Bagging Su pear fruit can reduce pre-harvest fruit drop

Fruit bagging is currently an effective technical measure for producing pollution-free fruit. The practice of promoting fruit bagging for Su pears in the pear-growing area of Pucheng, Shaanxi, has proven that bagging can improve fruit appearance, making the fruit surface clean with few and shallow fruit dots and no rust spots, reducing pesticide residues, and improving marketability and the marketable rate. In addition, bagging can also reduce pre-harvest fruit drop.

On August 21, 1993, the Longyang area of Pucheng County experienced a weather process of force 5-7 strong winds lasting about 0.5 hours, and fruit drop in ordinary orchards was severe. After the strong winds, the author investigated the bagging demonstration orchard. The average drop rate of control trees was 4.1%, and the average drop rate of bagged trees was 0.3%, only 7.3% of that of the control trees. From 14:00 to 15:00 on September 13, 1999, Pucheng County experienced a weather process of force 7-8 strong winds. Apples and Su pears that were about to mature and already mature dropped in large quantities throughout the county, with losses of over 100 million yuan. After the disaster, the author investigated more than 20 pear orchards in 10 townships and towns. The drop rate of unbagged fruit was 52%-73%, while that of bagged fruit was 21%-32%, a reduction in drop of 1.47-2.28 times compared with unbagged fruit.

The reason why bagged fruit reduces late-stage fruit drop needs further study, but the effect of fruit bagging in reducing late-stage drop of Su pears is very obvious, and this point should be given attention when promoting fruit bagging for Su pears.