12/01/08 Thinning by mechanical means

Looking for ways to cut labor costs in Idaho orchards. I'm Bill Scott. Back in one minute with that story. For most of this decade Dr Essie Fallahi has been experimenting in apple orchards with various chemical treatments for blossom thinning. Recently at the University of Idaho Parma Research Center he worked on mechanical device given the uncertainties of finding adequate migrant labor. He imported a machine from Germany that hooks to the back of a tractor. FALLAHI "Imagine it is like a giant weed eater that is staged horizontally When the strings on the weed eater rotate they can knock the blossoms out." Working with Washington State University and Washington Tree Fruit Commission Fallahi tried this method on nectarines, peaches and apples. He's also used compressed air, with and without water, to thin blossoms thanks to a giant compressor. FALLAHI "This whole unit will be mounted on the tractor and then we are targeting blossoms as well as fruits to knock them down." And during the past ten years he's been experimenting with more than a dozen different irrigation systems in apples. Fallahi reports that certain types of drip are saving water compared to the sprinkler system by as much as 50 to 60 percent while keeping the quality of fruit high. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott