Our Organic Concept Orchard

In the spring of 2007, we were approached by the apple supplier, OrchardWorld Ltd , and asked if we would host a 4 hectare state of the art organic ‘concept' orchard. This was to be a sister orchard to a one hectare conventional version planted nearby exactly one year earlier. Organic techniques and the technology available for pest and disease control had come on in leaps and bounds in the preceding two years, and feeling we now had a reasonable chance of success we accepted the offer.

The orchard, situated on our finest land, is a super-intensive planting based on the Dutch table-top system and is entirely systems driven; there are 3000 trees per hectare (compared with about 1000 per hectare as used in our conventional semi-intensive systems) planted on a wire and post support system under full trickle irrigation. This level of tree planting is the only way that such a capital intensive system can quickly achieve the very high yields required to make it a financially viable option.

The varieties were chosen for consumer appeal and to give a spread of maturity to aid marketing; they included Cox, Royal Gala, Braeburn, Bramley and Egremont Russet as well as newer more disease resistant varieties such as Early Windsor, Estival, Festival, Fuji and Pinova.

The trees were planted in late April 2007 and to ensure an adequate water supply, a derelict pond was restored as a reservoir for the trickle irrigation system; this has subsequently become a magnet for wildlife.

Red clover has been planted between the rows, providing habitat for predatory insects and pollinating bumblebees; the clover is also cut and spread under the trees as a ‘green manure' mulch. Over 80 hectares of arable land on the farm is also drilled with red and white clover; we are members and active participants in the Operation Bumblebee project.

Apple scab control is managed using weather data that is continuously gathered electronically in association with a computer model for the disease. This allows exact and timely treatments of sulphur to be applied during the early growing season.

The novel pheromone mating disruption system Exosect is being used to control the major caterpillar pest Codling Moth, and the soap application techniques developed in our organic hop garden are being successfully used to control aphid pests and apple sucker.

It was hoped that yields of up to 15 tonnes per hectare would be achieved in 2008 only eighteen months after planting. This would compare with typical organic yields of 8 tonnes per hectare at full production.

The 2008 harvest was gathered in, and whilst the yields of Cox and the early varieties Estival, Festival and Early Windsor were disappointing, probably as a result of the appalling weather during flowering, all the other varieties hit the 15 tonne target. Pest and disease problems were completely controlled using the models and systems outlined above.

The target for 2009 was a 25 tonne yield. This crop  was harvested and the target was achieved by the Braeburn, Gala and Pinova. All other varieties achieved 15-20 tonnes barring Cox which, although better than 2008 in both yield and quality, managed barely 5 tonnes. This variety will be replaced as it is clearly suited neither to the site nor the system. Again, diseases were entirely controlled as were the pests barring a very late attack of Summer Fruit Tortrix moth. So late was this attack that it is suspected that it may actually be a close relative, the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM), which caused this damage.

In April 2010, the underperforming Cox trees were replaced with Braeburn and Gala. This year the yield target for the orchard was 45 tonnes per hectare - a yield previously unthinkable in conventional apple production let alone under an organic  regime. As always, the growing season threw up its challenges, not least of which was the three weeks of icy east wind during blossom time. Fortunately the fruit buds laid down during June 2009 were strong enough to withstand this and generally set well. Disease control was again absolute and the tortrix moths were far fewer in number and well controlled. The yields were well up on 2009, the star performers being Gala (42t/ha), Braeburn (45t/ha) and Pinova (52 t/ha). Whilst the Gala and Braeburn have graded out at over 90% class I, the Pinova, which at harvest looked to be of similar standard, have suffered post harvest with a progressive and very bad skin spotting. This is thought to be due to a nutrient imbalance caused by the extreme stress of the growing season compounded by a 5 degree frost and heavy rain just prior to harvest. The course of true love never runs true!

"Three Generations"

The best of grandfather's husbandry meets the best of modern technology in the organic concept orchard.