Pre-Harvest Drop Control

In my exploration of preharvest fruit drop (PFD) in apples, my team and I delve into the intricacies of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs), specifically AVG and 1-MCP. Our research quest seeks to unravel how the timing and concentration of these PGRs impact PFD. We invest significant effort in studying varying application schedules and their outcomes, rather than focusing solely on the quantity of the application.

Furthermore, we've launched an intriguing investigation into the interplay of these PGRs and the apple ripening process. Our aim is to comprehend how AVG and 1-MCP could affect attributes of fruit quality, such as firmness, skin color formation, and starch degradation. This research direction comes from the understanding that any attempt to control PFD by curbing ethylene synthesis or perception would inherently influence fruit maturity.

A particularly intriguing facet of our research involves a single treatment of AVG, applied three weeks before anticipated harvest. We're probing into its efficacy in preventing fruit splitting, especially when compared to a single application of 1-MCP or a combination of AVG and GA4+7. This aspect is particularly important for apple varieties such as 'Gala', which are susceptible to stem-end splitting (SES).