THE ECONOMICS OF HAND-THINNING D’ANJOU PEARS IN THE HOOD RIVER VALLEY OF OREGON, USA

In an effort to assess the economic impact of hand thinning in d’Anjou pears, a research study was conducted for the crop years 1994–1995. The research took place on a 5 acre block of 12-year-old pear trees planted on a 3 × 6 m. spacing.
The d’Anjou pear trees were interplanted with Bartlett and Bosc trees for pollination.
The d’Anjou pears were thinned by hand to a given number of fruit per cluster (FPC): one, two, and three FPC as well as a control.
The four treatments were replicated five times and randomized within the 5 acres.
This method of thinning was preferred because of the simplicity in explaining the technique to orchard workers.
There were three objectives we were trying to meet: 1) was hand-thinning d’Anjou pears profitable, 2) could fruit size be increased, and 3) could the number of boxes of fruit per acre be decreased.
The third objective could increase overall pear prices if a significant number of acres in the Pacific Northwest were thinned.
Thinning in both years proved to be profitable.
Thinning to three FPC returned the most money to the grower after all costs of thinning, harvesting and packing.
In 1994, thinning to three FPC returned an additional US$210 per hectare and 1995 returned US$ 1,606 per hectare.
Thinning did increase fruit size and again, thinning to three FPC did result in a greater percentage of larger fruit.
However, thinning to three FPC also increased the number of packed boxes per hectare.

VII International Symposium on Pear Growing

D.J. Wells, C. Wells, C.F. Seavert

Profitability, fruit size, yield

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.475.47