TRAINING SYSTEMS FOR
PEACHES AND
NECTARINES
Mercy Olmstead,
Ph.D.
Stonefruit
Extension
Specialist
ORCHARD TRAINING SYSTEMS
 Training system decisions must start
before planting
 Know what the orchard will look like
when mature
 Follow a plan
 Traditional vs. New Systems
 Open Vase
 Perpendicular-V - focus on early fruit
production and high yield
 SCRI – Innovative Technologies for
Thinning Fruit
 Testing thinning equipment in both systems
 Uniform “plane” of fruiting area has been
most successful
OPEN VASE TRAINING SYSTEM
 Traditional System
 In many other locations – can take 6-8 years for trees to fill in spaces
 Florida = ideal growing conditions with 7-8 feet of growth per year
 Trees can grow together in close spacings within one year
 Spacing:
 15 x 20 = 145 trees
 10 x 20 = 218 trees
 Trees trained to 3-4 scaf folds
 Cover each quadrant to optimize light interception
 Tree height set at 8 feet
 Optimize activities without use of ladders
OPEN VASE
 Pruning young trees:
Year 1
Year 2
OPEN VASE
 Pruning Techniques
 Dormant Pruning




Remove vigorous shoots (watersprouts)
Shape tree
Choose fruiting wood
Thin branches
 Summer Pruning




Reduce height of tree to 8 feet
Remove dead shoots
Remove hanging shoots close to ground
Increase light penetration to middle of tree
 Be careful of sunburn!
 Light is very important to form flower buds for next year
PERPENDICULAR-V
 System developed in California
 Spacing:
 6’ x 18’ or 20’, depending on previous system
 403 trees/ac
 Trees are trained to two main scaf folds
 50-60 degrees apart between scaffolds
 If angle is too vertical (<20° from vertical), scaffolds will be weak
 If angle is too horizontal (>45° from vertical), scaffolds are sunburnprone
 Tree height set at 8 feet
 Optimize activities from ground
PERPENDICULAR-V
 Pruning young trees:
Year 1
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/391-540.pdf
PERPENDICULAR-V
Year 2
Year 3+
PERPENDICULAR-V
 Pruning Techniques
 Dormant Pruning
 Remove vigorous shoots (watersprouts)
 Shape tree
 Choose fruiting wood as close to scaffolds as
possible
 Thin branches
 Summer Pruning
 Reduce height of tree to 8 feet
 Remove dead shoots
 Increase light penetration to fruiting wood
 Thin shoots
 Be careful of sunburn – leave a few upright shoots in middle
 May have to do 2 or 3x with this system
 Excessive vigor in FL
ORCHARD TRAINING SYSTEMS
 Decision Tools – Which
system is right for your
orchard?
 Spacing and cost
considerations
 145 Trees/Ac vs. 403
Trees/Ac.
 15’ x 20’ vs 8’ x 20’
 Increased costs with
tighter spacing
 Costs are fixed at
$11.00/tree
ORCHARD TRAINING SYSTEMS
 Labor
considerations
 Higher density =
higher labor costs
 Thinning more
costly
 Perpendicular-V
easy to establish
and prune
 May have to summer
prune multiple times
to maintain system
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/peach/orchard/peachyields.pdf
ORCHARD TRAINING SYSTEMS
 Training considerations
 Open vase system = longer time per tree to prune, thin, etc.
 Perpendicular-V = uniform system, shorter time required per
tree/activity
 Tree loss due to disease, insects, etc.
 In higher density system, loss of yield due to resets is minimal
 Returns to grower
 Overall yield per acre is higher with perpendicular -V
 What does your market need?
 Delivery in bulk vs. spread throughout season
TRAINING SYSTEM CASE STUDY
 Byron, GA
 Redglobe/Guardian
 Trees were in 4 th leaf (2002)
 Gross Income
 Open Vase
 61.82 lbs x 145 trees/ac x
$2.00/lb = $17,927/ac
 Perpendicular-V
 30.93 lbx x 403 trees/ac x
$2.00/lb = $24,929/ac
$24,929/ac
gross income
 **Subtract out other costs
to get net income
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/peach/orchard/peachyields.pdf
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME?
 Start small
 Open Vase has been successful in FL
 Prospective growers should minimize investment costs
 Trials for established growers
 High density system (Perpendicular-V)
 Established stream of income before diving in
 Other considerations
 Cost
 Spacing (available land?)
 Skilled labor force
 Training
 Tree replacement and yield loss
QUESTIONS?
Gulfking, May 2010
IBA ROOTING
EXPERIMENT
OPTIMIZING ROOTING CONDITIONS FOR
CUTTINGS
 IBA Concentrations:
 0, 1000, 2000, 4000 ppm
 Cutting collection
 2009
 August 3 (softwood)
 August 10 (softwood)
 August 17 (semi –
hardwood)
 2010




January 20 (hardwood)
Late June
July (2-3 times)
August (2-3 times
 2011
 January
 Compare timings with
IBA concentration to
determine successful
combination
ROOTING SUCCESS
Sharpe Rootstock
(clonal plum)
Flordaguard Rootstock