On alert for wet spring impacts

December 2022 | Dr Lee Kalcsits and Jonathan Brookes | Future Orchards® video

This Future Orchards® video looks at the management implications of an unusually wet spring for apple and pear orchards. Persistent rainfall and waterlogged soils can affect root-zone oxygen, nutrient availability, tree growth, disease pressure and the timing of orchard operations, so the discussion focuses on how growers can interpret tree response and adjust management accordingly.

Dr Lee Kalcsits and Jonathan Brookes consider the interaction between weather, soil conditions and tree physiology rather than treating individual symptoms in isolation. Wet conditions can limit root activity even when the soil contains abundant water, while repeated rain can also alter nutrient movement and create conditions favourable for disease.

The resource is intended as a seasonal management update: observe tree and soil indicators, avoid assuming that wet soil automatically means good water uptake, and use nutrition, irrigation and canopy decisions that reflect the actual condition of the root zone and crop.