Apples for the Future
“This project is shaping a brighter, more efficient, and sustainable future for apple orchards, promising greater profitability and success.”
Field Day Highlights
On Tuesday, 20 May, over 30 growers and industry professionals gathered to witness the advancements in the Narrow Orchard Systems (NOS) for Future Climates project at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute. The highlight was the demonstration of an autonomous sprayer, which impressed attendees with its ability to navigate 2.5 m rows seamlessly. The new orchard includes three 2D multileader narrow orchard systems (single cordon, double crossover cordon and standard double cordon) on three different vigor controlling rootstocks and three Australian bred apple cultivars. The talk about using bamboo supports and training trees was very engaging for the growers.
Key presentations were from Assad Ullah from DPIRD, who shared insights on NOS research, and Jen Riseley from Pomewest, who presented the latest results from the PIPS4 profit trials.
NOS Project Goals:
Safer Orchards: Enhancing safety to attract labor.
Profitability: Reducing operating costs for more profitable orchards.
Uniformity: Achieving consistent high yields of quality fruit.
Technology Adoption: Accelerating the use of robotic and sensing technology.
Sustainability: Developing climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable orchards.
Research Streams:
There are three streams of research. The first is studying the effects of rootstocks, cultivar, canopy height and training system on vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality in designed NOS field experiments. The second is simulating light interception and spray efficiency in NOS using digital twins and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology. The third is testing appropriate Ag Tech and sensors for NOS.
If you would like to be part of the reference group for this project please contact:
Asad Ullah Asad.Ullah@dpird.wa.gov.au or Dario Stefanelli at Dario.Stefanelli@dpird.wa.gov.au
