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Test Drive a High Performance Cherry Orchard System

Gregory Lang

Michigan State University

Intensive Cherry Training Systems

- Continually evolving strategies to adapt to variations in

site, climate, varieties, and rootstocks, as well as to

adopt new developments in technology and knowledge

MSU-Clarksville UFO System Cherries

Narrow “Fruiting Wall” Canopies MSU-SWMREC High Tunnel Cherries and Solid-Set Canopy Spray Systems

Photo Courtesy of Mark and Ines Hanrahan

Simplified canopy

architectures are more

adaptable to

mechanization

2-Yr-old growth Last year’s growth

New growth

Non-fruiting spurs Fruiting spurs

Cherry Systems Fundamentals:

Growth and the Basic Fruiting Units

Fruit density increases

terminally A few nonspur fruit

Ayala and Lang, 2004

Understanding this basic set of leaf populations and

fruiting sites is a fundamental key to all training systems

Larger leaves

Basic Growth & Fruiting Units

Year 3:

Fruit populations: 1 spur (e.g., 75 total), 1 non-spur (e.g., 10 total)

Leaf populations: 2 spur (e.g., 120 total), 1 shoot (e.g., 10 x 2X)

Leaf-to-Fruit Ratio: 1.65

Year 4:

Fruit populations: 2 spur (e.g., 150 total), 1 non-spur (e.g., 10)

Leaf populations: 3 spur (e.g., 180 total), 1 shoot (e.g., 10 x 2X)

Leaf-to-Fruit Ratio: 1.25

Basic Growth & Fruiting Units

Anticipation of the future

unbalanced cropping sites can

help in pre-emptive management

to better balance leaf-to-fruit

ratios and improve performance

A dormant heading cut to remove 15 to

30% of last year’s shoot will remove 25

to 40% of the future spur density

Basic Growth & Fruiting Units

Year 3:

Fruit populations: 1 spur (e.g., 40 total), 2 non-spur (e.g., 20 total)

Leaf populations: 3 spur (e.g., 166 total), 2 shoot (e.g., 20 x 2X)

Leaf-to-Fruit Ratio: 2.75

Heading cuts

stimulate new shoot

leaf populations and

non-spur fruit

populations, while

reducing future spur

fruit populations

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Strategies to Optimize Precision

Cropping: The Highly-Structured Tree

Lang, 2000 Inspired by Balanced Pruning Systems for Grapes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Strategies to Optimize Precision Cropping:

The Highly-Structured Tree

Lang, 2000 De-construct the tree canopy into a simplified fruiting

unit to manage leaf-to-fruit ratios, then repeat

High Performance Orchards:

Precisely-Structured Trees with

Simplified Fruiting Units

Lang 2001

2010 NC140 Sweet Cherry

Training Systems Trial Sites

(13 Planted, 9 Active in 2012)

2010 NC140 Sweet Cherry Training Systems

KGB

TSA SSA

UFO

Kym Green

Bush

Tall Spindle

Axe

Kym Green

Bush

Super Slender

Axe

Upright

Fruiting

Offshoots All have minimal permanent wood (solid green line)

and simplified strategies for fruit wood renewal

TSA Spacing: 1.5 x 3.5 m

(5 x 11.5 ft)

Benton on

Gi3, Gi5, Gi6

Heading of

lateral shoots

to balance

crop load with

leaf area.

Fruiting sites:

both spur and

non-spur

TSA

MSU-Clarksville TSA System Cherries

SSA Spacing: 0.75 x 3.5 m

(2.5 x 11.5 ft)

Benton on

Gi3, Gi6

Annual “short

pruning” of all

lateral shoots

Fruiting sites:

Non-spur

basal flowers

SSA Spacing: 0.75 x 3.5 m

(2.5 x 11.5 ft)

Benton on

Gi3, Gi6

Annual “short

pruning” of all

lateral shoots

Fruiting sites:

