Organic Apples cultivtion

For growing organic apples fallowing points should keep in mind before start a project

Site Selection

For growing organic apples fallowing points should keep in mind before start a project

Site Selection

Before establishment of  a new orchard, the selection of site should be accourding to climate and soil nutrient status .must contain a good and favourable temperature and fertile soil .fertile soil qualities that will benefit fruit trees. Selecting a good site will prevent long-term problems that cannot be corrected with cultural practices.

apple Fruit trees are "full sun" plants that need exposure to sunlight for much of the day. Select a site that has good air flow. Sloping land that is not bordered by dense tree stands will encourage air movement and keep cold air from settling in the orchard. Sites with poor air flow are prone to damaging cold temperatures in the winter and and frosts in the spring.

 Good soil drainage is also essential for  fruit trees.fruit plants  will not tolerate wet soils. Poorly drained soils will need a drainage system installed before trees can be planted. The orchard should have a minimum soil depth of two to three feet. Where soil depth is less than ideal, tree root systems cannot adequately support the trees, which may consequently fall over with strong winds

Variety Selection

Many varieties (i.e., cultivars) exist with a range in disease susceptibility, ripening dates and other qualities that impact farming. When selecting varieties, you should consider both the willingness of consumers to purchase them and traits that impact cultural practices such as disease resistance and biennial bearing. Ripening dates are important for pick-your-own operations, where a selection of several varieties that ripen over a period of several weeks are needed for consistent marketing.

Apple scab is the most economically significant disease of apples in the northeast United States, and its management on susceptible varieties in organic systems requires multiple applications of mineral fungicides that can exhibit phytotoxicity to the trees in the orchard, potentially reducing tree growth, harvestable yield, and fruit quality. By selecting varieties that have been bred to have genetic resistance to apple scab, many of the drawbacks of the use of these materials, as well as from infection by the disease, can be avoided. Examples of scab resistant cultivars (SRC) include: Liberty, Crimson Crisp, Crimson Topaz, Freedom, William's Pride, Winecrisp, and Florina Querina. Other commercially important varieties such as Honeycrisp have partial resistance to scab and may require fewer fungicide applications for sufficient scab prevention. 

Apples are prone to biennial bearing or alternating yields where bloom and crop load are heavy in one year, followed by a year with scant bloom and poor yield. All varieties are biennial to some extent but some exhibit a more severe tendency. To prevent biennial bearing in most varieties, thin the fruit soon after bloom. Successful early crop load reductions are the key to preventing biennial bearing. In organic production, methods of thinning are limited and may not be sufficiently effective to prevent biennial bearing, so variety selection should include some varieties that tend toward annual bearing.

Rootstocks and Dwarf Fruit Trees

Fruit trees are not propagated from seed. Instead, they are propagated by grafting buds or shoots onto rootstocks, therefore the root system is genetically different from the above-ground portion of the apple tree. Rootstocks can be selected for traits such as dwarfism, early bearing, disease resistance, and winter hardiness. Fruit trees are also grafted in order to get "true-to-type" varieties. Apple trees grown from seed will not grow into the same variety from which the seed originated, but will be a new and unique type of apple that may or may not be good.

Trees are classed into groups according to their size; dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard. Tree size of fully-grown trees is determined by both the scion variety and the rootstock. The Northern Spy apple is an example of a very vigorous variety and Honeycrisp an example of a low vigor variety. Trees size is also determined by its rootstock. Some rootstocks induce a dwarfing effect on the tree, whereas, standard rootstocks will produce a full-sized tree. A particular variety can be grafted to a dwarf, semi-dwarf or standard rootstock, giving the grower a choice in tree size for most varieties.

Rootstocks also influence how rapidly trees begin to bear fruit, a trait known as "precocity". In general, apple trees on dwarfing rootstocks begin to bear two to three years after planting. semi-dwarf trees begin to bear fruit four to five years after planting. Standard trees can take as much as seven to ten years to reach an age when they bear fruit.

