1. OptiThin - Precision Fruiticulture by Tree-Specific Mechanical Thinning

Apple cultivars show biennial fluctuations in yields (alternate bearing). The phenomenon is induced by reduced yields in one year due to freeze damage, low pollination rate or other reasons. Consequently, trees develop many flower buds that blossom in the following year. The many flowers lead to a high number of small fruits that won’t be accepted on the market. Endogenous factors (phytohormones and carbohydrate allocation) subsequently establish the biennial cycle. The alternate bearing... A. Betz, H. Benny, M. Jens, M. Özyurtlu, M. Pflanz, T. Rachow-autrum, A. Schischmanow, M. Scheele, J. Schrenk, L. Schrenk, M. Zude, R. Gebbers