Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/117824
want to do this?" But Cournoyer had seen the machine working in Germany in 2007. While it took a couple of years of thinking about it, he decided to buy the machine. "I was tired of chemical thinning," he said. "Thinning results were inconsistent over the years. The thinning period is sometimes short in my area. There is a lot of rain, and it can be cold or really hot. I wanted to lower the cost of hand thinning. I want to convert to a fruiting wall system so I can lower my labor cost." ���You can use the machine no matter what the weather is.��� Shorter limbs He had already taken some steps to shorten tree limbs using a hedger and was using orchard platforms and the Munckhof harvest-assist machine. Shorter, stiffer tree limbs present ideal conditions for the Darwin, and upright watersprout growth definitely interferes because the strings can wrap around them. Limbs should be about six inches longer than the strings on the Darwin, he said. His thinning goal is to remove about half the flowers starting at about 20 percent bloom, or about full flowering of the king bloom. Cournoyer doesn't find it makes any difference whether king flowers or side flowers are removed. He is very careful during the initial setup process. A computer on the machine keeps ���Louis-Raphael the rotation speed on the whirling rod constant, no matter the ground or engine speed. Cournoyer He does repeated testing until he is removing about half the flowers, and he counts blossoms to achieve that. Rotation speed runs from 150 to 400 revolutions per minute and ground speed about 2.5 miles per hour. His machine is rear-mounted on a three-point hitch, but it can be front-mounted on a loader or forklift. He sprays streptomycin for fireblight if conditions warrant, using the conventional weather-based decision-making model. Use of the machine has not increased his use of streptomycin, he said. "You can use the machine no matter what the weather is," he said. "Now we do little or no hand thinning." The farm sells about 90 percent of its fruit either you-pick or through four farmers' markets. All apples find a use because the farm makes and sells cider, so there is less penalty for small or damaged fruit. The Darwin's strings can damage small apples, but Cournoyer says fewer than one percent show that kind of damage. While the machine does take off some leaves and spurs, he doesn't think it's significant. ��� Engineered for performance, durability, reliability, and longevity! Discover the Chinook fan blade advantage. # Increased Radius Coverage by 80-150 Feet with Same HP Draw # Air Flow Starts 14'' from Hub # Donier Swept Tip���Reduces Tip Drag # The Only Fan Blade with the ���Trailing Edge Wedge��� Need better performance & coverage? Trial the Chin ook bl at our expens ade e! Judge for your self! Satisfaction Guaranteed! (widens sector angle and increases air velocity) # Advanced Flow Design # Increased Horsepower # LESS FUEL CONSUMPTION # Quality Built, Affordable, Fast Payback Returns H.F HAUFF . COMPANY INC. 1801 Presson Place Yakima, WA 98903 509-248-0318 fax 509-248-0914 hfhauff@gmail.com FORD TR ITON V-1 0 IVECO N EF 6.7 DI or ESEL www.hfhauff.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER April 1, 2013 33