Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/263110
Since coming from west central Ohio to Washington, Bowman has transitioned from managing an orchard to owning one, established a crop consulting company, and sub- stantially increased his apple and cherry yields. In 2009, Bowman bought his own orchard. Sonrise Orchards, near Zillah, totals 160 acres comprising 55 acres in cherries, 10 acres in pears, and the rest in apples. Bowman and his 21-year-old son Josh, who helps manage Sonrise Orchards, also lease some orchard ground from Rumble. Apple varieties include Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Ginger Gold, Fuji, and Red Delicious. Cherry varieties are Bing, Rainier, and Tieton. Bosc pears were in the mix, but are being replaced with a high-density planting of Gala. Nutrition focus As Bowman took over orchard management in June 2007, he quickly learned about alternate bearing. Among the worst in the orchard was a Honeycrisp block that had been grafted in 1998. Yields in the block bounced from 18 bins per acre in 2004 to 27 bins per acre in 2005, 9 in 2006, and 13 in 2007. The block also had a high incidence—over 30 percent—of bitter pit. The Midwest transplant didn't know about the intensity of work that would be involved with tree fruit production, but as a certified crop advisor through the American Agronomy Society, he did know soil and plant nutrition. While in Ohio, in addition to farming corn and soybeans, he had a crop consulting business and provided soil and plant nutrition recommendations and products to growers. Something he immediately noticed after moving west was the greater emphasis placed on nutrition in grain crops than in tree fruits. "I saw that the soil and tree nutri- tion field was wide open," Bowman said, adding that he soon reestablished his crop consulting business. His son-in-law Trent Graybill helps with the consulting service called Soilcraft. Products they sell are from International Ag Labs, Inc. Bowman credits the substantial increase in his apple and cherry yields to improved soil fertility, tree nutrition, and management. He pays close attention to micronutri- ents, which he believes play a critical role in fruit development and quality. "There's a reason for every micronutrient in the tree. Some help with pit hardening, some with cell structure. We tune in to each specific nutrient." At Sonrise Orchards, soil is sampled annually and plant tissue is analyzed monthly in apples and every two weeks in cherries, said son-in-law Graybill. Soil sample results pro- vide baseline information, while plant tissue numbers are used to guide nutrition during the growing season. Soil amendments include dry fertilizers, compost, and microbial inoculants made through broadcast applications. Compost tea is also injected through the irrigation system three to four times each growing season. But the heart of the nutrition program promoted by the consulting service Soilcraft is a foliar feed solution that's applied twice a week to every other row, says Graybill. The foliar solution is a specially formulated calcium-phosphate mixture that allows calcium mobility in the plant and includes an Acadian seaweed product. Calcium is a key micro- nutrient in fruit, as deficiencies can result in a host of storage problems and disorders. Dextrose is also added to the foliar feed, which serves as a sticker and helps with nutrient 32 MARCH 1, 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Dwayne Bowman, center, checks on their Honeycrisp harvest with son Josh, left, and son-in-law Trent Graybill. Former grain grower tackles tree fruits Avoid the Orchard of No Return orchardfumigation@tridentag.com NORTHWEST, WA: Tim Purcell..........Mobile 360-630-4285 EASTERN WASHINGTON: Robert Rauert ....Mobile 509-728-2004 EASTERN WASHINGTON: Jason Rainer .......Mobile 509-731-5424 THE DALLES & HOOD RIVER, OR: David Sbur ..........Mobile 971-563-8848 Telone® II, Telone C-17, and Telone C-35 are registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Telone II, Telone C-17, Telone C-35, and Pic-Clor 60 are restricted-use pesticides. • Row and broadcast applications available • Specializing in tree fruit, hops, grape, berry, and nursery crops Soil Fumigation Specialists Serving the Northwest for 30 years Replant disease can take the profit out of any orchard. Soil fumigation services offered by Trident manage replant disease and other soil-borne pathogens. Trident offers custom applications of Telone® C17, Telone C35, and Pic-Clor 60. A Midwest farmer has improved an older orchard by focusing on the soil and tree nutrition. by Melissa Hansen PHOTO BY MELISSA HANSEN W hen Dwayne Bowman transplanted his family from a 1,200-acre grain farm in the Midwest to manage a tree fruit orchard in the Pacific Northwest, it was a leap of faith. The grain farmer knew nothing about managing an orchard or tree fruit production. "My wife knew more about apples than I did, and that's only because she was in charge of the few apple trees we had in the backyard," Bowman said during an interview last fall with Good Fruit Grower. So, how did a grain farmer end up in the heart of apple country? "God," he says. Bowman and his wife were visiting Zillah, Washington, when a new church was being established in Washington's Yakima Valley. It was a visit that changed their lives. The new pastor of the church, John Rumble, happened to be an orchard owner who needed someone to manage his 120-acre orchard. "I didn't know anything about tree fruit when we came here in 2007," Bowman said. "But every morning when I woke up, I prayed, 'Lord, you have to show me what I need to know and learn today.'" He also credits much of his learning in the first few years to retired Yakima Valley orchardist Don Macy, the original owner of Rumble's orchard.