Orchard training: how to avoid crucial planting mistakes

During the visits to the growers recommended by Ovalle in Osorno, a similar pattern was repeated in all tours with regard to the main problems observed in orchards, where errors in various elements of the production chain obviously affect productivity and business results.

These errors stem from a lack of discipline, which is elementary in today's modern or precision orchards, and which is so necessary for planning and execution. It is not taken into account when making decisions, determining problems, not planning on time and not executing expert recommendations at the right time.

These are mainly errors in planning, management and execution, which result in technical errors that generally lead to misunderstood cost-saving arguments, affecting performance and, above all, the company's margin.

It is necessary to get it out of one's head that the cheapest is the best for the final profit of the orchard. The difference in cost between plant protection products, fertilisers and other inputs means that those of lower quality end up being more expensive and inefficient, with repercussions on the production result. The cost per hectare must always be analysed considering the total dose of product and the efficiency of control, whatever the objective, and not the cost per litre or the size of product per unit.

Consider that the cost of labour will be much higher than the entire plant protection and fertiliser programme, accounting for 70% of the total budget. Here are some of the main technical errors.

Irrigation management

One of the most important aspects of irrigation management is supplying the plants' water needs and bringing oxygen into the system. Water requirements vary throughout the season as phenology develops and as environmental factors such as temperature and humidity change.

Many growers have no theoretical or technical basis for calculating and quantifying irrigation requirements, let alone the frequency of irrigation, and simply follow their own beliefs, which leads to problems such as root asphyxia due to over-irrigation, water deficit due to under-irrigation, and consequences such as soil compaction, plant death, disease, loss or excess vigour, and ultimately lower yield.

We must consider that what we irrigate is the soil, and in determining the timing and frequency of irrigation, we must take into account the combination of rootstock, soil type and climate in which each orchard is located, and variables such as crop coefficient (Kc) and reference evaporation (Eto) to determine the millimetres of water to be replenished in each irrigation event. See Table 1.

Source: Mundoagro.

It is essential to verify that the determined time and frequency meet the crop's water needs. Although irrigation monitoring technology is currently available, it is essential to corroborate this information with what is observed in the orchard, and especially with what is observed in a calicata.

Therefore, this examination should be part of the important tasks in an orchard, especially in the months of high water demand, as an error at the time of irrigation can have a direct impact on the quality of our fruit, yield and can also have consequences on diseases and plant stress.

Given the importance of water in plant physiology, it is essential to manage irrigation correctly throughout the season. Irrigation must generate a high hydraulic load on the soil, so long irrigations are necessary for each irrigation cycle in order to provide the soil with the correct water/oxygen ratio.

Once the irrigation time has been determined, only the frequency and not the irrigation time needs to be changed in order to keep the same bulb moist and hydrate the entire root mass correctly.

As can be seen in image 1, we have an insufficient wetting bulb with a 3-hour irrigation every 4 days in the Regina variety on Gisela 12, where there is a large portion of roots in dry soil and at the point of permanent wilting, leaving the plant exposed to a stress situation that is detrimental to the vegetative and productive development of the orchard.

Orchard establishment and formation

One of the main production problems encountered in the field in mature, established orchards are errors in the management of orchard planting in the first years of life, even before planting, such as poor soil preparation (there are still producers who wonder whether it is necessary to till the soil before planting, just to save this cost), poor plant quality and lack of chemical soil preparation.

Orchards showing disease and phytosanitary symptoms in the second, third or fourth year of planting are generally associated with poor quality plants from the nursery. As growers, we should not receive or plant material that shows disease symptoms or second and third class plants.

In my opinion, this is the number one mistake in setting up an orchard, as a low quality plant will hardly be able to fulfil its production potential or, if it does, it will do so at a high production cost. This is why it is important to be clear that a good plant is priceless.

The key to a successful planting and also to the longevity of the orchard over time is the correct physical and chemical preparation of the soil. We must provide good root conditions from the beginning, which must last over time and in accordance with the growth of the plants.

Correct preparation of the subsoil portion (>90 cm), where we have to maintain the largest root population in an adult orchard, is important, as this is where they have the best conditions throughout the year. In addition, insufficient levels of mineral elements must be corrected before planting.

