My Orchard Walk – Tasmanian organic apple insights
On Friday 26 March , Tasmanian apple growers will return for their first harvest focussed Future Orchards walk since 2019, with a tour of R & R Smith’s orchard at Grove .
Local Front Line Advisor Sophie Folder said the visit to R&R Smith’s provides a great opportunity to see the orchard during harvest while the fruit is still on the tree and to also explore the latest developments for organic apple production.
“Looking at alternative production methods always provides some food for thought and ideas that may be incorporated into conventional production systems,” said Sophie.
“Orchard floor management is an example of this and something many conventional growers are starting to question with traditional approaches being so reliant on herbicide use. It will be interesting to hear and see firsthand how an organic orchard manages their orchard floor without the use of herbicides.”
Sophie is also looking forward to presenting the results of the Tasmanian Future Orchards trials undertaken this season.
“Our Smitten hand thinning trial looked at the labour efficiency of hand thinning at different timings. We monitored the impacts on time / cost taken to hand thin and the resulting fruit size and quality. It has delivered some really interesting results that can inform future labour planning and potentially reduce per hectare costs,” said Sophie.
To ensure compliance with local coronavirus restrictions please ensure you register prior to the event.
For full program details, times, location and to register, please go to:
- Tasmania – Friday 26 March 2021
