Peach Blossom Thinning with CGA 152811

Abstract There was an inverse linear relationship between fruit set of ‘Bicentennial’ and ‘Redhaven’ peach trees [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] and treatments of 0 − 4000 ppm of (2-chloroethyl)methylbis(phenylmethoxy) silane (CGA 15281) in 1980. Increases in fruit weight occurred at the highest rate of CGA 15281 when compared to lower rates with ‘Bicentennial’, but no significant increase was obtained with ‘Redhaven’. Terminal fruit were larger than basal and middle node position fruits in ‘Bicentennial’. In 1981, all applications of CGA 15281 (0 − 3000 ppm) to ‘Candor’ and ‘Jefferson’ thinned blossoms and resulted in an increase in fruit size, when compared to the hand-thinned control. Treatments of 2250, 2500, and 2750 ppm to ‘Candor’ resulted in adequate thinning and increased yields. Applications at 1500 and 1750 ppm resulted in overthinning and reduced yields in ‘Jefferson’.