-5 - 



At the summer meeting of the Massachusetts Fruit Grcjwers Association it was voted to 

 request the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture to supplement existing apple 

 market reports with more complete country point pricings 



— ED. 



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 ^PREHARVEST DROP CONTROL OF APPLES 



This year there has been considerable speculation as to just where grovrt-h re- 

 gulating substances or "hormones", used for thinning and preharvest drop, stood fol- 

 lowing passage of Public Law 5l8 - the "MiUer Bill" which became effective July 22, 

 1955. 



Of the materials being used on apples for these purposes, naphthaleneacetic 

 acid (NAA), naphthaleneacetamide (NA Amide), 2,U,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid 

 (2,k,5-TA), and 2,U,$^trichlorophenoxyproplonic acid (2,U,5-TP), only NAA has an es- 

 tablished tolerance which is 1.0 ppm. Thus we thought that unless tolerances for 

 the others were set before fall, niether 2,U,5-TA nor 2,U,5-TP could be recommended 

 for preharvest drop control, 



Hovrever, it now appears that these materials are not considered "pesticides" 

 and therefore are not subject to the regulations of the Miller Bill, "The term^ 

 pesticide refers to a chemical used for preventing, destroying, repelling or raitigat- 

 ing any virus, insect, rodent, fungus, \ireed or other form of plant or animal life 

 which is recognized as a pest and which is used in the production of a raw agricul- 

 tural product. These pesticides are economic poisons and include weed killers, in- 

 secticides, fungicides, rat killers, etc," F^rom this definition it seems that the 

 preharvest drop and chemical thinning materials are excluded. In other words, v;e 

 expect to be able to recommend the use of NAA, 2,U,5-TA and 2,U,5-TP as we have 

 during the past few years. We have been told that manufacturers and suppliers vrLll 

 produce and provide these materials as they have in the past. Hence, we expect to 

 have available for distribution through the County Extension Offices, and the Univ- 

 ersity of Massachusetts, Special Circular No. 25U, "Preharvest Drop Control of Apples" 

 by nid-August at the latest . 



We anticipate that interest in drop materials will be appreciable since most 

 growers have large crops of Mcintosh to harvest, VJe want to remind you that apple 

 trees are inclined to drop fruit rather heavily when carrying a large crop, when the 

 weather is warm at harvest time, when the trees are high in nitrogen or deficient 

 in magnesium or potassium, or when the foliage has been badly damaged by mites or_ 

 frost. Hence, keep the foliage in good healthy condition and free from serious mite 

 injury. If you suspect that some of your trees may be approaching a magnesium de- 

 ficient condition a couple of sprays of epsom salts at the rate of 20 pounds per 100 

 gallons may be a very vforthvvhile investment. These hormones won't control fruit drop 

 of apples if the foliage is not in a good, healthy condition, 



— F ,W, Sout hffick 

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