What stage of development are we at for stone fruit varieties in the Riverland?
Right now, April, we are at leaf drop with trees going into dormancy. In autumn growers should have applied their post-harvest fertiliser, traditionally based on leaf analysis or based on historical yield and fruit removal. Growers need to be applying urea or zinc sulphate to remove leaves to ensure there are no carry over diseases from summer. A copper is also applied to protect against leaf curl for next year.
In winter we will be at the dormant stage, where traditionally we prune the trees back further than what we would have already done during spring and summer. In late winter we also apply an oil and follow up with a copper spray as trees come out of dormancy.
Is there confidence around the volume and quality of fruit at this stage?
Yes, most crops last year were ok, albeit some reports of lower than normal apricot yields. If the nutritional and fertiliser requirements of the tree were maintained then I would expect similar if not better crops coming into the next season. Fruit quality will depend on whether growers have applied enough irrigation during the year and on what the weather patterns throw at us over the next few months.
Is there expected to be any increases on overall yields compared to the previous season?
From a yield perspective it will depend on the accumulation of ‘chill’ If it is a warm winter, chill may be an issue on crop yield and quality. In the absence of rain, irrigation should be maintained. To mitigate against low chill, growers should have a high mid-row cover crop to trap in the cold air temperature.
Has there been any challenges in transporting stone fruit to overseas markets?
Fruit fly maintains as a challenge to export markets but there are options open to growers. Each country has strict access and in some cases chemical requirements which growers need to be aware of.
What are the keys for healthy trees heading into the winter?
Healthy buds on clean limbs, free of old fruit and dead wood. Maintain the hygiene in the orchard before spring to avoid diseases becoming an issue during harvest.
