According to data provided in the latest fruit bulletin of the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies, Odepa, in Chile there are just over 61 thousand hectares of planted cherries (61,599), distributed between the regions of Coquimbo and Aysén. In 2012 there were only 14 thousand hectares of this fruit species, however today if some pending updates to the aforementioned report are considered, the exact figure would be closer to 70 thousand hectares, according to data provided by the Avium Advisory team.
It is estimated that the surface area will continue to increase, despite the two years in which there was some fear of continuing to plant, due to how the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 campaigns developed, which presented a complex logistical scenario due to the pandemic and, therefore, settlements that were often forgotten.
Although cherry trees have never stopped being planted, the recent 2022-23 campaign has restored confidence in the sector and many will surely be resuming projects that were frozen this season, or developing new ideas. Given this, it is necessary to consider a series of aspects ranging from knowing the property where the orchard will be installed, to the planting deadlines.
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The success of a project is determined by several factors, many of which cannot be controlled directly, such as the weather or business scenarios; however, it is essential to pay attention to planning, management and execution from the beginning of the project.
- Knowledge of the property:
The first thing to keep in mind is to know the area where you plan to establish the new garden very well, and as has been pointed out on previous occasions, to do so it is necessary to carry out a thorough soil study. This analysis must consider effective depth, physical and/or chemical impediments, and textural, chemical and biological analysis. On the other hand, it is also essential to know the agroclimatic conditions of the place; having as much information as possible will allow you to make the best decisions according to each particular reality.
It is essential that the above be complemented with a visit from the technical team, which must carry out a detailed review of the property using test pits.
Electrical conductivity maps can also be a contribution, as they can be used to visualize the different imperfections of the soils in depth; other technological elements such as drones, multispectral satellite images and orthophotos are very useful.
The information collected from all of the above will allow decisions to be made regarding which rootstock to use, planting density, planting direction, use of flower beds, need for drainage, etc.
- Variety/rootstock.
The climate where the orchard will be established is a very relevant factor to consider when choosing a variety; the cold hour requirements of each variety must be taken into account, but also the information cross-reference between climate and commercial aspects must be carried out.
Subsequently, the rootstock must be defined and to do so it is necessary to look at the type of soil, the variety/rootstock combination, which translates into the use of varieties with greater setting together with more vigorous rootstocks (Figure 1), and varieties with less setting with less vigorous rootstocks to achieve a technical balance between the fruit and the leaves, better known as the leaf/fruit ratio (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Vigor and Fertility of the different rootstocks.
Figure 2. Leaf/Fruit Relationship.
- Choosing the driving system.
For many years, cherry trees in Chile were cultivated under a free-training system, which gave rise to orchards with very large trees, 5 to 6 meters high, which generated a series of complications ranging from excessive shade to difficulties in harvesting. However, changes in this context in the new cherry plantations were not long in coming; according to the document Cherry cultivation in Chile, central zone vs Patagonia, the plantations went from “200 trees/ha (7 x 7 m) to densities of between 667 and 740 trees/ha (5 x 3 m – 4.5 x 3 m) for glass or central axis conduction systems, semi-dense orchards and densities of between 889 and 2,000 trees/ha (4.5 x 2.5 m – 5 x 1 m) for conduction systems with structure, dense orchards”.
Currently, the driving system will be determined mainly by the following factors:
-The way of working and experience that best suits the producer.
-The variety/rootstock combination
-More efficient systems in the use of labor.
The above factors are related to different aspects of the orchard; for example, the last one mentioned will be decisive for the productivity of the workers, both in tasks during dormancy, harvest or post-harvest. Now, regarding the variety/rootstock combination, the weaker it is, the greater the focus on the central axis; one should always consider not abusing the dilution of a predetermined vigor according to the characteristics of the site to be planted; while, the more vigorous it is, the greater the tendency to vigor dilution systems, such as the Y-Trellis or KGB training systems.
As for the variety/rootstock combination, the type of soil is decisive; for clayey soils with a high water retention, the Colt rootstock is the most suitable. For lighter soils, the MaxMa 14 or MaxMa 60 series could be the best alternative; 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 excellent option. It should be noted that the Colt rootstock adapts to any site and any soil condition, but not to any variety.
- Choosing the right plant.
How to choose the right plant for establishing a cherry orchard? There are different alternatives, which are explained below:
-Finished Plant: This is probably the plant format that provides the most security in a project, since it is a plant grown in a nursery, after a year of establishing the rootstock and another season of variety development. Its cost is logically higher than other alternatives, however, it is the format that requires the least administration once planted.
-Bare-root dormant eye plant: this is a rootstock developed in a nursery, which reaches the minimum graft diameter (around 8-9 mm at its base in February). To achieve this objective, the bud or patch graft of material harvested in the season is carried out at the base of these plants. It is advisable to use two patches, in order to ensure take-up in spring.
As for quality, a plant exceeding 8 mm in base diameter could be considered acceptable upon delivery.
-Grafted plant in the field: This is part of the variations that have occurred in the way of establishing the plantation; it involves the use of one-season rootstocks raised in a nursery and grafted in the field, by means of a scion graft or a winter splicing. It is necessary that the rootstocks have at least 8 mm in diameter at the base to be of a graftable quality; this is mainly so that the diameter is in accordance with the grafting material, a relevant point when controlling the quality of the graft.