A dwarf apple tree attains a height of eight to ten feet in most conditions and can be planted as close as three feet, but more commonly at a spacing of six feet. Because of their smaller size, dwarf fruit trees require less labor for pruning and harvesting and make a good choice where labor is not available. However, they require a permanent stake or trellis for support because of their brittle roots. The roots easily break causing the tree to lean when the tree is not staked. There are several dwarfing rootstocks available for apple:

Malling 9 (M.9) and Budagovsky 9 (Bud.9) are fully dwarfing rootstocks which allow close tree spacing of three to eight feet, depending on the tree training system, varietal vigor and soil fertility. Bud.9 has greater winter hardiness than M.9. There are several different clones of M.9. The Fleuren 56 and T337 clones produce smaller trees than the EMLA, NIC29 or Pajam clones. Geneva 41 (G.41) is a new fully dwarfing rootstock with resistance to fireblight and good winter hardiness.

Malling 26 (M.26), Geneva 11 (G.11) and Geneva 16 (G.16) are small semi-dwarfing rootstocks that can be planted at a spacing of six to ten feet apart. G.16 is susceptible to latent viruses which can interfere with its productivity. G.935 is a new rootstock that produces a tree slightly larger in size than M.26, and has greater winter hardiness than many other rootstocks.

Malling 7 (M.7) is a semi-dwarfing rootstock that does not require staking, but lacks winter hardiness, is slow to bear fruit and produces root suckers. Trees on this rootstock can be planted 12 to 14 feet apart. Geneva 30 (G.30) has similar tree size as M.7, but greater hardiness, early bearing and fewer suckers. G.30 requires staking because of high yield at an earlier age.

Malling-Merton 106 (MM.106) and Malling-Merton 111 (MM.111) are semi-dwarfing rootstocks that do not require staking, but require more space than dwarf trees and are slow to bear fruit. They can be planted at a spacing of 18 feet apart for most varieties. MM.106 lacks winter hardiness. The lack of precocity and greater need for pruning makes these rootstocks undesirable for commercial producers.

Pollination Requirements

In order for fruit to develop, flowers must first be pollinated. Some species of fruit trees require cross pollination by another variety, whereas others will bear fruit when planted alone or with the same variety. When flowers have not been properly pollinated, they are shed soon after bloom.

Apples are self-unfruitful meaning pollen of a particular variety will not pollinate or fertilize flowers of the same variety. Therefore, a different variety of apple that blooms at the same time should be planted in the orchard. McIntosh and Liberty bloom early and should be cross pollinated by another early blooming variety. Honeycrisp is late blooming and is best pollinated by other late blooming varieties such as Northern Spy or Golden Delicious. Pollination charts are typically available in fruit tree nursery catalogs. Apples will also be cross pollinated by crabapples and vice versa. Trees that serve as a source of pollen for another tree are called "pollinizers".

When selecting pollinizer varieties, it helps to select two varieties that do not closely resemble each other so that they can easily be kept separate at harvest. A common planting scheme is to alternate entire rows of different varieties so that they are close to each other, but less likely to be mixed at harvest. To facilitatemanagement of apple scab when using fungicide sprays, varieties interplanted in the same orchard should posses a similar level of resistance. Select varieties that bloom or ripen at roughly the same time for scheduling insecticide applications that occur at critical times such as petal fall and close to harvest.

Some apple varieties have sterile pollen and cannot be used for cross pollination. These are Baldwin, Creston, Gravenstein, Jonagold, Belle de Boskoop, Mutsu, Crispin, Rhode Island Greening, Roxbury Russet, Shizuka, Spigold, Stayman, Bramley's Seedling, Wealthy and Winesap. When growing any of these varieties, plant at least two other varieties for good cross pollination.

Bees are the most important means by which pollen is transferred from one tree to another. Large orchards greatly benefit from honey bee hives. One strong hive per acre is recommended. Small orchards may be adequately pollinated by wild bees in years with favorable weather. When favorable pollination weather is of short duration, hives will make a difference because the large number of bees in hives can rapidly pollinate an entire orchard in optimum conditions of warm, calm weather

Crop Load Management

Apple trees are capable of bearing more fruit than is healthy for the tree or commercial viable. Reducing the crop load during the fruit set stage is done by growers nearly every year to encourage good fruit size and return bloom. Eliminating some of the fruit is accomplished by applying a fruit thinner or by hand thinning.

