Focus of Working

The Fruit Thinning WG focuses on both applied and basic research related to fruit abscission, fruit quality, and regular flowering of fruit trees. Most of the research presented in the Fruit Thinning WG concerns the efficacy of different chemical thinners, chemical and mechanical thinning methods allowed in standard and organic fruit production, and the study of environmental factors important for fruitlet abscission. These data are also used to develop algorithms to optimize the efficacy of recently released chemical thinners from various companies, ensuring the best application practices and minimizing the risk of over-thinning. More recently, some WG members have explored the use of computer vision models to collect data for precision thinning.

The group also focuses on the study of other plant bioregulators besides thinners, with an emphasis on technology and precision.

Activities

2025
Meeting: in Alcobaça, Portugal from the 27 February - 1st March. The Convenerwere Carla Fernandez and Carmo Martins.

Participants: 40 researchers from different research Institution and Universities of Europe (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, The Netherlands, UK) and from Israel, South Africa and Chile attended the meeting.

Outputs: the results of the research trials carried out in the previous year were presented. The considered fruit species were apple, peach, cherry, plum. The presentations concerned the efficacy of the new molecules and their efficacy on the new apple cultivar introduced recently; the relationship among compounds efficacy and climate change. Molecular biology to understand the mechanism of action of the molecules and the use of Computer Vision to perform bloom and flower and fruitlet counting were also discussed.

Company corner: The representatives of 5 Chemical companies involved in the Growth regulators attended our meeting.

 

2024
Meeting: in Holovousy, Czech Republic from the 28 February - 1st March. The Convener was Lanar Ludek.

Participants: More than 40 researchers from European research Center and Universities (Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands) and from South Africa, Chile attended the meeting.

Outputs: trials Physiological and molecular aspects and different thinning methods were presented. The main fruit species belonging to Pomefruit and Stonefruit were considered. At the end of the meeting the Chemical companies that were attending the meeting presented and updated their activity in the “Company corner” space. It was proposed to prepare the different contributions producing manuscript in another Acta Horticulture of our Working Group on Fruit thinning.

 

2023
Meeting: Programmed to be held “in presence” in Kfar-Giladi, Israel from 21-23 February, 2023 - organized Michal Ackerman-Lavert, Omer Crane and Alon Samach
Documents: All the research data presented at the Meeting will be collected and published in the Acta Horticulturae
Outputs: The Meeting will concentrate the Precision thinning method as related to bloom density and climate change, on the prediction of the thinning efficacy of the most recent molecules released as thinning agents. The species considered are pomefruit (apple and pear) and stonefruit (peach, apricot, plum and cherry).

2022
Meeting: Meeting organized “online” in Padova, Italy, Convener A. Botton
Documents: Some of the research data presented have been published on the Proceedings of the Eufrin Working Group Symposium Acta Horticulturae 1443.
Outputs: Trials did concentrate on the Physiological aspects and different thinning strategies, Technology and precision thinning. The considered specie were apple and pear. The meeting end with the presentation 4 Chemical companies that did present and update the activity ongoing.

2021
Meeting: Meeting organized “online” in Sint Truiden, Belgium, Convener:
Documents: Trials report distributed by the WG members
Outputs: Invited speaker: Paul O Connor that present Using Computer Vision to Improve Data Import for Precision Thinning Models in Apples. Trials presented by the WG members addressed the relationship between the efficacy of some recent molecules in relation to flowering intensity, the corymb hierarchy to predict thinning efficacy. Technology and precision thinning. The considered specie were apple and pear. The meeting end with the Company corner where the Chemical companies present the recent activity ongoing.