Abstract
The use of chemical thinners is an essential component of commercial apple production in Ontario. As chemical thinning options decrease, due to environmental concerns, newer and less toxic alternatives must be found. Benzyladenine (BA), available in the United States as Accel, shows promise as a thinning agent. During the 1994 growing season, Accel was applied under commercial conditions to seven apple cultivars—`McIntosh' (spur), Delicious `Starkrimson', `Empire', `Jonagold', `Golden Delicious', `Jonamac', and Gala `Royal Gala'. Application concentrations ranged from 50 to 75 ppm (a.i. BA), depending on cultivar. Mean king fruitlet diameter at time of application ranged from 9 to 12 mm. The thinning response of Accel was compared with that of traditional chemical (e.g., carbaryl, NAA, or both) or mechanical thinning treatments. At the concentrations used in this experiment, thinning with Accel was comparable or better than traditional methods in the case of `Gala', `Jonagold', `Empire', and `Golden Delicious'. In those cultivar trials displaying an acceptable Accel thinning response, a significant fruit size increase also was observed.
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