I’ve uploaded the slides that I presented at the Breakfast Meeting at the AREC on April 12. The slides include the MaluSim carbohydrate model that I ran for Winchester on April 11. The model is dependent upon local weather data, so it may have minimal relevance for conditions in other parts of the state. The model is best used to predict the activity of thinning chemicals immediately after they have been applied. In other words, the future prediction of carbohydrate balance is more important than what the model shows for the past carbohydrate balance. I’ll run the model again early next week as we get closer to the 8-12 mm fruitlet size.

I also show data for fruitlet sizes at the AREC, and rainfall to date. Needless to say, the soil is already very dry and newly planted trees should be irrigated as soon as possible to reduce transplant shock. In Winchester, there’s only a minimal chance of rain predicted for the next 10 days.