SFF Project Summary

Central Otago Sustainable Orchard Project

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Final Report:  Final Report
Powerpoint: The Final Word [327K PDF]

Progress

Again we are at that time of the year when orchardists focus on their business and hopefully enjoy some of the “fruits” of their labours.

It has almost been an ideal growing season for the region with hot days and long periods with dry weather. Late frosts may have caught unwary growers but the greater impact seems to have been on the vineyards that have been established in more frost prone areas.

Unfortunately a delay in the season made it difficult for cherry growers especially to meet the desirable Christmas markets but both the quantity and quality of fruit produced this year has been outstanding. Low rainfall has also meant growers have had less hassle with split fruit.

Summerfruit production is also looking good, although some crops will have been affected by frost.

The outlook for pipfruit is excellent with growers hoping to produce both quantity and quality fruit.

The weather this season has also provided the ideal “climate window” for the thinning of pipfruit. This has been a major area of work in this project so we are hoping for good results this year that should provide growers with good options for effective management of their crops.

Project Summaries

Fruit size monitoring

Fruit size monitoring underway on Bennies, John Campbell's and Alex Gordon's on a monthly basis just to add data points to information already collected over the previous 5 years.

Light Interception

This project is ongoing with Jenny Fraser facilitating this project. Nothing to report at this time.

Thinning trial (AgFirst)

This work has commenced its third season. This project has been expanded to cover a couple of extra sites to come up with some really conclusive results. As already stated the weather will be favourable for chemical thinning with the frosts maybe providing some as well. Thinning effectively is important for management of fruit size and quality and impacts on fruit colour and tree health as well.

Water monitoring

This project has been completed with the final monitoring of the amount of water used for frost fighting. The group has received the final report but the information has to be presented to growers in a user friendly format. A meeting is to be organised nearer the end of pipfruit harvest.

Meetings

Orchard walk at Bennies in December. - 20+ growers/staff

Visitors: Greg and Suzanne Laing - cherry specialists on sabbatical from Washington State.

We were pleased to be able focus on cherry production and capitalise on the knowledge of these two visitors.

  • Fruit size
  • Management of blossom blast
  • Thinning
  • Tipping pruning
  • Renewal pruning
  • Timing of pruning cuts
  • Cherries on dwarf rootstocks
  • Tree nutrition
  • Fertiliser use (Mark Cosgriff - Fruitfed)

Topics covered also included a general summary of the season on the orchard and general discussion of issues this year.

The meeting ended in the packing shed with an opportunity to look at Bennies cherry packing system that includes a new system for sorting cherries that allows individual pickers fruit to be sorted. This gives the Bennies another opportunity to control fruit quality. The packing shed has undergone another expansion with a new cool store.