Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/40315
Pears Britain U.K. grower demos modern concepts Tony Sunnucks hopes to harvest 70 bins of pears per acre when the plantings mature. by Geraldine Warner Rankins Farm at Linton includes the new pear varieties Delsanne, Gourmande, Verdi, and Elliott and is designed to show how growers can achieve high yields and grow pears profitably. The first trees were planted in 2009. When the block is fully planted next spring, it will be 7.5 acres, with Delsanne being the primary variety. All the trees are on quince rootstocks and are planted on a 3- by 11-foot spacing. T VARIETIES in the concept pear orchard ony Sunnucks, a fruit grower in Kent, England, is developing a concept pear orchard financed by the U.K. fruit marketer OrchardWorld. The concept orchard at Sunnuck's The 2009 planting produced a little fruit last year, in the second leaf, and looked set to produce about 15 to 20 bins per acre this season. Sunnucks hopes to harvest 70 bins per acre when the trees are mature. Small fruit Fruit size is not a concern for U.K. growers because many of the apples and pears—even first-grade fruit—are sold in polybags. Sunnucks said the acceptable size range for pears is between 50 and 75 millimeters (2 to 3 inches diameter) with the ideal being 60 mm (2.5 inches). Most of the first-grade pears from the concept orchard will be sold by the major U.K. supermarket Sainsbury's. Sunnucks said OrchardWorld, which supplies about 60 percent of Sainsbury's English tree fruits, approached him with the idea of planting the orchard to stimu- late interest in growing pears. There's a big demand for U.K.-grown fruit. The United Kingdom has a population of more than 60 million, but only 350 fruit growers, compared with 15 million people and 2,000 fruit growers in the Netherlands. If the U.K. can't meet demand, Sainsbury's imports from Europe. OR CHOOSE CASH BACK! MONTHS* 0% for INTEREST 60 T ony Sunnucks's concept orchard includes two new varieties devel- oped by Delbard Nurseries in France: Delsanne (trademark Delbard d'Automne)—A cross of Delbias and Passe Crassane bred at Delbard Nurs- ery in France. The fruit is large and rounded with a dark golden skin. It matures in September, six to seven weeks after Williams and two weeks after Comice. It is noted for its intense flavor. Delsavor (trademark Delbard Gourmande)—A cross of Conference and Delbias bred at Delbard Nursery in France. The fruit is large with a green/bronze finish and has a similar flavor to Comice. Sugar levels are above 13° Brix at harvest. It matures in September to October and needs time in storage for the flavor to develop. —G. Warner www.goodfruit.com Are you Ready to Roll this season? We are, and that's why we're offering 0% financing for 60 months or cash back when you purchase select New Holland tractors: •T4000V and T4000F Series Tractors (62 to 82 PTO hp) • • • *For agricultural use. Offer subject to CNH Capital America LLC credit approval. See your New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Depending on model, a down payment may be required. Offer good through September 30, 2011, at participating New Holland dealers in the United States. Offer subject to change. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in price. ©2011 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland and CNH Capital are registered trademarks of CNH America LLC. GOOD FRUIT GROWER SEPTEMBER 2011 17 •TNV-A Series Tractors (60 to 80 PTO hp) Get Ready to Roll now with outstanding deals! Program ends Stop by today, or visit www.newholland.com/na for complete details.