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Why do apples and pears sometimes fall from trees before harvest?
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Fruit farming
Gros Michel bananas.
Apples and pears may drop from trees during the final stages of their maturation period, a phenomenon known as preharvest drop.1
To manage this, growers often apply dilute sprays of growth-regulating substances, such as naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), to delay the fruit from falling. Additionally, the chemical spray Alar can be applied to apple trees several weeks after bloom; this treatment not only reduces fruit drop at harvest but also enhances the fruit's firmness, red color, and return bloom for the following year.1