Can growth of Gala on M26 be kick-started?

June 2013 | Future Orchards® trial report

This trial examined whether a poorly performing block of Royal Gala on M26 could be “kick-started” after several seasons of weak growth. The management problem is common in young orchards: once canopy development falls behind, growers often look for nutrition or growth-promoting treatments that might recover the lost time.

APAL’s later review of the Future Orchards® trial program reported that none of the treatments in this trial produced an acceptable improvement in growth. The result was important precisely because it was negative. It reinforced the message that young trees must be given the best possible start at planting rather than assuming poor establishment can be corrected easily several years later.

The practical implication is to focus investment on site preparation, replant management, nursery-tree quality, irrigation, nutrition, support, training and early crop-load control before growth stalls. When a block is already underperforming, growers should diagnose the underlying constraint before applying additional inputs. A treatment that does not address the limiting factor is unlikely to restore full canopy development.