Fruit Thinning Treatments-May 9, 2019

The average fruit size for Gala, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady in Winchester today is 13.19, 13.08 and 14.06 mm, respectively. Although 6-BA-carbaryl or NAA-carbaryl mixes can still be effective at this stage, thinning applications will not be possible during the rest of this week & weekend due to the rain. On the other hand, the thinning model predicts a carbohydrate surplus next week, making thinning a bit challenging. The recommended options for next week are: a) Increase the rate of thinning materials by 15-30% according to the model outputs (note: another update will be posted on my blog on Monday, May 13), b) Wait until your apples approach an appropriate size (19-25 mm) for rescue thinning applications.

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About S. Sherif

Dr. Sherif M. Sherif is an Associate Professor of Horticulture at the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech, USA. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in horticulture from Alexandria University, Egypt, and his doctorate in plant agriculture from the University of Guelph, Canada. Dr. Sherif's broad research experience in molecular biology, plant development, and tree physiology has led him to lead several research projects focusing on the biotic and abiotic factors affecting fruit trees' production, sustainability, and competitiveness. Sherif's current research program at Virginia Tech focuses on frost mitigation strategies, precision crop load management, high-density production systems, molecular regulation of critical horticultural traits, and germplasm development.