Because thinning reduces the number of fruit on each tree, the remaining fruit grow to a larger size than if all fruit were kept. The earlier that thinning occurs in the season, the more it promotes fruit growth and final fruit size. Thinning also lessens biennial bearing by promoting return bloom. The presence of a large number of fruit on the tree has an inhibitory effect on flower formation. Apple flowers are formed in the year prior to their bloom. By reducing the number of fruit early in the growing season, a greater number of flowers will be formed for the next year.

Fruit thinning can be done by hand. Hand thinning is not as effective in promoting return bloom as thinning with chemicals, but is very effective for increasing fruit size since the smallest fruit can be selectively removed. Hand thinning is also very effective for breaking up clusters of fruit. When fruit set in clusters, the close contact of individual fruit creates a favorable habitat for disease and insects. Also hand thinning allows for insect infested or diseased fruitlets to be removed from the orchard, thus reducing spread of the damage throughout the season. However, the high cost of labor must be considered when using hand thinning as a way to manage crop load. Hand thinning is typically done after the June drop period which usually occurs late in June to early July. A target of one fruit per blossom cluster on every other cluster born on the tree is considered a target for a good crop load.

Certain types of compounds, when applied to apple trees, will cause a number of fruit to drop off and at the same time, allow some of the fruit to remain on the tree. Advantages of this method are cost savings and the early reduction in crop load which improves return bloom. There are several types of chemical thinners registered for this use, but none have been approved for use in organic orchards in New England. Lime sulfur sprays applied with oil are known to reduce the crop load, but have not been registered for this specific purpose.

If used for management of disease or arthropod pests, lime sulfur applied alone or in combination with oil during the bloom period reduces the crop load by preventing some of the flowers from being fully pollinated.Published research has shown effectiveness at variable application times, but use of these materials near bloom or fruit set should be sometime after 30% of the blossoms have opened to ensure sufficient pollination and fertilization. Lime sulfur and oil can also cause some thinning when applied after bloom, but the mode of action of post bloom thinners is not clear. Based on research trials in the Hudson Valley of New York, a 2.5% solution of lime sulfur with 2% oil applied at the end of bloom and again four to seven days later caused some thinning on treated McIntosh and Empire trees, but leaf burn and fruit russetting were observed. Fish oil, mineral oil and plant-derived oils can be used if approved for organic production and labeled for their intended use, and they vary somewhat in cost and effectiveness. Temperatures above 80 °F after application of oil or lime sulfur can increase potency and cause fruit skin russetting.

Nutrients and Fertilizers for Organic Apple Orchards

The perennial nature of apple trees requires that their nutrient needs be maintained in a holistic and long-term manner. Apple trees have special nutrient requirements that take into account both the need for good yield and fruit quality. Fertilizing to promote lush shoot growth and large fruit size will be detrimental to the flavor, color and shelf-life of apples. On the other hand, insufficient fertility can lead to small apples and unproductive trees.

There are several essential nutrients, each with important functions in plant growth. Some are used in large quantities, the macronutrients, and others in very small quantities, the micronutrients (also known as trace elements). The goal of fertilizing is to maintain the level of each nutrient within an optimum range. An excess of any nutrient leads to negative effects on the tree that are difficult to correct. Deficiencies are more common and can be fixed by applying an appropriate fertilizer.

Many commercial products are available for fertilizing, so check with your certifying agency to find out which ones are approved for use in organic orchards. Some products are not appropriate for foliar application to fruit trees. Before buying any product, make sure it has been previously tested on apple to determine if it is safe or won't burn fruit and foliage.

Harvest and Storage

Growers need to anticipate how much yield will occur in order to have sufficient harvest supplies and needed labor. Most conventional orchards in northern New England produce 400 to 800 bushels of apples per acre. Organic orchards may yield less than half of conventionally-managed orchards, so a yield 200 to 400 bushels can be expected with good management and growing conditions. Orchard age determines potential yield with older orchards producing less than trees that are 10 to 25-years-old. As trees within an orchard die or become stunted from various stresses, the orchard loses part of its production capacity. Yield will also vary substantially from year to year because of weather variations and the natural tendency of apples to alternate or bear biennially.

