Crop load calculator

November 2007 | Developed by AgFirst | Future Orchards® crop load calculator

The Future Orchards® crop load calculator is a practical spreadsheet for converting a block-level harvest target into a fruit-number target for hand thinning. It uses orchard spacing, tree numbers, target yield, target average fruit weight and an allowance for fruit loss between thinning and harvest to calculate the number of fruit that should remain on each tree.

The calculator was developed to support the Future Orchards® crop-loading notes and move thinning decisions away from visual judgement alone. Targets should be based on a block’s historical performance and adjusted for variety, tree age and seasonal conditions. The supporting material notes that losses from thinning to harvest may be around 5 per cent in young trees and can be considerably higher in mature blocks, depending on variety and conditions.

Used alongside fruit-size monitoring and crop-load checks, the spreadsheet provides a simple way for managers and thinning crews to work towards the same measurable target.