Good Fruit Grower

September 2012

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cover crop mulch as fertilizer all in one pass while driving at more than 6 miles per hour. The Wonder Weeder also opens up vole burrows, exposing the animals to predation by hawks. Voles used to be out of control, he said, but now he rarely loses any trees. Years ago, he used many soil amend- ments, such as gypsum, phosphate, and blood meal, to get the nutrient levels he wanted in the soil. Now, he just applies a bulk compost at a rate of four to six tons per acre annually (banded in the tree rows) for young trees and one ton per acre for older blocks. "If you can handle bulk compost, it's the least expensive and has all the benefits," he said. Thinning sprays have been another big advance for organic growers, Brownfield said, as they have helped reduce labor costs and even out year-to-year produc- tion. He applies a solution of 2 percent lime sulfur and 2 percent fish oil in 100 to 125 gallons of water per acre three times during bloom, focusing on the tops of the trees. He increases the lime sulfur to 3 percent for Fuji apples. • Members of the International Society of Horticultural Science who attended an International Organic Fruit Sym- posium in Washington State this summer visited three growers who are producing organic tree fruits on three different scales. Brownfield has a small planting of Zestar!, which is one of the earliest matur- ing varieties and is popular with his cus- tomers, and has just planted another block. "People are asking, 'Where are the Zestars?' when I run out of them," he said. Jim Luby, head of the University of Minnesota's fruit breeding program, where Zestar! was developed, happened to be on the tour. He said Zestar! is being planted in the eastern United States to a moderate extent. It is popular for direct marketing because of its exceptional fla- vor but is susceptible to scab, which is a problem in humid areas. Market diversity, both in terms of vari- eties and types of customers, has been the key to the orchard's economic viability, Brownfield said. "We're finding ways to keep going. The direct marketing is a huge part of it for us. I feel real good about the organic market right now." On the production side, Brownfield is benefiting from a number of revolution- ary practices that have become available for organic agriculture. Weeds can be difficult to control because synthetic herbicides are not allowed and natural herbicides are expen- sive and less effective. Brownfield used to use a standard in-row tiller to cultivate the soil and uproot weeds, but the risk of damaging the trees was high, particularly if the operator wasn't well trained. The Wonder Weeder he now uses has cultivating heads that roll along the ground, rather than being powered, which reduces the risk of damaging trees. It is attached to the front of the tractor and can be used at the same time as a mower at the rear. Brownfield has a side- discharge mower that blows the alfalfa and clover clippings into the tree row. Brownfield said that because of the low risk of tree damage, he can use the Wonder Weeder in his younger blocks. The big advantage is that he can control weeds, mow the orchard, and apply the www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER SEPTEMBER 2012 33 Lease a new T4000 Series Tractor for as low as $313.00 per month o.a.c. Call for details •T4000V and T4000F Series Tractors (62 to 82 PTO hp) HUGE CASH DISCOUNTS 0% Financing for 48 months or New and Rental Return Tractors Photo by geraldine warner

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