Evaluating the value of SNAP trees

2017 | Susie Murphy White | Future Orchards® Western Australia trial report

This Western Australian trial evaluates the value of simple, narrow, accessible and productive (SNAP) tree management in a mature orchard. APAL’s January 2017 Focus Orchard update described the work at the Fontanini Focus Orchard, where rows of older cordon-style trees were used to test a multi-stem, simpler canopy approach.

The trial responds to an international trend toward orchard systems that use fewer trunks per hectare but more managed stems per tree. The objective is not simply to change tree shape: a SNAP-style canopy is intended to improve access, simplify pruning and crop management, distribute light more evenly and create a structure better suited to labour-saving tools and platforms.

Because the work was carried out on established commercial trees, it also provides a useful redevelopment perspective. Growers considering system change can look at the practical implications of converting existing canopies, the time required to create more uniform fruiting walls and the importance of measuring production and labour outcomes rather than judging the system only by appearance.