Managing vigour and crop load to increase profits

January 2021 | Future Orchards® video

This Future Orchards® presentation connects two of the strongest drivers of orchard performance: canopy vigour and crop load.

Vigour determines how effectively light is distributed through the canopy and how much labour is needed to manage growth. Crop load determines how the tree allocates resources to fruit and influences fruit size, return bloom and biennial-bearing risk.

The session emphasises managing the two together. A crop that is too light can encourage excessive vegetative growth, while an overloaded tree can reduce fruit size and future flower-bud development. Balanced targets support more consistent marketable yield and labour efficiency.

The recording is useful for growers reviewing block performance and deciding where pruning, thinning, nutrition or other interventions need to change.