BreviSmart means one less worry
ADAMA New Zealand has announced the extension of their innovative, web-based thinning predictor BreviSmart® to hard-to-thin apple varieties.
BreviSmart, which recommends the optimum time to apply photosynthesis inhibiting fruitlet thinner Brevis®, was launched in New Zealand in 2020 for use with varieties that are easy or of medium complexity to thin.
ADAMA New Zealand commercial Manager Damian MacKenzie, national lead for Brevis and BreviSmart says the programme’s algorithms now also cover more challenging varieties such as Fuji. A BreviSmart algorithm for pears will also be available in New Zealand in 2023.
Damian says finding the elusive ‘sweet spot’ between over and under thinning apples has tested even some of this country’s most experienced and successful orchardists. “Hand thinning is labour intensive and expensive. While highly weather dependent plant hormone-based thinners alone had not been working that well for a lot of systems.
“Brevis and BreviSmart were the solutions the market was looking for.
“With BreviSmart we can predict the optimum time to apply Brevis – the best day of application for the best thinning response.”
Backed by extensive data and hard science, and developed in collaboration with growers and industry experts from around the globe, BreviSmart continues to be refined and expanded based on ongoing trials and testing.
The BreviSmart algorithms use in-depth knowledge of the impact of weather and other factors on thinning efficacy, taking into account the effects of night-time temperatures, radiation (sunlight), fruitlet size, and the apple variety.
Weather data and forecasts from The Weather Company, an IBM business, support growers’ decisions on when and how much Brevis to apply. Data for five days (including the day of calculation) is sourced from the weather station closest to each orchard.
A report is then generated, using a traffic light system (yellow for reduced thinning conditions, green for good thinning conditions, red for strong thinning conditions). Reports are produced daily during the thinning season. Over 800 trials worldwide have contributed to the BreviSmart programme to date.
Damian says this ongoing commitment and meticulous approach is paying off. “Growers appreciate the science BreviSmart brings to the thinning equation. Ultimately, they feel more in control.”
New Zealand orchardists and advisors using the technology have reported that BreviSmart has been an important tool, backing their own gut instinct.
Used in 30 countries worldwide, Brevis is applied when fruitlets are about 8–14 mm in size. Mimicking the effect of shade, Brevis reduces the production of carbohydrates by the tree. Remaining carbohydrates are sent to shoots and the largest, dominant ‘king’ fruitlets at the expense of smaller fruitlets, which start to drop seven to ten days after treatment.
The chemistry is easy to measure for tank mixing, requires no surfactants or other additives, and is rain-fast in two to three hours. Brevis is non-toxic to beneficial insects.
For more information on Brevis and BreviSmart visit the ADAMA Thinning Hub.