Reducing Labour in the Orchard

I recently travelled to one of the main tree fruit production areas in August to Adams County, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the trip was to investigate methods to reduce labour by using mechanical aids for thinning and harvesting for the tender fruit industry.

The production area of southern Pennsylvania is similar to Ontario in many ways. They have been dealing with the eradication of PPV in the state using a very aggressive orchard removal program. They now have 2 years PPV detection. The growers are very competitive and are using more efficient training systems to apply mechanization and reduce labour.

The information gained is a high priority with the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Marketing Board and also supports Vineland Research Innovation Centre's strategic plan for increasing productivity in the orchard. The objectives examine developments in automation and mechanization related to pruning, thinning and harvesting that could be adapted to Ontario conditions. I would also like to thank Penn State researchers and extension; Dr. Jim Schupp and Tara Baugher; Katy Lesser, Agricultural Innovations Coordinator and Phil Baugher from Adams County Nursery for their time in showing me around the county.

Highlights:

Arendsville (15 minutes from Gettysburg)

Dr. Jim Schupp, Penn State tree fruit researcher has a trial planted in 2006 using different training systems with cultivars White Lady, PF 17 and Fantasia. Training systems include Vase (14 x18') perpendicular "V" (5" in the row) Hex "V" at 10' in the row and Quad "V" at 7.5 feet in the row. The main rootstocks in Pa., include Tennessee Natural, Bailey and Lovell. He is also testing some of Dr. Ralph Scorzia's upright peach selections from Beltsville, Maryland.

Biglerville Fruit Research and Extension Center

The Darwin mechanical string thinner from Germany is used for blossom thinning of peaches and apples. The equipment is mounted on front forks and uses a sweeping motion of nylon strings whipping at 100 rpm. The low rpm and using only 2/3 of the strings reduces the bark damage to zero. The trial is both vertical and horizontal thinning action at different speeds to remove the blossoms. The Darwin can do approximately 13-14 acres per day at the low tractor speed of 1-2 mph. It saves 35-40% of the thinning costs but improves fruit size earlier in the season. There is a new rootstock trial using cultivars Starfire, John Boy and Peento peaches, and rootstocks from an NC trial including Ishtara and Viking.

Adams County Nursery

Phil Baugher, from Adams County Nursery, showed their new introductions including Tango (NJF 16) and Gloria, a sub acid, stony hard peach with good flavour. The season for Gloria is soon after Loring but before Cresthaven. The fruit hangs on the tree for a long period and is expected to replace PF24-007. The production average around 400 bushels per acre (10 ton/acre).

Farm of Mark Rice

I also visited the farm of Mark Rice. He had his peach trees removed after PPV was detected then moved to the next county and planted 100 acres of perpendicular "V" peaches and nectarines. The plantings are 6 x 20' and 12-14' high. Cultivars included Contender, Sugar Giant a low acid, large white flesh peach, Flavor Grenade (outstanding flavour) and Dapple Dandy, a red flesh pluot but had poor colour.

Bear Orchards - Joy Cline and John Lott

Bear Orchards runs about 1500 acres of orchards and had several acres of older Babygold 5 peach trees planted to Perpendicular "V".

Flavor Grenade Pluot

Mechanical Blossom Thinner

Modified Thinning and Harvesting Aid Platform

| Top of Page |