Crop load management using Artificial Spur Extinction techniques

November 2023 | Presented by Suzanne Bishop, Allan Bros., Washington | Future Orchards® short video

Artificial Spur Extinction (ASE) manages crop load before bloom by reducing floral spur density to a target based on branch capacity. In this Future Orchards® video, Suzanne Bishop of Allan Bros. explains how the technique is used in Washington to create more uniform fruiting and reduce dependence on unpredictable chemical-thinning responses.

Branch cross-sectional area provides a practical way to estimate how many fruit a limb can carry. Surplus spurs are removed before bud break, helping direct tree resources to the remaining fruiting sites and simplifying later hand thinning. The approach also creates better light distribution through the canopy.

The method is particularly valuable where fruit size, colour and return bloom respond strongly to relatively small changes in crop load. ASE therefore combines precision pruning, crop-load measurement and tree physiology into one management system.