This correction must be carried out by adjustments according to the needs of each soil. It is very important to carry out this work before planting, because corrections after planting are inefficient, expensive and do not help the orchard to develop homogeneously.

In image 2, we can see an orchard without physical soil preparation, where there is little root exploration and very shallow, caused by the compaction of the soil profile, which directly reduces the production potential.

Another mistake we can observe, and which is transcendental in several orchards, is to expect an early profit flow, to the detriment of management that aims at the quality of orchard formation, such as not cutting bare-root plants at planting time, leaving early shoots that unbalance the plants and form heterogeneous orchards.

In the first and second year of planting, our priority should always be to form an orchard that is as structurally homogeneous as possible, which in the future will allow us to be more efficient with pruning, orchard management and general management guidelines.

Weed control

In 2023, many growers are still shoveling vegetation or using a brush cutter to reduce weed pressure; as already mentioned, labour is the most expensive part of our budget and in this case we are using it for an inefficient task. We already know the negative effect that weeds have on our orchards, from the point of view of irrigation efficiency and nutrition (soil fertilisers) and that they are also important hosts for pests and diseases.

For proper weed control, there are control tools that are fundamental pillars, such as the use of pre-emergent residual herbicides that are applied during the winter and are aimed at controlling seed germination. Using these tools correctly yields great benefits, such as a constant decrease in the orchard's weed load over time.

In addition, the cost of a complete residual herbicide programme is considerably cheaper than in an orchard, just considering the cost of the products, because if we add the cost of labour and machinery for each application of post-emergent herbicides, common programmes become even more expensive. These differences can be as high as $800/ha.

Image 3 - Formation difference. B) Finished bare-root plant lowered to 50 centimetres at the time of planting, with homogenous axis formation, ready for branching in the following season.

Weed control should start in the first year of planting and be included in the orchard training budget in order to reduce losses due to weed competition with the plant and to keep the seed load low over time. Orchards must be free of weeds throughout the year.

Labour control and supervision

If labour is the one that has the greatest impact on our budget and accounts for 70% of the final cost, it is essential to supervise and control the work that is done, especially since we know that labour is becoming more and more expensive and of poorer quality in the work that is assigned to it.

There are elementary labour tasks, such as winter pruning to adjust the load, which, if done poorly, lead to the need for other tasks, such as flower or fruit thinning, which are very costly (around USD 1,500/ha) and which greatly increase budgets and are never done correctly, which directly affects the quality of the fruit. Other tasks that must be carried out with the utmost care are incisions, orthopedic pruning or branch tying, which are crucial for the productive flow of the orchard.

In the case of winter setting pruning, it is still difficult to understand the importance of early setting, which is more efficient, has a greater impact on the quality of our fruit and also allows us to restore plant architecture and renew wood, which is essential for keeping our orchards productive and stable over time. Always remember that less is more.

Image 4 - Orchard with high weed pressure, which makes interventions such as fertilisation and irrigation inefficient.

Quality of phytosanitary applications

Another of the errors in the execution of phytosanitary programmes is the lack of attention to the quality of the applications, starting with the maintenance and calibration of the machinery, which must be in good condition in order to respect the application schedules and be efficient in the use of these resources and respect the appropriate time of application to meet the objectives of the programme.

Another important factor to consider is the adaptation to the chemical requirements of the products, where water quality and pH adjustment of the applications are of great importance in order to exploit the properties of the applied products and fully comply with the objectives of each application. Correct management of phytosanitary applications brings great productive benefits that are directly reflected in the success of our orchards and productions.

When making a phytosanitary application, the first thing to do is to know the characteristics and chemical requirements of the product to be applied and its compatibility with other products. We must also know the quality of the water to be used, as the reaction of the products will depend on this.

Image 5 - Orchard response to proper pest management in an orchard with a history of high disease pressure. The first picture was taken on 25 November and the second on 15 December. If applications are made at the right time, the response can be seen within a few days.

There are many management factors to be considered in all elements of the production chain. The success and profitability of the business over time depend on them. But without a doubt, discipline, management and work execution are the key to achieving the expected results, which are long-lasting and fruit growing finally becomes a business.

Source: Mundoagro
Images: Mundoagro

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