Good Fruit Grower

August 2016

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18 AUGUST 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com A s the tree fruit indus- try grows increasingly more progressive with high-density plantings, growers are left wonder- ing how to design the perfect trellis that won't fail under heavier crop loads. There's no engineering guidebook that answers all of their potential ques- tions — and there are many. What incline is recommended for an angled trellis sys- tem in my growing c o n d i t i o n s ? W h a t system and materials are best suited for my soil type? How much distance should I leave between posts? A new research project supported by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission aims to answer some of those questions, with a goal of producing an engineering guide for trellis installation that takes into account fruit loads in high-density plantings and fixed and variable loads on a system. "The reality is that if you were going to put up a laundry line and you were just going to hang your clothes, your needs are very different than if you were going to hang your clothes and your neighbor's clothes and rugs," said Mark De Kleine of De Kleine Machine Co., lead researcher on the study. "The trellis system is the foundation of the orchard," he said. "When you lose a trellis system, it can be devastating. In some cases, you can salvage trees, and in some cases, it's a complete failure and you have to start over. You don't ever want to be in that situation." Too many growers have looked to a neighbor for ideas, he said, "but you don't really have an idea what that sys - tem looks like if you're going to grow 80 bins to the acre, 150 bins to the acre or 200 bins to the acre. And there's no real sense, as a grower who's going to put in a trellis system, how to design a system for my conditions, my soil type, my hor- ticultural practices." Preliminary results For the first phase of the project, researchers surveyed growers about trellis failures in Washington. Thirteen failures were reported. Crop loads ranged from 40 bins per acre to 130 bins per acre. Half of all failures occurred Trellis fails Researchers aim to produce trellis guide for high-density plantings. by Shannon Dininny 815 Wallace Way 2410 N. 4th Ave. 1155 S. Broadway 81156 Hwy 395 North Grandview, WA Pasco, WA Othello, WA Hermiston, OR 509-882-2060 509-547-1761 509-488-5623 541-567-6370 800-959-1535 800-595-1536 • Engineering & Planning • Technology Savvy • Precision Implementation • Dependable Products • Reliable Service Victor Bueno Agri NW Ranch Victor Bueno Agri NW Ranch Jon Hayter Irrigation Specialists Jon Hayter Irrigation Specialists Victor Bueno Orchard Manager Washington Fruit Agri NW Ranch "Since I became manager, this orchard has grown from 300 to 800 acres. We are constantly making changes and Irrigation Specialists is here for us with sound advice and engineering expertise. When improvements are needed on existing blocks or acreage is being replanted, I can depend on them to have solutions that will keep our orchards more e cient and cost e ective. Irrigation Specialists are available when problems arise and quick to respond."

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