What’s next? Future varieties, practices and cost of establishment

November 2017 | Presented by Tom Auvil, North American Plants, USA | Future Orchards®

Tom Auvil looks ahead at the interaction between new varieties, orchard practices and establishment cost. The presentation places planting decisions in a long-term business context: a new block must be designed not only to grow a variety well, but to recover its establishment investment and remain efficient as labour, market and technology conditions change.

Future varieties are considered alongside the production systems needed to make them commercial. Rootstock, density, support, irrigation, canopy architecture and early crop development all influence how quickly a new orchard begins generating useful revenue. High establishment costs increase the importance of getting these fundamentals right from the start.

The resource also encourages growers to think about flexibility. Orchard systems increasingly need to accommodate platforms, mechanisation, improved data collection and the possibility that market preferences may change before the trees reach the end of their biological life.

For growers planning redevelopment, the practical value is in treating variety and orchard system as one investment decision. Expected market return, capital cost, labour demand, time to full production and the capacity to adapt should all be considered before planting.