Apples sometimes drop to the ground before they reach the desired harvest maturity. This pre-harvest fruit drop can cause significant losses in apple orchards. As apples mature, an abscission layer of specialized cells naturally forms between the apple stem and the fruit spur to which it is attached. The abscission layer allows the apple to be released from the tree without causing damage to the tree. However, apples may fall off the tree before the ideal harvest maturity has been …