Spatial variability of the individual tree's fruit bearing capacity in commercial orchards of 'RoHo 3615' and 'Pinova' apple

Crop load management is an essential component of the production process of apples. The required intensity of crop load management practices depends on the actual crop load of the trees, the desired fruit size at harvest and the photosynthetic capacity of the trees. In the present study, the fruit bearing capacity of individual trees to support fruit growth to economically desired sizes, was estimated in two commercial orchards considering the cultivars 'Pinova' and 'RoHo3615' grown on dwarfing rootstocks. The estimation was based on measurements of the total leaf area per tree with a 2-D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser scanner, LA_LiDAR (m²), utilized in a carbon balance model. LA_LiDAR of 'Pinova' ranged from 1.8 to 4.8 m² (n=1670), whereas LA_LiDAR of 'RoHo3615' had a range from 2.7 to 8.8 m² (n=1300). The FBC of all trees within the two orchards was estimated for varying target fruit sizes and figured as spatial maps. The results indicate two to three classes of FBC for each target fruit size within the range in LA_LiDAR abundant in both orchards, which can be considered in future automated, tree adapted crop load management.