Abstract
Abstract The effects of time and level (fruit number/tree) of hand thinning on fruit size were investigated for ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Braeburn’ apple ( Malus domestica (Borkh.)) trees growing on dwarfing rootstocks. Early thinning resulted in larger fruit at harvest in three separate experiments whereas the number of fruit per tree had a significant influence on mean fruit weight in only one experiment. Compared to thinning at full bloom (FB), mean fruit weight of ‘Royal Gala’ at harvest was reduced by 16% when thinning was delayed by 3–4 weeks after full bloom (WAFB), with a much smaller decrease in weight with further delay. ‘Braeburn’ gave the opposite pattern, with the greatest loss in mean fruit size at harvest being recorded when thinning was delayed by 8 WAFB. Thinning 4 or 8 WAFB resulted in a 17% decrease in leaf area per tree of ‘Royal Gala’ compared to thinning at FB, whereas laterthinning of ‘Braeburn’ reduced leaf area per tree by 6% per 4 weeks delay in thinning. Removal of fruit from ‘Braeburn’ spurs at FB reduced spur leaf size, king flower receptacle diameter/dry weight, and bourse shoot length on that spur in the year after treatment compared to removal at a later time.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Early thinning produced larger fruit at harvest in three experiments.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Early thinning resulted in larger fruit at harvest in three separate experiments”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit number per tree significantly influenced mean fruit weight in one experiment.
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“the number of fruit per tree had a significant influence on mean fruit weight in only one experiment”
Claim · model-written summary
Delaying Royal Gala thinning by 3–4 weeks reduced harvest mean fruit weight by 16% versus full bloom thinning.
- Material
- Royal Galae0
- Treatment
- thinning was delayed by 3–4 weeks after full bloome0
- Outcome
- mean fruit weighte0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 16%e0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“mean fruit weight of ‘Royal Gala’ at harvest was reduced by 16% when thinning was delayed by 3–4 weeks after full bloom (WAFB)”
Claim · model-written summary
Further delay caused a much smaller Royal Gala weight decrease.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“with a much smaller decrease in weight with further delay”
Claim · model-written summary
Braeburn had its greatest fruit size loss when thinning was delayed to 8 WAFB.
- Material
- Braeburne0
- Treatment
- thinning was delayed by 8 WAFBe0
- Outcome
- mean fruit sizee0
- Direction
- greatest losse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“‘Braeburn’ gave the opposite pattern, with the greatest loss in mean fruit size at harvest being recorded when thinning was delayed by 8 WAFB”
Claim · model-written summary
Royal Gala leaf area per tree decreased 17% after thinning at 4 or 8 WAFB versus full bloom.
- Material
- Royal Galae0
- Treatment
- Thinning 4 or 8 WAFBe0
- Outcome
- leaf area per treee0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- 17%e0
- Comparator
- thinning at FBe0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Thinning 4 or 8 WAFB resulted in a 17% decrease in leaf area per tree of ‘Royal Gala’ compared to thinning at FB”
Claim · model-written summary
Later Braeburn thinning reduced leaf area per tree by 6% per four week delay.
- Material
- Braeburne0
- Treatment
- laterthinninge0
- Outcome
- leaf area per treee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 6% per 4 weekse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“laterthinning of ‘Braeburn’ reduced leaf area per tree by 6% per 4 weeks delay in thinning”
Claim · model-written summary
Removing Braeburn fruit at full bloom reduced spur leaf size the following year versus later removal.
- Material
- Braeburne0
- Treatment
- Removal of fruite0
- Outcome
- spur leaf sizee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- removal at a later timee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Removal of fruit from ‘Braeburn’ spurs at FB reduced spur leaf size, king flower receptacle diameter/dry weight, and bourse shoot length on that spur in the year after treatment compared to removal at a later time”
Claim · model-written summary
Removing Braeburn fruit at full bloom reduced king flower receptacle diameter and dry weight the following year.
- Material
- Braeburne0
- Treatment
- Removal of fruite0
- Outcome
- king flower receptacle diameter/dry weighte0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- removal at a later timee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Removal of fruit from ‘Braeburn’ spurs at FB reduced spur leaf size, king flower receptacle diameter/dry weight, and bourse shoot length on that spur in the year after treatment compared to removal at a later time”
Claim · model-written summary
Removing Braeburn fruit at full bloom reduced bourse shoot length the following year.
- Material
- Braeburne0
- Treatment
- Removal of fruite0
- Outcome
- bourse shoot lengthe0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- removal at a later timee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Removal of fruit from ‘Braeburn’ spurs at FB reduced spur leaf size, king flower receptacle diameter/dry weight, and bourse shoot length on that spur in the year after treatment compared to removal at a later time”