Now Available: Year 1 Report for 2024 Thinning Trial

Chemical thinning... everyone knows exactly what they're doing, right?!? Maybe one day!

If you were interested in the information that I presented at the NSFGA Spring Workshop on March 19, the technical report is now available to summarize the work in more detail.

This report is a progress update that summarizes the results of the first year of a three-year project. In year one the results are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution. However, through this report we wish to share with industry our progress and early interpretations. The project is a collaboration led by Dr. John Cline, University of Guelph, with field work done in Ontario and supported by additional field work in Nova Scotia representing Eastern Canada by Michelle Cortens, Perennia. The current report summarizes only the Nova Scotia site.

This interprovincial project has several objectives, and the two objectives addressed at the Nova Scotia site are to, 

1. Compare and validate crop load management (computer) models to predict and improve thinning outcomes using chemical thinners, and
2. Determine the effect of chemical thinning products, different timings, and concentrations on fruit thinning efficacy of apple.

You can access the report to download and print from the Perennia website.

This project is generously funded through the Canadian Agri-Science Cluster for Horticulture 4, in cooperation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience Program, a Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership initiative, the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, and industry contributors.