APAL’s Future Orchards® Winter Series orchard walk took place at Redland’s Manjimup Apple Plantation managed by Paul Beck on Monday 22nd July.

Words Susie Murphy White, Project Manger, Pomewest

AGFIRST consultant Jonathan Brooks guided the discussions around block performance and when it is time to improve a block or it’s time to remove the block based on it’s long-term economic sustainability.

The four key messages to achieve orchard block success were:

• A good block of a good variety – if it’s not broken don’t fix it, rinse and repeat.

• A good block of a poor variety – is always at risk of financial failure, plan to remove.

• A poor block of a good variety – What’s the limiting factor that needs to change?

• A poor block of a poor variety – the time to remove these blocks is now!

“ As always, the key message to growers was to make good decisions you need good data. ”

Guest speaker Brent Reeve from Redland Premium Fruit in Goulburn Valley discussed with the group the strategies taken to assess the block viability analysis process which blocks are removed and replanted. The decisions made by the company to invest in export orientated varieties of Dazzle and Sassy, which are suited to the Asian markets.

Tom Frankcomb from APAL was there to update the growers on the Future Orchards program and the APAL tree census data. This valuable data set now clearly demonstrates to the industry which variety, planting density and tree age are currently producing fruit. This layered over the Neilsen consumer data highlights some interesting trends that need to be addressed by growers, so that industry remains profitable. The Future Orchards program continues to deliver 2 orchard walks each year plus the incubator trial program. The next orchard walk will be in November.

Growers visited 3 blocks on the Smithbrook Orchard. A twin stem Bravo block going into it’s 5th leaf on target to produce above the industry average. A V-trellis Kanzi block going into it’s 4th leaf that needed some suggestions on how it was going to fill the canopy. The final wildcard block which got the crowd thinking was the twin stem Pink Lady block with multiple tree spacings, root stocks and showing signs of variability.

Some great discussions were generated by our guest speakers and growers on the best way forward when deciding which blocks are the fixer uppers or when it’s time to give the block the flick. Poor performing block on yield and pack-outs cost the business and removal may be the best option.

Thank you to our hosts Paul Beck, Isabelle Lewkowski and the team at Redlands Manjimup Apple Plantation for hosting the orchard walk. Everyone had great morning which was finished off with a BBQ lunch and more networking.