Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/529491
12 JULY 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Summer Fruits Citrus growers are diversifying into peaches. by Richard Lehnert P eaches are nibbling away at cit- rus acreage in Florida. But with 500,000 acres of citrus and only about 1,500 acres of peaches, it'll be a long time before peaches rival oranges and grapefruit. "We will never get there," says Mercy Olmstead. "Maybe sometime we'll reach 10,000 acres of peaches." Since 2009, Olmstead has been the University of Florida's extension edu- cator serving about 50 growers who are planting peaches. "There were only about 200 acres in peaches when I started," she said, "so there's been quite a bit of growth." If Florida reaches 10,000 acres, it will be roughly two-thirds the size of the peach industries in Georgia and South Carolina, each of which has about 15,000 acres. One reason for the growing interest in peaches in Florida is uncertainty about the future of the citrus industry. In 2005, a new bacterial disease called citrus greening (huanglongbing) was found in south Florida, and it is spreading. It has cost Florida nearly $5 billion in the last decade. A key problem, Olmstead said, is the researchers have been stymied by not being able to isolate or culture the bacteria, which makes it difficult to do scientific studies. They know the disease is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid, which was first found in Florida in 1998. So far, the only control methods are sprays to suppress the psyllid and an intensive scouting program to find and remove infected trees, which serve as a source for continued infection. Meanwhile, some growers are diversi- fying into peaches as they remove citrus blocks that have lost enough trees to become unprofitable. One such grower is James Shinn, who has 1,000 acres of orange groves in the Lake Alfred area in central Florida. "We're still learning how to make money with peaches. I started planting peaches in 2009," he said. "I have 85 acres now. Working with a new crop is a chal- lenge. I had to learn some new tricks. It makes you think." Marketing window One important decision involves choosing a marketing window. In Florida, peaches can reach bloom by Christmas and be ready for market as early as March. From a price standpoint, the earlier, the better, Shinn said. "You have to thin the daylights out of early peaches to get size," he said. This means sacrificing yield and running Peaches in FLORIDA PHOTOS COURTESY OF MERCY OLMSTEAD Clockwise from top: UFBest, UFSun, Tropic Beauty, UFGem. -- Andy Timmons Lost Draw Vineyard Lubbock, TX, USA PRODUCT REVIEW ® Sales: Dave Harmening (509) 669-4179 Service: Scott Howard (509) 945-1664 www.orchard-rite.com ® Frost control has become very important to us. In the last 9 years, we have had 5 frost events that have significantly damaged our production. We decided to do something to help mitigate this so our production would be consistent. That's where Orchard-Rite® wind machines have come into play for us. In mid April of 2014, we reached 24 degrees outside the vineyard, yet we were able to save 100% of the fruit under the machines. Outside of the coverage area, we lost almost all of the fruit. At harvest, we picked over 6 tons per acre in the protected area and less than 1 ton per acre in any unprotected vines. The wind machines also reduced my vine damage. I put the wind machines on 10 year old vines and experienced minimal damage, but any unprotected 1 year old vines were completely decimated by the cold temperatures. In the future, when I set out a new planting, I will install Orchard-Rite® wind machines to provide protection for the following Spring. Damaging young plants is a huge expense not only in lost production but in extra management costs to replant and retrain damaged vines. I believe that the wind machines will help our Texas wine industry grow consistent crops that our wine makers can depend on to produce superior wines and to reliably supply our markets. -- Andy Timmons -- Andy Timmons "The grape vines under my wind machines yielded 6 tons per acre while my unprotected areas had less than 1 ton per acre." Orchard-Rite ® Orchard-Rite