Experiences with Imposing Orchard-Level Climate Change via Covering Systems Orchard Covering System Returns-on-Investment Potential Advantages Beyond Rain-Cracking: Frost protection? Alter ripening? Wind-bruising? Bird protection? Diseases? Gregory Lang Michigan State University Prune / harvest in any weather? Protected Tree Production = Localized Climate Change Pole-and- Cable Covers in Chile Pole and Cable Tent Structures: - least expensive, movable vs. fixed, venting Three-Season High Tunnels: - multi-bay, snow loads, single layer plastic, heat Greenhouse-like, Automated Structures: - most expensive, most manipulation options 1
Pole-and-Cable Mini-Covers in New Zealand (VOEN) Pole-and-Cable Covers in Europe - Protection from rain and hail; passive venting of heat in summer Pole-and-Cable Covers in Washington Semi-Mechanical Row Covers in Netherlands Hand-pull covers Crank-down covers 2
Mini-Tunnel Covers in Switzerland High Tunnels (Haygrove) in the UK, US, Norway Retractable Roof Covers at Michigan State University 3
Retractable Flat Roof Covers at Michigan State University 10% increase in the last 75 years Cravo Flat-Roof with drainage slits; Retractable benefits, lower cost, less control of Type 2 cracking Slide courtesy of Jeff Andresen Rain and Cherry Cracking Cracking = Formation of Microcracks + Swelling from Water Uptake 2005 MSU Clarksville Crop Value (6-yr-old trees): $78,027 / ha 46 to 54% Culls due to Rain Crop Loss Due to Rain = $39,000 per ha Photo courtesy of Stuff.co.nz (probably Lapins fruit) Are Rain Covers Affordable? 4
Two Types of Cherry Cracking Type 1: Rain on Skin Cracking at the tip (stylar end) or bowl (stem end) due to long fruit contact with rainwater. Eliminated with protective covers (reduced with some water-resistant fruit coatings) Two Types of Cherry Cracking Type 1: Rain on Skin Cracking at the tip (stylar end) or bowl (stem end) due to long fruit contact with rainwater. Eliminated with protective covers (reduced with some water-resistant fruit coatings) Type 2: Excessive Water in the Soil side cracking (due to rain or irrigation water taken up by the roots and pumped into the fruit (especially when leaves have low evapotranspiration). Can occur even with protective covers; must manage soil moisture and drainage! Hydrophobic Sprays for Rain-Cracking Protection 2008 Rainier Sweet Cherry Yield, Size, and Rainier & Lapins Cracking at MSU-CRC 16% Cracking due to rain on fruit 8% Rainier /Gisela 5 Rainier /Gisela 6 Covered Open Covered Open (tunnel) (no tunnel) (tunnel) (no tunnel) Tree Yield (kg/tree) 19.2 14.8 32.5 13.1 18% Orchard Yield (ton/ha) 20.5 15.9 34.7 14.0 Cracking due to water in the root zone Rainier fruit cracking (%) 60 89 56 28.9 Lapins fruit cracking (%) 32 91 Data courtesy of Penelope Measham In fact, in 2009, fruit cracking in high tunnels occurred due to too much irrigation water 5
Management of Rain Run-off from Tunnels or Covers to Reduce Type 2 Cracking Leg-row drainage tile and gravel channels to reduce too much root zone water Also beneficial: Planting on berms or raised beds Slide from Ben Gluck (2012) Date of Side Green Bud Stage vs. Year (1901-2012, Traverse City, Michigan) Number of Freeze Events (<= 0 C) Following Side Green Bud Stage vs. Year (1901-2012, Traverse City, Michigan) < 10 / year before 1940; 15-20 multiple times since 10+ days earlier bud development in the last 75 years 2 5+ more spring freeze events per year on average Slide courtesy of Jeff Andresen Slide courtesy of Jeff Andresen 6
Tunnel Heating: for every +1 C, need ~13 heaters/ha Cravo Heating: for every +1 C, need ~5 heaters/ha Using Covers (Tunnels) for Sequential Ripening Date of Date of Diam. SSC Tunnel Covering* Enclosure* (mm) Wt (g) ( Brix) None - - 25 (0.2) 7.2 (0.2) 14.6 (0.4) 1 8 April 8 April 28 (0.3) 9.1 (0.2) 15.8 (0.2) 2 27 March 2 April 31 (0.3) 11.8 (0.3) 17.7 (0.3) 3 20 March 24 March 32 (0.2) 13.4 (0.2) 17.3 (0.4) 4 13 March 17 March 34 (0.1) 15.5 (0.1) 18.8 (0.2) 7
