INSTRUCTIONS FOR

BETA-TESTERS USING EXCEL POLLEN TUBE

GROWTH MODEL

FACTORS GOVERNING START

OF TEMPERATURE

DATA ENTRY

1) SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF KING BLOOM OPEN TO GIVE PROPER CROPLOAD

2) WARM TEMPERATURES (BEES PROBABLY WON’T BE STIRRING

MUCH BELOW 50°F)

3) POLLINATION OF FLOWERS BY BEES

4) SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF KING BLOOM (%) FERTILIZED FOR

DESIRED CROPLOAD (CAN BE BY VISUAL EVALUATION OR BY NUMBER OF FLOWERS /

BRANCH)

5) REMEMBER: ITS NOT THE FIRST KING BLOOM

FERTILIZED THAT STARTS THE MODEL BUT THE LAST ONE

THAT YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE CROP

6) FIRST THINNING SPRAY DETERMINES THE CROPLOAD.

APPLY WHEN MODEL SHOWS POLLEN TUBE GROWTH HAS

REACHED THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STYLES FOR THAT

VARIETY

7) AFTER EACH SPRAY RESET MODEL TO START CALCULATING

POLLEN TUBE GROWTH FOR FLOWERS NOT OPEN WHEN

FIRST SPRAY APPLIED

8) SUBSEQUENT THINNING SPRAYS SHOULD BE APPLIED AS NEEDED

BEFORE MODEL PREDICTED POLLEN TUBE GROWTH REACHES AVERAGE

STYLE LENGTH