Modern variety management for quality

March 2019 | Presented by Rick Derrey, T&G Global | Future Orchards®

Rick Derrey’s presentation examines variety management through the lens of consistent fruit quality. The emphasis is not simply on choosing a cultivar, but on understanding the management package needed for that variety to meet market expectations for size, colour, maturity and eating quality.

Modern branded and managed varieties can create higher-value market opportunities, but they also raise the cost of getting management wrong. Crop load, canopy light, harvest timing and postharvest handling all influence whether fruit reaches the intended specification. Variety-specific knowledge therefore needs to be translated into clear orchard targets and repeatable work practices.

The presentation is useful for growers moving from commodity production toward more tightly specified market programs. It reinforces the need for feedback between the orchard, packhouse and market: packout and quality information should guide changes in pruning, thinning, crop load and harvest management the following season.

The practical message is that variety value is created by execution. A promising genetic package only becomes a strong commercial proposition when the orchard can deliver the required quality consistently and at a cost that leaves an acceptable return.