Vigour control in Cripps Pink trees

2022 | Community Orchard Group, Northern Victoria | Future Orchards® trial report

This Northern Victoria Community Orchard Group trial assesses Regalis® as a chemical vigour-control treatment in mature Cripps Pink apple trees at Silverstein Orchard in the Goulburn Valley.

The project ran from September 2021 to May 2022. The trial block was planted on trellis and included areas under white and black canopy net. Regalis was applied according to label recommendations, and the assessment compared tree response at multiple positions in the row.

Shoot length was measured from samples taken in the lower, middle and upper thirds of the canopy. Whole-tree fruit counts were taken after natural fruit drop and again before harvest, allowing the group to examine vigour response alongside crop retention.

The trial reflects grower interest in using growth regulators to control foliage growth while also observing possible effects on fruit set. Its value lies in documenting a commercial, locally relevant assessment rather than assuming a uniform response across orchards.