Precision fruit production

November 2010 | Prepared by Chris Peters, Victoria Fruitgrowers | Future Orchards® notes

Chris Peters’ “Precision Pipfruit Production” notes argue that orchard management should begin with a clearly defined marketable-yield target rather than repeating the previous season’s pruning and thinning programme. The resource focuses on producing high-value fruit with the right combination of firmness, sugar, colour and size.

Peters distinguishes between genetic yield potential and commercially useful yield. Increasing fruit numbers beyond the capacity of the canopy can reduce colour, sugar, firmness and return bloom, so the objective is to maximise the volume of fruit that meets premium market specifications. The notes provide indicative marketable-yield goals for major varieties and emphasise that profitable fruit is generally produced in well-lit canopy positions.

The practical message is to use historical block performance, biennial-bearing history, canopy light and crop-load monitoring to decide where fruit should be carried and how much the block should produce. Precision production is therefore about managing fruit position and fruit number as deliberately as total tonnes.