Outlook for Postbloom Fruit Drop

Abstract

In 2017, the damage from postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was lower than the previous three years. This was mainly due to the low rainfall accumulation in late winter and early spring.

The long bloom with relatively few flowers at any one time made the decision of when to apply a fungicide particularly difficult. Bloom started in January in most locations, and there were some scattered rain events early in the year. Because of these rain events, some PFD was reported on early flowers. Then it became much drier until the end of bloom, and few new infections occurred. It is too soon to say whether the 2018 bloom season will be similar, but growers will need to remain vigilant to minimize PFD losses.