Peach and nectarine growers in Pennsylvania have been testing a mechanical blossom-thinning machine that the state’s Ag Innovations research team imported from Germany. Katy Lesser, Ag Innovations coordinator with Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension in Adams County, first saw the Darwin thinning machine at the Interpoma tradeshow in Bolzano, Italy, last November. Though she was on the lookout for platforms that might be of use to Pennsylvania orchardists, the mechanical thinner caught her eye. She took pictures to show her colleagues at Penn State and mentioned it in presentations at grower meetings. The interest was so great that the Ag Innovations […]