Influence of a prolonged flowering period on the uniformity of an apple crop

Abstract

The flowering period of apples (Malus pumila) in the Murray Valley is prolonged because the mild winters afford insufficient chilling. A four-year examination of fruit weight in an orchard containing three cultivars showed that flowers opening between the fifth and the tenth day of flowering developed into the largest fruits. Fruits from later flowers were lighter at the rate of 2 g per day's delay in flowering. If this reduction in weight could be remedied by inducing the later flowers to open with the early flowers, the crop would average 5 per cent heavier and about one third of the fruit would grade one size larger. In some years the juice of Golden Delicious and Red Jonathan had a lower concentration of soluble solids in the later fruits. Asymmetry of Granny Smith fruits could not be related to flowering date or seed number.