I ran a MaluSim model using data from the weather station located at the Alson H. Smith, Jr. AREC in Winchester. This will be the last model run for the year.
No forecast data was used in this run. Based on the output, I would expect chemical thinners that were applied May 14-16 to have an average response, while thinners that were applied on and after May 17 to have minimal effect. The effectiveness of thinners is greatly influenced by fruit size, so if the model showed a carbohydrate status that was greater than 20 g per day, and fruitlets were greater than 15 mm at the time of application then chemical thinners may not have been particularly effective.
Growers should compare the results of their chemical thinning program with the modeled carbohydrate status to determine if the model accurately predicted the level of thinning you expected from your applications.
I would appreciate hearing from growers about how they used the model to make chemical thinning decisions. Both positive and negative feedback is appreciated. You can use the comment feature in the blog site, or just send me an email.
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