Orchard walk: Batlow, November 2007
14 November 2007 | Wilgro Orchards, Batlow NSW | Future Orchards 2012
This Batlow orchard walk combined technical talks with a field visit to Wilgro Orchards, hosted by Ralph Wilson. Guest speakers Martin Thomann and Bernhard Botzner from South Tyrol joined Ross Wilson of AgFirst to discuss young-tree establishment, branch development and differences between European and Australian orchard systems.
In the field the group examined young Cripps Pink on M9, debating when to head nursery trees, how and when to bend branches, the balance between leader growth and lower canopy development, and the effect of irrigation and fertigation on establishment. The report is valuable for its detailed grower-adviser discussion about adapting high-density tree-training principles to local conditions.
