Dr. Tom Kon
Assistant Professor
Department of Horticultural Science, NC State

Crop load management, the intentional removal of flowers and/or fruit, is arguably one of the most important management decisions for
commercial apple growers worldwide. Inadequate crop load management can have serious negative economic consequences for apple growers,
with up to a $10,000 potential reduction in crop value per acre. Developing sustainable, effective, and environmentally friendly crop
load management programs remains a research priority.

Over the past decade, Tom Kon has focused on the development and evaluation of crop load management strategies for apple. Through a series of collaborative projects, Dr. Kon’s program is evaluating the integration of new chemical thinners into southeastern apple crop load management programs and the use of predictive models to optimize application timing(s). To improve thinning outcomes, research-based information has been disseminated to stakeholders through oral presentations, web-based publications, grower visits, and on-farm trials. Tom will discuss this broad effort to enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of the southeastern apple industry through improved crop load management practices.