Diuron Thinner for Apple and Pear Fruit Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chemical thinning agents for fruit cultivation, such as urea and ammonium thiosulfate, are ineffective and poorly tolerated by plants, leading to undesirable effects like reduced thinning at low concentrations and excessive thinning under unfavorable conditions, and photosynthesis-inhibiting agents like metribuzin have unsatisfactory plant tolerance.
Innovation Solution
A method using diuron as a thinning agent applied to apple and pear varieties at the 6 to 30 mm fruit stage, with ready-to-use agents containing at least 70% water and 0.001% to 0.2% diuron, potentially combined with additives like hygroscopic substances, surfactants, and growth regulators, to effectively thin fruits without significant plant damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If known chemical thinning agents such as urea and ammonium thiosulfate are used, then thinning effect is achieved, but plant tolerance is poor and effectiveness is less than satisfactory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter by using diuron (a photosynthesis inhibitor) instead of traditional hormonal thinning agents like urea and ammonium thiosulfate. This parameter change in the active ingredient's mechanism of action resolves the contradiction by providing reliable thinning effectiveness while maintaining satisfactory plant tolerance, as diuron works through a different physiological pathway that avoids the harmful effects associated with hormonal agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of photosynthesis inhibition into a beneficial thinning effect. By temporarily inhibiting photosynthesis with diuron, the plant's resource allocation is altered, leading to natural fruit drop. This approach achieves effective thinning while the temporary nature of the inhibition allows the plant to recover, maintaining good plant tolerance.
2Reliability
If hormonal thinning agents are used to achieve thinning effect, then variety-dependent uncertainty in effectiveness occurs depending on fruit development stage and climatic conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mechanism parameter from hormonal action to photosynthesis inhibition. This parameter change resolves the adaptability issue because photosynthesis inhibition is a more universal physiological process that occurs consistently across different apple and pear varieties, regardless of their specific hormonal responses. The effectiveness becomes more consistent across varieties and less dependent on specific fruit development stages and climatic conditions.
3Reliability
If photosynthesis-inhibiting agent metribuzin is used for fruit thinning, then thinning effect is achieved, but plant tolerance is unsatisfactory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the principle of local quality by selecting a specific photosynthesis inhibitor (diuron) with different chemical properties and selectivity compared to metribuzin. While both are triazine derivatives, diuron exhibits better plant tolerance characteristics when used at appropriate concentrations for fruit thinning. This localized selection of a specific chemical compound with optimized properties resolves the contradiction between achieving thinning effectiveness and maintaining plant tolerance.
4Productivity
If manual thinning is performed to achieve good fruit size and quality, then profitability increases, but labor cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual thinning system with a chemical system using diuron. This substitution eliminates the need for labor-intensive manual fruit removal while achieving the desired thinning effect. The chemical agent naturally induces fruit drop, providing the same quality improvements as manual thinning but without the prohibitive labor costs, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of manufacture.
5Ease of manufacture
If mechanical thinning is performed to reduce labor cost, then cost decreases, but collateral damage to plant increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical thinning system with a chemical system using diuron. This substitution eliminates the physical contact and mechanical force that cause collateral damage to branches and surrounding foliage. The chemical agent works systemically through the plant's physiology, achieving thinning without the physical trauma associated with mechanical devices, thus resolving the contradiction between labor cost reduction and plant damage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides efficient fruit thinning with improved fruit size and quality, reducing the risk of plant damage and variability in effectiveness across different fruit stages and climatic conditions, while avoiding calcium deficiency symptoms and phytotoxic side effects.
Implementation Method 1
The use of photosynthesis-inhibiting active ingredients for fruit thinning was described in J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 115(1): 14 - 19 (1990) already described. It has now been found that thinning agents containing diuron are particularly suitable.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for thinning, in particular thinning fruit, using 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron), and to thinners comprising diuron.