From the Merced-Star:

Canning-peach growers saw something last week that might help whip the industry back into shape.

It was a machine that spins short rubber cords that knock some of the blossoms off peach trees. This thins the crop at a lower cost than the hand-thinning that usually is done after the fruit starts developing.

For an industry struggling with lax demand and cheap imported peaches, cutting costs and better managing production are welcome benefits.

"At this point, we would love to get this out in growers' hands, because we really feel this machine works," said Roger Duncan, director of the University of California Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County.

For more, see: Machine thins peach blossoms in efficient way