Climate with respect to the variety, soil with respect to the rootstock and training system depending on the vigor or vigor characteristics of the combination.
The cherry business is a booming sector in our country, with approximately 32 thousand hectares of productive plantations in 2019 out of a total of approximately 50 thousand hectares planted and it is considered one of the three most important fruit species in Chile. According to information collected by the Cherry Market Yearbook prepared by iQonsulting, 180,576 tons of cherries were exported in the 2018/2019 season alone.
Every year new producers and investors choose to enter this business. But what factors are important to define before embarking on the creation of a cherry orchard model?
The first step is to determine the best variety according to the climate where the orchard will be established. Given the cold requirements in warmer areas, for example, and early harvest, there is a good commercial alternative if harvested before November 25.
In a colder area, it will be advisable to focus on varieties that can be harvested later, from the last 10 days of December, and in intermediate areas, look for varieties that can be competitive with the large volume of fruit at the time.
“It is important to recognize the site in climatic terms with respect mainly to the accumulation of cold hours in the dormant period between the months of May, June and July and on the other hand the accumulation of degree days from the month of August with respect to how accelerated that area is to accumulate temperature, which would govern whether it is an early zone or a slightly later zone." said Carlos Tapia, director of Avium.
Regarding the choice of varieties, the expert added: “The choice of varieties is adjusted to the climate of the area. In warmer areas, early varieties with short sites can be preferred to take advantage of the early harvest in the form of primor, and in later or mid-season areas, mid-season or late varieties can be preferred to take advantage of the area. However, this does not mean that later varieties can be implemented in early areas and earlier varieties in late areas, since this is not necessarily governed by the climate in terms of thermal accumulation, but rather by the fact that many times there is the objective of lengthening the harvest window. For example, implementing Santina in a cold area no longer seems crazy because Santina, although it is a variety that we have classified as an early variety, is the earliest of the varieties that we know, but it is also a variety that adapts to mid-season or late seasons, which allows us to start with a Santina in a later harvest area as a kind of white march. On the other hand, for example, Sweetheart is a late-harvest variety and it would not be a contradiction to plant it in an early zone because it is a variety that requires little cold accumulation and could lengthen the harvest or the harvest window immediately after Lapins. So it is not necessarily that late varieties can be planted in the wrong zone, but it is a benefit to lengthen or advance the harvest windows.”
Once the variety to be planted has been selected, it is important to choose the rootstock that will accompany it. This must be suitable for both the type of soil and the variety/rootstock combination. It is recommended to avoid using a variety with low setting (or fertility) on a vigorous rootstock and for varieties with more setting, it is recommended to use less vigorous rootstocks, also considering that the rootstock with less vigor provides a smaller size potential.
“The rootstock is directly governed by the soil condition. Different rootstocks have different adaptation characteristics in different types of soil. On the one hand, for example, in very water-retaining and clayey soils, the Colt rootstock is the one that best suits it. In lighter soils, the MaxMa 14 or MaxMa 60 series could be an alternative, and in the case of loamy to clayey loam soils, the Gisela® series, which is conditional on Gisela® 5, 6 or 12, could also be an alternative. However, for my taste, the Colt rootstock adapts to any site and any soil condition.” Tapia said.
The training system must then be decided, which will be determined by two main factors: the method of work that best suits the producer and the other related to the variety/rootstock combination. The weaker the combination, the greater the focus on the central axis, considering not abusing the dilution of a predetermined vigor according to the characteristics of the site to be planted. The more vigorous the training system is, the greater the tendency towards vigor dilution systems, such as the Y-Trellis or KGB training systems, among others.
“Having the rootstock and the variety, one should present the proposal for the training system. The more vigorous the rootstock, the combination used, the more it would be necessary to dilute the vigor in some training system that allows the plant's strength to be distributed, mainly speaking of a multi-axis, a Y-trellis or a KGB. The less vigor the rootstock has in the case of Gisela at the end, it does not make much sense to dilute the vigor because probably the condition of the plant will always be just right or at the expense of the vegetative recovery of the orchard, therefore, there are three lines of how to proceed in the choice of these materials and the choice of the training system with respect to the new projects.” the specialist emphasized.
Bibliographic references
-Carlos Tapia: Personal communication.
-IQconsulting Cherry Market Yearbook 2018/2019.
