North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

   What does "shuck split" mean?

The critical timing period for plum curculio has historically been at fruit
set just as the fruit begins to swell. However, recent research has shown
that plum curculio females are reproductively mature well in advance of this
stage. We estimate 95 percent of the females are mated after 290 GDD50,
which is typically right at shuck split in stone fruits and fruit set in
pome fruits. Females are ready to oviposit long before fruit are large
enough to support the developing larvae.