Cornell, Extension research mechanical apple blossom thinning
“Because of this region’s humid climate, removing a key contributor like carbaryl from current management practices could create obstacles for growers and make them less competitive,” said Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Mario Miranda Sazo.
Such concerns prompted New York apple producers, CCE educators and Cornell researchers to team up for a recently completed three-year study examining a mechanical blossom-thinning alternative to carbaryl.
Published in the winter 2016 issue of New York Fruit Quarterly, research led by Miranda Sazo and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) scientists Poliana Francescatto, Terence Robinson and Jaume Lordan Sanahuja tested mechanical string thinning on Gala and Honeycrisp apple varieties at Lamont Fruit Farm in Waterport, New York.
Mounted on the front of a tractor, the Darwin string thinner resembles a large weed whacker crossed with a feather duster. Featuring rotating flexible 2-foot-long injection-molded plastic spindles, the machine whips away a third to a half of a tree’s blossoms. What remain theoretically will grow into bigger, healthier fruit.
Woodworth believes Miranda Sazo’s research has already helped Lamont Fruit Farms better position itself should carbaryl exit the industry. “If it goes away, we’re in a good place to react and hopefully remain profitable,” Woodworth said. “And Mario has been a big reason for that. His expertise and energy has made a big impact.”
Miranda Sazo believes mechanical thinning could become a game-changer for apple growers in New York and the Northeast. “We’re on an accelerated learning curve,” he said. “They’ve been testing and using these techniques for several years in Europe – what we’ve done in three is really exciting. It goes to show how much can be accomplished when you pair researchers with highly skilled, forward-thinking growers who are willing to take a risk.”
source: news.cornell.edu
