Review of Gala group fruit sizing

April 2011 | Written by Ross Wilson and John Wilton | Future Orchards® Business Development Program

Ross Wilson and John Wilton review Gala fruit-size records from the 2010–11 season to identify the management factors most strongly associated with fruit growth. They compare fruit size at approximately 48, 80 and 110 days after full bloom and examine whether regional location or orchard management had the larger influence.

Fruit growth between about 48 and 80 days after full bloom was particularly influential, averaging 4.3 mm per week across the dataset. Fruit at 50 mm or less at 80 days was generally still small at 110 days. Average Gala size at 110 days was 65.5 mm, while days from full bloom to harvest ranged widely from 109 to 155 days.

Despite the geographic spread of the blocks, the authors found fruit-sizing rates were relatively similar between regions and appeared to be driven more by factors such as crop load and rootstock. They argue that the most powerful benchmark is a block’s own history. A poor sizing season could be detected as early as 50 DAFB in one case, allowing options such as re-thinning or delaying harvest with ReTain® to be considered. The report is a practical example of how multi-year OrchardNet records can turn monitoring into proactive management.