CHEMICAL THINNING OF APPLE: SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

Chemical thinning is widely used commercially in South Africa to control fruit numbers on apple trees, and to a lesser extent on pear trees, in order to achieve the required export quality in terms of fruit size and coloration and overcome alternate bearing.
Chemical thinning in South Africa is complicated by the extended blossom period experienced in most production areas.
The protracted flowering is due to delayed foliation resulting from a lack of winter chilling exacerbated by climate change.
South Africa is also unique in the use of the combined products 6-benzyladenine (6-BA) and gibberellin₄₊₇ (GA₄₊₇) in chemical thinning and russet control programs on apple.

EUFRIN Thinning Working Group Symposia

K.I. Theron

Malus domestica Borkh., climate change, 6-benzyladenine, gibberellin₄₊₇, 1-naphthylacetic acid, 1-naphtylacetamide

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.998.9