Beatrice Iuliana Sarkadi
Fruit thinning of peach trees research was placed in a private orchard in the western part of Romania, in an area favourable for peach culture. The objective was to observe the impact of chemical thinning with different doses of ethephon 39.5% (Ethrel) upon peaches’ physical and chemical features.The biological material consisted in two peach tree varieties: Spring Lady and Maja. Fruits samples were collected from plots where there were used four concentrations of ethephon 39.5%: 125 ppm, 250 ppm, 350 ppm and 500 ppm. The thinned variants were compared with a control – not thinned variant.The treatment was done after 25 days after fruit binding, when the kernel had 10-12 mm. Out of the two varieties, Maja remarked by the high quantities of sugars and small amounts of acidity in fruits. Fruits’ size was improved when the distance between the fruits on a mixed branch increased. Thinning with 125 ppm ethephon was not sufficient to obtain fruits with a good quality, while 250 ppm ethephon provided medium quality fruits, but not for Extra and Ist quality class. Thinning with 350 ppm and 500 ppm ethephon had results as large and colorful fruits of Extra and Ist quality.
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