20 APRIL 1, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com
M
any growers believe that a cherry orchard
must receive a full supply of water up to
harvest to avoid stressing the trees and
to maximize fruit size. Others think that
cutting off irrigation early — sometimes
by as much as three weeks before harvest — will increase
fruit firmness and improve resistance to cracking
induced by rain.
So, who's right?
It's a question Washington State University graduate
student Nadia Valverdi aimed to answer with a research
study in Washington and Oregon over the past two years.
Using less
wAteR
Water Management
Study shows growers can reduce
near-harvest irrigation of cherries
without harming trees, fruit.
by Shannon Dininny