The establishment phase of three systems of intensive hedgerow apple growing in the Murray Valley

Abstract

Data obtained during the first four years on ' pruning times, girths, yields, and fruit composition are given for a trial comparing three varieties grown under three intensive systems. The varieties were Golden Delicious, Red Jonathan, and Granny Smith on N. Spy rootstock. The training systems were Palmette, involving branch bending (330 trees an acre), Hedging by cutting the trees to a flat top at 7 feet (495 trees an acre), and Cordons, pruning hard to four rods on each tree (660 trees an acre). Training times per tree averaged Hedge, 1.1 min; Cordon, 6.2 min; Palmette, 10.3 min. Girths decreased in the order Palmette>Hedge> Cordon, and Golden Delicious> Granny Smith and Red Jonathan. For each variety the treatments cropped in the order Palmette>Hedge>Cordon and for each treatment the varieties cropped in the order Golden Delicious>Red Jonathan>Granny Smith. For Golden Delicious yields of Hedges averaged 93 per cent of Palmettes, but for Granny Smith they were only 33 per cent; this resulted in a significant variety X treatment interaction. Yields per tree in the fourth season averaged Palmette 41, Hedge 27, and Spur 4 lb, and Golden Delicious 33, Red Jonathan 20, and Granny Smith 18 lb, but Palmette and Hedge gave nearly equal yields per acre (13,000 lb). Picking dates were Golden Delicious February 10-14, Red Jonathan February 13-19, Granny Smith March 2-18. Total soluble solids in the fruit juice of these varieties reached 13 per cent by January 28, February 5 and March 28 respectively, and pH reached 3.4 by January 15, February 4, and April 8.