The Best Practice Guide outlines effective management techniques for flowering, fruit set and crop loading of apple trees; efficient methods for harvesting, storage, packaging and marketing of apples; and methods for optimising control of pests and diseases in apple orchards.

It was developed to help enhance growers' competitiveness and profitability, and every commercial UK apple grower registered with the Apple and Pear Research Council (APRC) should receive a free, abridged version of the guide.

Selected industry advisors requiring a more in-depth study of each section is set to receive a full Best Practice Guide on CD-ROM.

Robert Mitchell, apple grower and vice-chairman of the APRC, said: 'Growers are so overloaded with paperwork in the running of their businesses that the key points of some excellent research often get missed.' He added: This clear and easy-to-read guide is a quick and convenient source of information which can help shape decision making by growers and advisers, pulling together the very latest information from around the world.' The Guide was developed by Horticulture Research International (HRI), with Adas, FAST and WWF-Qualytech, and was funded by Defra.

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