Yield (t/ha) Weight (g) Brix Firmness Year Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen 4* (2013) 5** (2014) 6*** (2016) Benton Yield and Quality (Years 4-6) 2.6 1.3 6.3 2.5 4.6 5.9 *2014 late winter bud damage, spring frost, bloom rain, summer heat management **2015 poor pollination weather late, summer rain ***2016 poor pollination weather early Mean SIze (mm) 35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 Benton Diameter (Year 6) Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 KGB TSA SSA UFO KGB TSA SSA UFO CRAVO VOEN Benton Yield and Quality (Years 4-6) Yield (t/ha) Weight (g) Brix Firmness Year Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen 20.0 18.0 16.0 14.0 Benton Soluble Solids (Year 6) 4* (2013) 5** (2014) 2.6 1.3 11.4 11.1 6.3 2.5 11.2 10.6 Mean Brix 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 6*** (2016) 4.6 5.9 12.2 10.8 *2014 late winter bud damage, spring frost, bloom rain, summer heat management **2015 poor pollination weather late, summer rain ***2016 poor pollination weather early 2.0 0.0 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 KGB TSA SSA UFO KGB TSA SSA UFO CRAVO VOEN 8
Benton Yield and Quality (Years 4-6) Benton Firmness (Year 6) Yield (t/ha) Weight (g) Brix Firmness Year Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen 4* (2013) 5** (2014) 6*** (2016) 2.6 1.3 11.4 11.1 16.4 17.6 6.3 2.5 11.2 10.6 15.4 16.9 4.6 5.9 12.2 10.8 15.4 16.2 *2014 late winter bud damage, spring frost, bloom rain, summer heat management **2015 poor pollination weather late, summer rain ***2016 poor pollination weather early Mean Firmness (g/mm) 300.0 250.0 200.0 150.0 100.0 50.0 0.0 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.6 Gi.3 Gi.5 Gi.6 KGB TSA SSA UFO KGB TSA SSA UFO CRAVO VOEN Benton Yield and Quality (Years 4-6) No Cover Cover (Tunnel) Yield (t/ha) Weight (g) Brix Firmness Year Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen Cravo Voen 4* (2013) 2.6 1.3 11.4 11.1 16.4 17.6 202 252 5** (2014) 6.3 2.5 11.2 10.6 15.4 16.9 217 154 6*** (2016) 4.6 5.9 12.2 10.8 15.4 16.2 221 231 *2014 late winter bud damage, spring frost, bloom rain, summer heat management **2015 poor pollination weather late, summer rain ***2016 poor pollination weather early Second pick, reduced blush development in tunnels 9
Robada Apricot Tunnel Robada Apricot No Tunnel Leaf Spot Mildew Cherry Diseases Under Covers Canker Brown Rot Wilson Delicious Tunnel Wilson Delicious No Tunnel Goldstrike Apricot Tunnel Goldstrike Apricot No Tunnel 10
RF 47-1 Plumcot Tunnel RF 47-1 Plumcot No Tunnel Plastic Row Covers with Net Sides for SWD Control Semplice da realizzare su tutti i tipi di frutteti in filare. Produzione di frutta senza l'uso di prodotti chimici. Proteggere il raccolto da calamità atmosferiche. Apertura e chiusura rapida del meccanismo. Possibilità di meccanizzazione potatura. Zero alternanza di produzione. Sistema di basso costo. Antiacqua L'Informatore L'Informatore Keep in Touch vs. Keep in Touch Covering Systems: Protective Attributes Covering Systems: Other Attributes Fixed, Non- Pole and Cable High Tunnel Programmable Retraction Retract -able Fixed, Net- Roof Non- Roof Net- Flat Roof w/ Drainage Slits Peaked Roof with Gutters Protection from: Type 1 fruit X X X X X X X cracking Type 2 fruit - - - - - - X cracking* Spring frost ~ ~ - + - ++ ++ Hail, wind + -/+ + ++ ++ ++ ++ Pseudo- ~ - + ++ + ++ ++ monas Blumeriella + - + +++ +++ +++ +++ Other effects: Fixed, Non- Pole and Cable High Tunnel Programmable Retraction Retract -able Fixed, Net- Roof Non- Roof Net- Flat Roof w/ Drainage Slits Peaked Roof with Gutters Early bloom - - - + - ++ ++ & ripening Sequenced - - - ++ - - - ripening Advanced - - - ++ + ++ ++ foliation Full light - + - - - + + blush formation ~ 1$ = US$40,000 + - / ha - ~ + + Excessive ~ - - + - - - heat Cost $ $ $$ $$ $$+ $$$+ $$$$$+ 11
MSU Tree Research Support also from: IFTA, USDA-Small Farms, Haygrove Tunnels, Cravo, Voen, MSU AgBioResearch, www.hrt.msu.edu/greg-lang 12