Method for thinning fruit
The present invention relates to a method for thinning fruit by using the active substance metamitron and corresponding metamitron-containing fruit thinning formulations.
1. A method for thinning fruits of apples or pears comprising applying at a later fruiting stage of 8 to 30 mm fruit size a thinning formulation comprising 50 to 400 mg/l metamitron to plant organs.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said thinning formulation is applied at a rate of 0.05 to 0.4 kg/ha metamitron to plant organs.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the thinning formulation comprises 100 to 375 mg/l metamitron.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the thinning formulation comprises 150 to 375 mg/l metamitron.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the thinning formulation further comprises 0.1 to 50 g/l calcium formate.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the thinning formulation comprises 1 to 20 g/l calcium formate.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the later fruiting stage is an 8 to 17 mm fruit size.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the later fruiting stage is a 10 to 12 mm fruit size.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein no or only minimal foliar necroses are observed in the method for thinning fruits.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein no foliar necroses are observed in the method for thinning fruits.
11. A fruit thinning formulation, comprising 50 to 400 mg/l metamitron and 0.1 to 50 g/l calcium formate.
12. The fruit thinning formulation as claimed in claim 11 , comprising 1 to 20 g/l calcium formate.