-Container or bag plant: Rootstock established directly in the container or bag on a substrate or mixture that allows for rapid establishment of the seedling and subsequent development. This type of plants aims to reach graft diameter towards the end of summer and are a safe alternative when establishing rootstock seedlings late in the season, even in December. These plants can be grafted from dormant shoots in summer or from buds at winter exits, depending on the nursery strategy, often in common agreement with the producer based on the establishment of his orchard.
to develop a new planting project.
- Establishment.
When establishing a new plantation project, special attention must be paid to the initial stage of the project, in order to achieve its productive potential. Regardless of the variety, training system, type of plant or planting density, the following steps must be taken into account:
- Soil preparation: Soil preparation is a determining factor in the success or failure of a project, and this must be understood not only physically, but also chemically and biologically.
The subsoil and the topsoil must be prepared. This task aims to break down the physical impediments of the soil, in order to subsequently promote root exploration, ensure good drainage and increase the water retention capacity. To carry out this task, the type of soil must be evaluated, considering humidity and its physical limitations, and thus choose the most appropriate machinery.
For example, a soil with physical impediments such as cementitious strata called duripanes or fragipanes, or soils with a high percentage of stoniness and less humidity in the profile, the best option would be a Bulldozer. Now, when faced with soils without physical limitations, it would be possible to use an excavator with a claw without problems.
As for the execution, harrows and chisel plows should be used to advance the arable layer, which comprises the first 30 cm of soil. The idea is to achieve the disaggregation of the soil into smaller parts. It is at this stage that chemical corrections should be made through amendments and then it should be decided whether it will be necessary to build ridges or flower beds.
This definition will be related to either providing greater effective soil depth or just as an alternative to favour the correct drainage of surface runoff in winter. The ideal deadline to have the preparation completed is May 1st.
- Plantation
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This task is carried out only once in the life of the project, so it is as important as preparing the soil. It is essential to find a suitable hole so that the roots are loose, without rolling them up or pointing away from the ground. The plant should be lifted slightly before finishing covering the hole, and they should be plumb and perpendicular to the ground, for better plant development.
The planting deadline, depending on the different types, is:
-Plant completed: July 31.
-Sleeping eye plant: July 31.
-Plant for grafting in the ground: planting on July 15 and grafting by August 10.
-Plant in bag or container: November 1.
It is essential to carry out the above that the irrigation system is finished, tested and working, since it must be irrigated before and during the planting process of a new project.
- Training
Training is another important part of the project and consists of three stages:
1) Construction of the base of the “skeleton” of plants, whether one, two or several axes.
If it is an axis-based system, it is necessary to develop axes over 2 meters high during that season, with good buds and internodes, and without laterals that can “over-develop” the following season and go against an optimal balance. Precocious branching, that is, during the first season, is a sign contrary to root development; this can lead to very heterogeneous orchards with roots that are not fully expressed during that season.
To obtain these “good axes”, both in a central axis and in its variations (YV Trellis, double axes, etc.) it is essential to develop them in the garden from 40 or 50 cm; in the case of gardens established from a finished plant, it is advisable to lower them at the time of planting.
In KGB, however, this base of the “skeleton” is the crown from which all the branches will emerge. This crown must be well lit so that the garden will continue to produce branches in the future.
2) Complete the “skeleton” formed in the first year, branching the plants using different strategies to obtain the so-called “mother branches”.
This is a key stage for the success of the project. Once the first stage has been completed, the objective is to complete the “skeleton” of the plants; this means obtaining the structures that will lead to production. They are normally called “mother branches”, which are where the future fruit centers (especially shoots) will be located and which do not necessarily have to be permanent. These can complete a productive cycle and then be renewed.
Branching is a critical point in the formation of an orchard; it is essential that it generates a minimum number of branches with a development of at least 70-80 cms. in length, and ideally starting from 50-60 cms. in height from the axis.
There are different branching techniques, we can find different ideas and procedures and three important points must be kept in mind in the branching process: SUPERVISION, SUPERVISION AND SUPERVISION
The biggest and most important difference between success and failure in plant development is the lack of analysis and supervision that must be carried out permanently from the beginning to the end of the branching process. It must be kept in mind that a well-branched tree is a balanced tree.
Pay attention in spring, when these lateral growths begin to take shape, and consider the procedure and need for orthopedics, which will allow you to begin to “balance” the tree to promote its early entry into production.
3) Find the “balance” of the branches within the plant, analyzing the scenario in winter and carrying out the first initial renewal pruning, eliminating the very vigorous ones.
Once the skeleton or permanent structure has been defined, it is important to identify the balance of each of the floors. This analysis must be carried out from the critical point of view of the structural balance, in order to eliminate all growth that is above this “balance”.
Removing over-vigorous branches (initial renewal pruning) involves leaving a “plug” that allows for new growth with a vigor in accordance with the average of the plant. This is applicable to all training systems, since maintaining the balance between the branches that are forming the plant is transversal. It is also important to analyze the balance in each section of the plant.
It is very important to always maintain the concept of “balance” during the reproductive life of an orchard; this should be done by renewing branches, since we must base production on young shoots that are the ones that could maintain a high potential. However, this is being permanently studied and it is still established that the older the shoot, the lower the quality of the fruit.
Finally, it should be noted that, regardless of the training system used, a cherry orchard must have a minimum productive potential of around 12 tons/ha to be competitive. To achieve this objective and maintain it over time, it is necessary to carry out a series of tasks that not only concern the training stage of the projects, which is undoubtedly very important. Attention must then be paid to maintenance and reproductive/vegetative balance, which is the fundamental basis of this productive potential.
