Abstract
In apple (Malus domestica), the level and timing of crop load have a major impact on the final fruit size and can also play a role in optimising internal fruit quality. Ideal crop loads vary with cultivar, but very few cultivars have recommended crop load targets that consider the effect of crop load on both return bloom and fruit quality. To address this issue, studies examining a range of crop loads and thinning times were undertaken on several apple cultivars. Return bloom and multiple fruit quality parameters were examined. The results of these studies demonstrate positive effects for early thinning, not only on fruit size but also on firmness and soluble solids content. Early-thinned fruit showed higher sugar levels than late-thinned fruit. Previously undemonstrated positive relationships between fruit sugar content and weight and between fruit firmness and weight in both ‘Fuji’ and ‘Delicious’, as well as between fruit sugar content and fruit firmness in ‘Delicious’, indicate that early thinning is a valuable tool in improving fruit quality. The current target crop load recommendations of 4–6 fruit cm−2 trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) for ‘Fuji’ and 2–4 fruit cm−2 TCSA for ‘Delicious’ are confirmed by this study. New recommendations are proposed for the other cultivars in this study taking into account the impact of crop load on both fruit quality and return bloom. Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom, but fruit quality is compromised; hence, lower targets in the range of 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSA are recommended. Large fruit size and good return bloom can be maintained in ‘Jonagold’ at crop loads of eight fruit cm−2 TCSA, while crop loads of four fruit cm−2 TCSA are suggested for ‘Braeburn’ to sustain regular bearing and good fruit size.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Early thinning improved fruit size, firmness and soluble solids content.
- Taxon
- Apple
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- early thinninge0
- Outcome
- fruit sizee0
- Direction
- positive effectse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“positive effects for early thinning, not only on fruit size but also on firmness and soluble solids content.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-thinned fruit had higher sugar levels than late-thinned fruit.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- Early-thinnede0
- Outcome
- sugar levelse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- late-thinnede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Early-thinned fruit showed higher sugar levels than late-thinned fruit.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit sugar content was positively related to fruit weight in Fuji and Delicious.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Fuji’ and ‘Delicious’e0
- Outcome
- fruit sugar content and weighte0
- Direction
- positivee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“positive relationships between fruit sugar content and weight and between fruit firmness and weight in both ‘Fuji’ and ‘Delicious’”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit firmness was positively related to weight in Fuji and Delicious.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Fuji’ and ‘Delicious’e0
- Outcome
- fruit firmness and weighte0
- Direction
- positivee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“positive relationships between fruit sugar content and weight and between fruit firmness and weight in both ‘Fuji’ and ‘Delicious’”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit sugar content was positively related to firmness in Delicious.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Delicious’e0
- Outcome
- fruit sugar content and fruit firmnesse0
- Direction
- positivee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“between fruit sugar content and fruit firmness in ‘Delicious’”
e1“positive relationships”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
The existing Fuji crop load target of 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSA was confirmed.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Fuji’e0
- Outcome
- target crop load recommendationse0
- Value
- 4–6 fruit cm−2e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The current target crop load recommendations of 4–6 fruit cm−2 trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) for ‘Fuji’ and 2–4 fruit cm−2 TCSA for ‘Delicious’ are confirmed by this study.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
The existing Delicious target of 2–4 fruit cm−2 TCSA was confirmed.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Delicious’e0
- Outcome
- target crop load recommendationse0
- Value
- 2–4 fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The current target crop load recommendations of 4–6 fruit cm−2 trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) for ‘Fuji’ and 2–4 fruit cm−2 TCSA for ‘Delicious’ are confirmed by this study.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Pink Lady supported up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without affecting return bloom.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Pink Lady’e0
- Outcome
- return bloome0
- Direction
- without impactinge0
- Value
- eight fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Gala supported up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without affecting return bloom.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Gala’e0
- Outcome
- return bloome0
- Direction
- without impactinge0
- Value
- eight fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit quality was compromised at eight fruit cm−2 TCSA in Pink Lady.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Pink Lady’e0
- Outcome
- fruit qualitye0
- Direction
- compromisede0
- Value
- eight fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom, but fruit quality is compromised”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit quality was compromised at eight fruit cm−2 TCSA in Gala.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Gala’e0
- Outcome
- fruit qualitye0
- Direction
- compromisede0
- Value
- eight fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom, but fruit quality is compromised”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
A target of 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSA was recommended for Pink Lady.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Pink Lady’e0
- Outcome
- lower targetse0
- Value
- 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom, but fruit quality is compromised; hence, lower targets in the range of 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSA are recommended.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
A target of 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSA was recommended for Gala.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Gala’e0
- Outcome
- lower targetse0
- Value
- 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Gala’ can support crop loads of up to eight fruit cm−2 TCSA without impacting return bloom, but fruit quality is compromised; hence, lower targets in the range of 4–6 fruit cm−2 TCSA are recommended.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Jonagold maintained large fruit and good return bloom at eight fruit cm−2 TCSA.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Jonagold’e0
- Outcome
- Large fruit size and good return bloome0
- Direction
- maintainede0
- Value
- eight fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Large fruit size and good return bloom can be maintained in ‘Jonagold’ at crop loads of eight fruit cm−2 TCSA”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Four fruit cm−2 TCSA was suggested for Braeburn to sustain regular bearing and fruit size.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticat0
- Material
- ‘Braeburn’e0
- Outcome
- regular bearing and good fruit sizee0
- Value
- four fruit cm−2 TCSAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop loads of four fruit cm−2 TCSA are suggested for ‘Braeburn’ to sustain regular bearing and good fruit size.”
t0“Apple Cultivars”
The same questions in other papers
pruning · yield · Malus domestica (apple)Positive and negative results
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