Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
4
INTRODUCTION
Tree management plays a key role in the economic success of an orchard. The
soil and climate conditions chosen for the species and the variety to be grown
set the foundation for an orchard. The infrastructure and associated logistics,
such as packing and storage facilities, coupled to adequate transportation,
energy availability, and water quality and supply, will aid in continued success.
Tree management can compensate for less than ideal soil or climate conditions
and the opposite is also true; improper tree management can render the best
soil and climate conditions of little value.
Tree management includes, fi rstly, the choice of propagation material that
is of the highest quality. Other components of tree management are irrigation,
pruning, fertilization, pest and disease control, pollination, fl ower and fruit
thinning, fruit bagging and the use of plant growth regulators. All these
components together will result in a proper-functioning tree that will produce
good yields and fruit quality.
A frequent problem is that some growers will attempt to apply very
sophisticated management practices without being aware of their advantages
and limitations. Some management practices apply only to certain varieties
or only under specifi c conditions. Other growers will use plant growth
regulators without having adequate irrigation or fertilization procedures. It
is crucial to solve these basic management practices before attempting more
refi ned practices. We have seen a number of cases when prospective growers
will spend a lot of money in preparing the land and installing an expensive
irrigation system and then buy poor-quality plants for their orchard. Other
problems are experienced with the purchase of a bad piece of land just because
it is cheap and then believing that you will get maximum yields, or hiring
poorly trained fi eld supervisors and/or failing to provide adequate supervision
and training of labour while sophisticated practices are being applied. These
decisions are short-sighted and frequently lead to poor fruit yields and quality.
