Future Orchards wrap — winter 2016

August/September 2016 | Steve Spark, AgFirst | Australian Fruitgrower / Future Orchards® article

Steve Spark’s winter 2016 Future Orchards® wrap brings together the main lessons from the season’s orchard walks and reinforces that pruning quality has a direct effect on later labour requirements, fruit quality and packout.

The article stresses the value of calm trees, simple pruning rules and pendant fruiting wood. It cautions that poor winter pruning can increase later hand-thinning and canopy-management costs, while excessive vigour reduces fruitfulness and makes the orchard harder to manage.

Supervision is highlighted as a major opportunity. Pruners should not simply be trained and left alone; supervisors need written objectives for each block, clear pruning rules and regular checking to ensure the correct branches and fruiting units are being retained.

The overall message is to treat pruning as a skilled, measurable orchard operation. Regardless of the specific technique—such as artificial spur extinction, click pruning or long pruning—the aim is to create a calm, well-lit canopy that supports repeatable fruit quality.