Articles
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL APPLE PLANTING SYSTEMS
Article number
513_42
Pages
357 – 366
Language
Abstract
A large scale proliferation of different apple production systems has occurred over the last forty years.
All production systems have to work within the constraints of the physical, biological, economic and edaphic environments.
The success of any system depends upon the correct management response to these constraints.
Adequate access for horticultural operations including the penetration of chemical sprays sets a physical limitation to the canopy.
The importance of light interception by the tree canopy in determining yield and the deleterious effects of shading on yield and fruit quality has been clearly demonstrated over the last thirty years in a range of environments.
Fruit growers do, however, have a range of tools at their disposal to successfully manipulate the vegetative and reproductive development of the tree canopy – size controlling clonal rootstocks, tree training and pruning, and genetic variation.
The canopy of the cultivated apple has shown itself to be extremely adaptable and amenable to physical manipulation.
Within the many modern systems propounded there are several common themes – a rapid achievement of high light interception and early cropping, the maintenance of good light penetration into the canopy at all times and efficient fruit harvesting.
Although some economic constraints such as world apple supply, currency movements and interest rates may be out of the control of the individual fruit grower, establishment and production costs, as determined by the system, are all amenable to grower choice.
The successful grower is one who not only understands the nature of the physical, biological and economic constraints but is able to correctly harness the tools of his trade for profitable fruit production.
All production systems have to work within the constraints of the physical, biological, economic and edaphic environments.
The success of any system depends upon the correct management response to these constraints.
Adequate access for horticultural operations including the penetration of chemical sprays sets a physical limitation to the canopy.
The importance of light interception by the tree canopy in determining yield and the deleterious effects of shading on yield and fruit quality has been clearly demonstrated over the last thirty years in a range of environments.
Fruit growers do, however, have a range of tools at their disposal to successfully manipulate the vegetative and reproductive development of the tree canopy – size controlling clonal rootstocks, tree training and pruning, and genetic variation.
The canopy of the cultivated apple has shown itself to be extremely adaptable and amenable to physical manipulation.
Within the many modern systems propounded there are several common themes – a rapid achievement of high light interception and early cropping, the maintenance of good light penetration into the canopy at all times and efficient fruit harvesting.
Although some economic constraints such as world apple supply, currency movements and interest rates may be out of the control of the individual fruit grower, establishment and production costs, as determined by the system, are all amenable to grower choice.
The successful grower is one who not only understands the nature of the physical, biological and economic constraints but is able to correctly harness the tools of his trade for profitable fruit production.
Authors
J.W. Palmer, I.J. Warrington
Keywords
Malus domestica (Borkh), fruit quality, orchard design, yield
Online Articles (61)