Thinning

Peach, plum and nectarine varieties generally set more fruit than can be grown to a desired size, and thus need to be thinned. The common practice is to do this by hand, which can be very expensive. We have experimented with many different chemical and mechanical approaches to thinning, some of which show potential under the right conditions. We have also conducted research to demonstrate the value of early thinning.

Thinning flowers on mechanically hedged pear trees