Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/657340
22 APRIL 1, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com The importance goes beyond just settling a debate. Drought conditions across the West in recent years have reduced water supplies and heightened the need for conservation. At the same time, how deficit irrigation might really affect orchards and fruit remained unknown. Valverdi examined the role near-harvest irrigation plays on key fruit quality traits, as well as susceptibility to splitting, in early-maturing, midseason and late-ripening varieties. Valverdi focused on four cherry varieties for the proj- ect — Chelan, Lapins, Skeena and Sweetheart — mea- suring soil texture, soil moisture, stem water potential, shoot growth, fruit growth, cracking index, fruit quality and yield in three commercial orchards in Washington and Oregon. Overall, she found that irrigation can be reduced prior to harvest without harming sweet cherry fruit yield or quality for some varieties. "We have to improve water use efficiency at farm level due to resource conservation needs, and this research suggests we can conserve water without affecting fruit quality or tree health," Valverdi said at the 2016 Northwest Cherry Research Review in Wenatchee, Washington. Chelan The first trial involved a drip-irrigated block of 12-year-old Chelan cherry trees on Mazzard rootstock in Pasco, Washington. The trees are planted in sandy soil referred to as "the beach," Valverdi said. In 2014, Valverdi terminated irrigation 17 days before harvest in one row and 10 days later on another row. The "We have to improve water use efficiency at farm level due to resource conservation needs, and this research suggests we can conserve water without affecting fruit quality or tree health." —Nadia Valverdi ORSat™ is a custom designed satellite communication network and service for managing, operation and monitoring of wind machines. ORSat™ allows growers to monitor and control wind machines, fuel tanks, and weather stations with just a few simple steps, via an Internet enabled device, and is the only solution available that integrates with the Orchard-Rite® Auto-Start. The overall goal of the ORSat™ system is to partner with growers to make frost protection more effi cient, economical & eff ective than ever before. We operate 14 wind machines on 325 acres of apples and cherries spread out over 3 miles. In the past it was diffi cult to confi rm that our wind machines started, ran, and shut down appropriately during the course of a cold night. The ORSat System changed all that. Now we have the ability to start and stop our machines remotely, saving us money on fuel, labor and maintenance. ORSat also notifi es us when the machines are starting and stopping via the Auto-Start, and warns us of any problems. The ORSat System gives us yet another layer of protection above and beyond the Auto-Start and the Wind Machines themselves. " It provides us peace of mind on long, cold nights." "ORSat puts frost protection at our fi ngertips." --Marcus & John Griggs 1611 W Ahtanum Union Gap WA 98903 Phone: (509) 457-9196 3766 Iroquois Wenatchee WA 98801 Phone:(509) 662-2753 ORSat ™ -- another innovative product from Orchard-Rite ®