Some of the earliest districts have finished their cherry season, others will end closer to Christmas. Some are only just starting.
Media stories & crop damage
Stories in the media tend to exaggerate the severity of any damage to the cherry crop. They tend to concentrate their stories on those small pockets where the damage is worst, and then make it appear as if every region in Australia was equally affected.
The recent heavy rains did cause some damage to cherries—and were responsible for serious crop losses for those affected—however, in some districts the rain may have induced more shoot growth which in turn has helped make the later cherry varieties bigger and better than if the rain had not occurred.
This is why it is so important that state grower organizations and Cherry Growers of Australia promote a balanced view of any damage caused to the cherry crop, and perhaps more importantly, promote the good news about the cherry crop to come.
Good growing conditions
Warmer soil conditions, higher average temperatures and excess rain have all played a part in affecting both the cherry crop and extension growth this season.
As I drive around the cherry growing regions, I see that trees are exceptionally healthy (based leaf colour and the overall health of the trees).
Excessive shoot growth
Growers who are near to, or have completed their harvest are probably wondering what they are going to do with all the shoot growth.
It might pay to note what growers in the US do. Bing is grown in many regions in the US and is a variety prone to overset. This results in the production of small, soft cherries. Quality also suffers as the cherries contain less calcium as a result of the extra cherries per tree.
Technical advice being provide to growers in the US following an over-crop situation, is to start thinking two years ahead—starting with pruning, and if all else fails, the removal of some crop or heavy-set bunches of cherries as early in the season as practical.
Assessment of the crop very early is done by cutting and examining a selection of fruit buds to check the number of likely fruit per bud. However, this method is only a guide as many factors can affect fruit set such as pollination, bee health, nutrition, and weather conditions.
I hope this provides some food for thought as managers drive through their orchard after harvest.
Enjoy the Christmas break!
See this article in Tree Fruit Dec 2017
