Future Trees – presentation

March 2017 | Ross Wilson and Craig Hornblow, AgFirst | Future Orchards® presentation

The Future Trees presentation considers how orchard planting material, tree architecture and orchard system design need to evolve if growers are to lift productivity while controlling labour and establishment costs. Ross Wilson and Craig Hornblow connect future tree choice with the wider Future Orchards® objective of producing high marketable yields from simple, manageable canopies.

The presentation encourages growers to think beyond cultivar alone. Nursery tree quality, rootstock vigour, branch structure, early canopy fill, support systems and the speed at which a block reaches commercial production all affect the economics of a new planting. Trees that establish slowly or create unnecessary structural complexity can delay return on investment and increase lifetime labour requirements.

The resource is useful for redevelopment planning because it links tree specification to the orchard system that will ultimately be managed. The emphasis is on purchasing and training trees that are suited to rapid establishment, consistent cropping, good light distribution and efficient pruning, thinning and harvest.