Report
Establishing a cider apple orchard for mechanized management
Extension mimeo (Washington State University. Extension), 117E, Washington State University Extension
08/2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005076
Abstract
Washington State has been dealing with labor shortages across the agricultural sector for many years. Long-term strategies have included shifting to less labor-intensive crops and increasing investment in mechanization. For cider apple production, mechanization of pruning, thinning, and harvest requires an orchard training system that is suitable for medium-to-high- density plantings that are characterized by a planar canopy that is about two feet in width and includes long continuous rows that all allow for safe and cost-effective use of equipment. A major obstacle to mechanization has been the high upfront capital required for establishing a compatible orchard infrastructure including the purchase or leasing of equipment. Researchers at Washington State University Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (WSU NWREC) in Mount Vernon have been assessing the impact of mechanization on cider orchard profitability since 2011, evaluating fruit and cider quality as well as yield, and developing enterprise budgets. From 2014 to 2016, WSU NWREC researchers established a replicated research orchard of 65 cider apple cultivars on G935 rootstock to allow for the testing of mechanized hedgers, thinners, and harvesters, ultimately, to provide growers with this orchard management guide. This manual outlines a specific management plan for a cider apple orchard that is designed for mechanized pruning, thinning, and harvesting. This manual also provides a first-hand account of WSU NWREC researchers implementing this management plan through the establishment of a cider apple orchard under maritime climate conditions. The experiences at WSU NWREC may be especially applicable for small-scale growers, as a lower-cost, hand-held hedger was used for mechanical pruning rather than a tractor-mounted hedger.
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Details
- Title
- Establishing a cider apple orchard for mechanized management
- Creators
- Travis R. AlexanderEd ScheenstraJacqueline KingStefano MusacchiCarol A. MilesSeth Brawner
- Academic Unit
- Publications, WSU Extension
- Series
- Extension mimeo (Washington State University. Extension); 117E
- Publisher
- Washington State University Extension; Pullman, Washington
- Format
- pdf
- Identifiers
- 99901026341101842
- Copyright
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Report