More is not better!

March 2010 | Craig Hornblow, AgFirst | notes and slideshow

This Future Orchards® resource focuses on more is not better!. It brings the subject into a practical orchard-management context, with attention to measurable production, fruit-quality and business outcomes rather than treating the topic as an isolated technical exercise.

Craig Hornblow explains why excessive canopy and vigour can reduce orchard efficiency and why light distribution and manageable fruiting surface matter more. The material is intended to help growers compare current block performance with clear targets and decide which management changes are justified by evidence from the orchard.

For growers, the resource is most useful as a decision-support reference: combine the technical principles with local block data, site conditions, labour constraints and market requirements, then monitor whether the chosen strategy improves consistency and profitability over time.