crop load by about 40%, and there was a considerable shift to larger fruit size (>26 mm), provided the crop load was not too low.
No negative effects were observed for return bloom and yield in the following year.
Unfortunately, hand thinning is very costly, and chemical thinning has proved ineffective or inconsistent.
In the present study, carried out in two consecutive years (2006-2007), application of uniconazole (E-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl-1-penten-3-ol) at 100-125 mg L-1, in the form of 0.2-0.25% MagicTM, at 30% full bloom, reduced the fruit-set of Bing cherry fruit.
As a result, time spent in hand- thinning was reduced by about 50% and the crop load by about 40%, and there was a considerable shift to larger fruit size (>26 mm), provided the crop load was not too low.
No negative effects were observed for return bloom and yield in the following year.
Publication
Authors
R.A. Stern, A. Raz, M. Goldway
Keywords
fruit size, Prunus avium L., thinning, crop load
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