USE OF NIGHT-BREAK LIGHTING TO INCREASE FRUIT SET IN ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FRUIT CROPS

摘要

21,872USE OF NIGHT-BREAK LIGHTING TO INCREASEFRUIT SET IN ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FRUIT CROPSAbstract of the DisclosureFruit set in crops can be increased with repeatedexposures of the crops with light during the night times.More particularly, light at 660 nm can be administeredfor periods of 1 to 240 minutes daily, during the nighttimes, from bloom time for the crop (or prior thereto) toearly fruit development for the crop, for time spans from30 to 50 days.Crops include apples (e.g., "Red Delicious"), almonds(e.g., "Nonpareil" and "Merced"), pistachios, soybean,calamondin, grapes, oranges, and cotton.Light can be obtained from a light source selectedfrom the group consisting of fluorescent light source andhigh intensity discharge-lithium filled metal halide lightsource having an intensity range 1 µW/cm to 400 µW/cm2.