Ruby Pink fruit quality in singles versus clusters

7 May 2014 | Virginie Grégoire, Fruit Growers Victoria | Future Orchards® trial report

This Future Orchards® trial at Three Bridges, Victoria investigated how fruiting in singles versus clusters affected the quality of Ruby Pink™ apples. The work formed part of the applied Focus Orchard trial program, where local questions were tested under commercial orchard conditions.

The comparison is relevant because fruit number and position within a cluster influence competition for light, carbohydrates and water. Separating fruit into singles may alter size, colour and uniformity, but it can also increase thinning labour, so the potential quality benefit needs to be weighed against the cost of achieving it.

The trial report provides growers with a practical case study for evaluating whether additional thinning effort is justified by a measurable improvement in fruit quality and marketable packout. As with other on-farm demonstrations, interpretation should consider the specific block, season and cultivar conditions.

The resource is useful for growers refining hand-thinning rules and crop-load strategies in premium-colour apple blocks.