Crop load management should be a major focus in managing the risk of flesh browning and fruit softening in apples, according to a Tasmanian research project which identified predictors for the destructive disorder.

Low crop load, large fruit size and nutrient imbalances that limit uptake of calcium increase the risk of browning, Ramandeep Singh Sidhu, post-doctoral research fellow in production horticulture at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, told the recent Fruit Growers Tasmania conference.