A production and economic comparison of intensive apple orchard systems — Lenswood

June 2007 | Paul James, Rural Solutions SA | Future Orchards® presentation

This Future Orchards® presentation reports on the Lenswood Horticultural Centre high-density orchard systems trial established in 1999 to compare intensive apple production systems under Australian conditions. The work was designed to examine not only yield but also labour demand and the economics of orchard establishment and production.

The Lenswood trial included Cripps Pink and Cripps Red planted on several dwarfing and semi-dwarfing rootstocks at densities ranging from about 2,000 to more than 6,000 trees per hectare, with systems including Closed V, Open V, Tall Spindle and Super Spindle. The presentation places these systems in the context of the Future Orchards® objective of lifting productivity through higher-density plantings.

For growers, the value of the resource is its whole-system view: planting density, training system, early yield, labour and establishment cost all interact to determine economic performance. It is most useful when planning redevelopment or comparing the likely payback of alternative intensive systems.