Business Development Group Update – February 2017

February 2017 | Prepared by Ross Wilson, AgFirst | Future Orchards® Business Development Group newsletter

Ross Wilson of AgFirst provides a national fruit-size and growth-rate update using OrchardNet data from 317 monitored blocks. The newsletter compares varieties and regions using Days After Full Bloom so that blocks with different flowering and harvest dates can still be assessed on a common basis.

The season was running later than the previous year, with national full-bloom dates averaging about seven days later and harvest expected to be seven to ten days later in many regions. Gala fruit nevertheless finished slightly ahead of the two previous seasons on the DAFB growth curve, leading to a predicted national average fruit size of about 169 grams for 2017.

Pink Lady, Fuji, Granny Smith, Jazz and other varieties were also being monitored. The update demonstrates how regular fruit measurements and accurate full-bloom dates can help growers compare current growth with past seasons and adjust crop-load, irrigation and other management decisions before harvest.