By August, growers should be ready with the labor needed to harvest the apples and storage bins or boxes to hold the fruit. For Pick-Your-Own, finding labor is not as critical, but thought should be given to advertising or some notification that apples are ready for picking. A means of transporting fruit from the orchard to the packing house or farmstand may require the purchase of a forklift, flatbed wagon or truck. Other harvest supplies that may be needed include orchard ladders and picking buckets. Orchard ladders, designed for outdoor use, should be used instead of other types to ensure the safety of pickers. In split farms that contain both certified organic and non-certified plantings, careful segregation of the crops including separate storage containers and areas must be followed and approved by your organic certifier.

The harvest of apples can begin as early as August and extend to the end of October, depending on varieties and geographic location within New England. Most varieties are harvested between Labor Day and Columbus Day. Actual harvest date of a particular variety varies from year to year depending on bloom date and other orchard conditions such as crop load.

Pest control

Organic apple growers have several methods for controlling pests.  One is mating disruption, which is achieved by dispersing a cloud of sex pheromones throughout the orchard.  Normally, male insects use the pheromone plume released by a female insect to locate a mate.  But when the entire orchard is overwhelmed with the pheremones released by the commercially available dispensers, the males lose their ability to track females.  The mating disruption technique is effective in reducing the pest population, but it is not foolproof, as male and female insects can still locate each other by chance, especially when populations are high to begin with.

Biological control, where beneficial insects predate and parasitize the pests, is another method for managing pests.  There are dozens of species of wasps that parasitize the eggs, larvae, and pupae of codling moth and oriental fruit moth, two of the major apple pests.  Predatory mites, ants, and beetles also contribute to controlling pests such as aphids and mites.  The downside to biological control, however, is that to get the beneficial insects into the orchard, you have to let the pest population build up to a certain extent.  “Here on the research station, we can let the pest populations build up and wait for the beneficials to arrive.  But for the commercial orchardist, that is a very uncomfortable process to go through,” said Krawczyk.

Effective monitoring is the most important part of pest management in any orchard, conventional or organic.  Krawczyk sets out traps for dozens of insect species throughout an orchard and checks them frequently to track pest populations.  This lets him know how well the mating disruption and biological control is working, and allows him to make decisions about when an organically approved pesticide should be sprayed.

A range of organically approved pesticides are available, including those based on oils, soaps, spinosad, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), neem, pyrethrum, and kaolin clay.  The kaolin clay acts as a physical barrier to pests and as a natural repellent, but when applied anytime after June often results in a faint gray film on the apple.  Krawczyk reminds us that for some of these products, “they are organically approved- but they are still pesticides.”

Successful organic fruit-growing starts with selecting varieties that are inherently disease resistant. This important first step eliminates half the problem.

The major apple diseases are apple scab, powdery mildew, and fire blight. Of these, only apple scab really affects the fruit. More than 50 years ago, Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois established a cooperative breeding program. Since then, at least 53 scab-resistant apples have been released.

Thinning increases the size of the remaining fruit

Thin apples within 35 to 40 days of fruit set. The sooner you do it, the better the results. All things being equal, fruit size should increase, along with next year's bloom potential.

keeping your apple trees healthy and productive

Just as a healthy human baby usually grows into a healthy adult, so it is for plants. I maintain good soil fertility and adequate soil moisture levels by keeping the trees permanently mulched. All plant health starts with the soil. Since apples, like most fruit trees, require mycorrhizal fungi in, on, or around their roots, I aim for a soil that has a lot more fungi than bacteria in it. You can enhance fungus dominance by adding brown organic matter, such as leaf mold, sawdust, and woody materials, to the soil.The spores of apple scab live on fallen leaves and reproduce during the winter. To minimize the opportunities for scab, I rake up and remove leaves as soon as they've all fallen.

Thinning increases the size of the remaining fruit

Thin apples within 35 to 40 days of fruit set. The sooner you do it, the better the results. All things being equal, fruit size should increase, along with next year's bloom potential.

keeping your apple trees healthy and productive