Tom Kon

Bio

Dr. Kon’s program seeks to develop and deliver research-based solutions to improve orchard practices and enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of the southeastern apple industry. To meet this goal, specific objectives include:

1. to develop and evaluate novel apple crop load management programs, products, and decision-making aids,
2. to develop and evaluate technologies to manage vegetative growth throughout the life of the orchard, especially during orchard establishment, and
3. maximize fruit quality and storage potential, and manage labor through new technologies, non-destructive testing, and predictive models.

Physiological effects, environmental interactions, and/or economic consequences of orchard management decisions are determined, reported, and integrated into recommendations for apple producers.

Area(s) of Expertise

Dr. Kon (80% research; 20% extension) serves the southeastern apple industry (NC, SC, and GA). He is currently developing an integrated research and extension program to address the technological needs of the southeastern apple industry.

Research interests include: crop load and canopy management, pruning and training systems, rootstock evaluations, mechanization of orchard practices, pre-harvest drop control, and cultural/chemical practices to improve fruit quality.

Publications

• An Apple Fruit Set Prediction Model From Distributions of Fruitlet Mass Accurately Estimates Abscission in Four Disparate Regions of the United States , HortScience (2025)
• Apple fruitlet physiological characteristics and their influence on diffuse visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy , Annals of Botany (2025)
• Impact of Crop Load on Fruit Size, Color and Return Bloom of ‘Honeycrisp’ Apple across Four US Locations , HortScience (2025)
• Prohexadione-calcium and Acibenzolar-S-methyl Effects and Interactions I: Vegetative Growth Management in a Young North Carolina Apple Orchard , HortScience (2025)
• Prohexadione-calcium and Acibenzolar-S-methyl Effects and Interactions II: Fire Blight Management in a Young North Carolina Apple Orchard , HortScience (2025)
• Leader Bagging Improves Lateral Branching and Cropping Potential of ‘Gala’ and ‘WA 38’ Apple during Orchard Establishment , HortScience (2024)
• Aminoethoxyvinylglycine Reduces Preharvest Fruit Drop and Fruit Ethylene Evolution in ‘Red Delicious’ Apple but Affects Fruit Size and Quality Inconsistently , HortScience (2023)
• Enhancing Red Fruit Coloration of Apples in the Southeastern US with Reflective Fabrics , Horticulturae (2023)
• Evaluation of Computer Vision Systems and Applications to Estimate Trunk Cross-Sectional Area, Flower Cluster Number, Thinning Efficacy and Yield of Apple , Horticulturae (2023)
• Organic Aminoethoxyvinylglycine Is an Effective Alternative for Reducing Apple Preharvest Drop , HortScience (2023)

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