Biennial bearing in Fuji apples

July 2016 | Ross Wilson, AgFirst | Future Orchards® video

Fuji is one of the apple cultivars most prone to biennial bearing, making early and disciplined crop-load management especially important. In this Future Orchards® video, Ross Wilson discusses the causes and practical management of alternating heavy and light crops in Fuji.

The key challenge is that the next season’s flower buds begin developing while the current crop is still on the tree. An excessive on-crop can suppress flower initiation, so delaying thinning until late in the season may protect fruit size but do little to prevent an off-year. Early removal of excess crop gives the tree a better opportunity to initiate return bloom.

For blocks with an established biennial pattern, a combination of thinning, vigour management and other return-bloom strategies may be needed. The video is most useful as part of a block-specific program based on crop history and actual fruit counts.