Articles
APPLE CULTURE IN THE HIGHLANDS OF GUATEMALA
The most common varieties are Jonathan, Wealthy (Juarez), Red Delicious, Winter Banana, Gloria Mundi and Anna. 23 varieties have been described to date, but many varieties from Spain and France remain unidentified, and there are many hybrids.
The common rootstocks are MM106 and Criollo.
Between 1985 and 1987, 47 new varieties were introduced with Mayaan, Dorsett Golden, Hawaii and Stark Spur Red Delicious being superior.
The major limiting factor for quality production is the lack of orchard management.
Little or no pruning is done, and fruit thinning is practically absent.
Chemical disease control is commonly practiced.
Fertilizer requirements are not fully understood, and there is a dirth of cold storage facilities.
The infrastructure of collecting and storage centers and roads needs major improvement.
There are several fine orchards however, with high quality fruit of heavy yields.
The typical orchard consists of 20 to 100 trees, with plantings over a few hectares being rare.
The lack of sufficient chilling hours over much of the highlands results in many trees having sparse foliage below terminal buds.
There are several government nurseries for the production of grafted stock, but no certification program exists in the country.
The growing season is from March through November, depending on altitude and the time of frosts.
Some areas have a blooming period in January and February, with harvests beginning in April and extending through October.
There is a tendency for 3 waves of flowering, with the first suffering from frosts, and the third not achieving fruit of marketable size.
Pruning is being stressed as a technique for higher yields, more even growth, ease of disease control, production of cooking wood, and increased awareness that quality can be achieved through low cost techniques.
No pests or diseases are unique to Guatemala, with apple scab, and powdery mildew requiring regular chemical control.
The wooly apple aphid and San Jose scale are the worst insect pests.
In many areas there is an epidemic of pocket gophers.
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