Fruit size progress report – mid December 2011

December 2011 | Future Orchards® Business Development Program

This mid-season Future Orchards® report uses OrchardNet fruit-size monitoring to show how growers can compare current growth against block targets and respond while there is still time to influence the outcome. It notes that full bloom in 2011–12 was around 14 days earlier than the previous season and that crop load remained the biggest determinant of yield and fruit size, alongside soil moisture, nutrition, light, vigour and growth regulators.

For Gala, the national trend at the time suggested an average harvest size of about 170 g against a 180 g target. One Royal Gala case-study block was growing particularly strongly, averaging about 5 mm per week from full bloom to 60 days after full bloom compared with a national average near 4.5 mm per week. When the growth rate later fell, delayed hand thinning was identified as the likely cause and the grower planned to review water and fertigation if growth did not recover.

The report also shows how Cripps Pink target lines were built from monitored blocks. One Rosy Glow block had previously achieved 88 t/ha, 94% Class 1 and 180 g average fruit weight. Practical responses for undersized fruit included optimising moisture and nutrition, reducing crop load where appropriate and considering ReTain® to extend the growing season; oversized fruit could be managed by carrying more crop, delaying hand thinning or advancing colour and harvest.