?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Fruit+thinning+in+organic+apple+growing+with+optimized+timing+and+combinations+strategies+including+(new)+natural+spray+products+and+mechanical+rope-divices&rft.creator=Weibel%2C+Franco+P.&rft.creator=Chevillat%2C+V%C3%83%C2%A9ronique+S.&rft.creator=Tschabold%2C+Jean-Luc&rft.creator=Stadler%2C+Walter&rft.subject=Crop+health%2C+quality%2C+protection&rft.subject=Fruit+and+berries&rft.description=The+aim+of+our+study+was+to+find+new+thinning+methods+for+organic+apple+production+able+to+fulfil+the+standards+of+Bio-Suisse%2C+the+main+label+organisation+of+the+organic+food+sector+in+Switzerland.+The+14+trials+reported+were+carried+out+during+flowering+period+in+2003+and+2004+on+the+cultivars+Pinova%2C+Gala%2C+Maigold%2C+Elstar%2C+Golden+Delicious+and+Otava+at+different+sites.+The+results+confirm+the+good+efficiency+of+mechanical+thinning+with+the+rope+thinner+and+the+thinning+potential+of+vinasse%2C+a+by-product+of+molasses.%0D%0ADifferent+vinasse+products+were+tested+(K-Vinasse%2C+light-vinasse%2C+N-Vinasse)+and+it+was+observed+that+those+containing+less+nitrogen+had+a+minor+thinning+effect.+To+avoid+phytotoxicity+on+leaves%2C+the+concentration+of+NVinasse+should+not+exceed+10+%25.+It+seems+that+for+Gala+higher+concentrations+are+needed%2C+7.5-10%25%2C+whereas+with+Maigold+the+efficacy+of+N-Vinasse+was+the+same+with+the+2.5+%25+concentration+as+with+5+%25+and+10+%25.+On%0D%0Athe+other+hand%2C+partly+good+results+were+obtained+when+N-Vinasse+was+over-concentrated+to+12+%25%2C+applied+at+warm+weather+and+rinsed+with+clear+water+4-6+hours+later+to+avoid+the+phyto-toxic+effect+(%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cburn+%26+rinse%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+method).+Corn+Oil%2C+a+commercial+product+from+New+Zealand%2C+gave+encouraging+results.+Lime+sulphur+didn%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t+effectuate+a+significantly+better+thinning+effect.+The+best+method+tested+(fruit+set+reduction+by+44+%25+and+26+%25+higher+flower+bud+set+next+year)+was+achieved+with+a+combination+of+rope+thinner+and+N-Vinasse%3A+rope+thinner+to+thin+the+peripheral+branches+and+to+exert+a+physiological+stress%3B+and+N-Vinasse+to+thin+the+inner+parts+of+the+canopy+that+the+ropes+can%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t+reach.+Other+tested+products+did+not+show+satisfying+effects.+Trials+also+confirmed+the+importance+of+applying+these+thinning+agents+at+least+two+times%2C+at+the+appropriate+phenological%0D%0Astage+of+flowering+period+(F%2C)+F2+(full+bloom)+and+G+(%3D+F2+of+the+one-year+old+shoots).+Hitting+also+the+flowers+of+the+one-year+old+shoots+is+important+to+break+bi-annual+bearing.+Pollen+tube+growth+was+assessed+by+fluorescence+microscopy.+Almost+complete+inhibition+of+pollen+tube+germination+was+observed+with+Lime+Sulphur+and+over-concentrated+N-Vinasse+(12+%25)+whereas+with+N-Vinasse+at+5+%25+inhibition+was+50+%25+less+compared+to+untreated+styles.+Some+contradictory+results+between+different+trials+we+ascribe+to+the+air+temperature+during+and+after+the+treatments.+It+seems+that+treatments+with+N-Vinasse+should+be+carried+out+at+warm+and+sunny+days+above+16%2C+better+18-20+deg.+C.+to+maximize+phytotoxicity+on+the+styles%3B+whereas+we+recommend+to+apply+the+rope+thinner+during+periods+of+cold+and+clouded+weather+to+maximize+the+thinning+effect+due+to%0D%0Aphysiological+stress+and+shortage+of+assimilates+to+the+fruitlets.+Concrete+practical+recommendations+are+given.&rft.publisher=F%C3%83%C2%96KO%2C+Weinsberg%2C+Germany&rft.contributor=F%C3%83%C2%B6rdergemeinschaft+%C3%83%C2%96kologischer+Obstbau+e.V.%2C+F%C3%83%C2%96KO&rft.date=2006&rft.type=Book+chapter&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F7099%2F1%2Fweibel-2006-thinning-ecofruit-Feb06_5.pdf&rft.identifier=Weibel%2C+Franco+P.%3B+Chevillat%2C+V%C3%83%C2%A9ronique+S.%3B+Tschabold%2C+Jean-Luc+and+Stadler%2C+Walter+(2006)+Fruit+thinning+in+organic+apple+growing+with+optimized+timing+and+combinations+strategies+including+(new)+natural+spray+products+and+mechanical+rope-divices.+In%3A+F%C3%83%C2%B6rdergemeinschaft+%C3%83%C2%96kologischer+Obstbau+e.V.%2C+F%C3%83%C2%96KO+(Ed.)+Proceeedings+of+the+12th+International+Conference+on+Cultivation+Technique+and+Phytopathological+Problems+in+Organic+Fruit-Growing%2C+Weinsberg%2FGermany%2C+Jan+31+-+Feb+2+2006%2C+F%C3%83%C2%96KO%2C+Weinsberg%2C+Germany%2C+pp.+183-197.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F7099%2F