Non-spur

basal flowers

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

G3 KGB G3 SSA G3 TSA G3 UFO G5 KGB G5 TSA G5 UFO G6 KGB G6 SSA G6 TSA G6 UFO

TCSA (cm2) 2011

TSA SSA

KGB UFO

Gisela 3 Gisela 5 Gisela 6

Root Effect on Tree Vigor

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

G3 KGB G3 SSA G3 TSA G3 UFO G5 KGB G5 TSA G5 UFO G6 KGB G6 SSA G6 TSA G6 UFO

TCSA (cm2) 2011

TSA SSA

KGB UFO

Gisela 3 / Gisela 5 / Gisela 6

SSA SSA

TSA

TSA Tree Spacing Effect on Tree Vigor

SSA

MSU-Clarksville SSA System Cherries

KGB Spacing: 1.5 x 3.5 m (5 x 11.5 ft)

Benton on Gi3, Gi5, Gi6

Establishment Years 1 and

2 for the KGB Sweet

Cherry Training System 3 to 4 Heading Times :

1) Short head-prune at planting

2) Short head-prune the 4-5 strongest shoots in mid-June*

3) Short head-prune all shoots to begin Year 2* (target is 15 to 25 upright fruiting unit shoots)

Year 1 Year 2

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

G3 KGB G3 SSA G3 TSA G3 UFO G5 KGB G5 TSA G5 UFO G6 KGB G6 SSA G6 TSA G6 UFO

Number Flower Buds 2011

TSA SSA

KGB UFO

Lillrose and Lang, 2011 (preliminary data, not analyzed for publication)

KGB KGB KGB

SSA

SSA

Year 4:

Spur

Fruiting

Year 3:

Basal

Fruiting

Basic Fruiting Units

(Renew 20% per year)

KGB System

KGB

MSU-Clarksville KGB System Cherries

UFO Spacing: 1.5 x 3.5 m (5 x 11.5 ft)

Benton on Gi3, 5, 6

Fruiting is primarily on

spurs like the KGB

Target is 10-15 Uniform Upright Shoots

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

30°/B 30°/NB 45°/B 45°/NB 60°/B 60°/NB

% Well Distributed UFO 2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

30°/B 30°/NB 45°/B 45°/NB 60°/B 60°/NB

Total Shoot Length (cm) UFO 2010

UFO

B = Bud selection & removal

NB = Control (all buds retained)

Lillrose and Lang, 2011 (preliminary data, not analyzed for publication)

RESULTS:

Upright shoot growth (future

fruiting units) and uniformity was

best with planting at 45 to 60

degrees and bud selection/removal

30° 45° 60°

Smaller Caliper Nursery trees

(3/8 to 1/2 inch) perform best;

larger caliper are difficult to

bend, difficult to maintain

after bending, and initiate

fewer balanced upright shoots

UFO

MSU-Clarksville UFO System Cherries

Systems for weaker stocks, sites, scions:

-TSA, SSA: promote vigor with annual

heading of lateral shoots

Intensive System Principles Minimal permanent structure:

- central leader in TSA and SSA

- stump in KGB, cordon in UFO

Simplified, uniform fruiting units:

- lateral shoots in TSA

- upright shoots in KGB, UFO

- short shoots in SSA

Planned, annual renewal of fruiting units:

- every 5 years in TSA, KGB, UFO

- annually in SSA

- renewal helps balance vigor among units

Systems for stronger sites, stocks, scions:

-KGB, UFO: diffuse vigor w/upright growth

High Performance Canopy Architectures to

Optimize Tunnel Fruiting Volume

Fruiting Wall + SSCD Spray System:

Optimized with 8 m (26 ft) Tunnels

5 ft

8 ft 8 ft 8 ft

2 ft 2 ft 2.5 ft 2.5 ft

5 ft 8 ft 8 ft

Tree spacing = 5 x 8 x 8 ft (height) = 1,000 trees/acre; Canopy fruiting volume:

1.5 m (between) x 1.7 m (spread) x 2.0 m (height) x 3 rows = 1.25 m3/m2 tunnel area

MSU Tree Fruit Research

www.cherries.msu.edu Training video clips at:

www.giselacherry.com