Business Development Group Update – March 2021

March 2021 | Prepared by Jack Wilson, AgFirst | Future Orchards® Business Development Group newsletter

The March 2021 Business Development Group update follows fruit size through the latter part of the season and uses OrchardNet data to compare Royal Gala, Granny Smith and Pink Lady with recent seasons. The newsletter notes that fruit size improved after a slow start, with Gala finishing close to 2019 levels, Granny Smith tracking ahead of the previous two years and Pink Lady trending larger than 2019 but slightly behind 2020.

With harvest underway, Jack Wilson shifts attention to postharvest planning. Growers are encouraged to assess pickout percentage, capture notes on why fruit has been left behind and use leaf testing to guide postharvest nutrition. The resource highlights nitrogen, magnesium and boron, noting that foliar nitrogen is most effective immediately after harvest and that boron supports pollen tube growth and fruit set.

The newsletter also covers structural pruning after harvest, leaf-fall disease management and the value of entering harvested tonnage, packout and fruit-weight information into OrchardNet. These data feed production and block profitability reports and help growers set realistic crop-load targets for the following season.