What's the Next Generation of Canopies?

摘要

AS THE NORTH AMERICAN NC-140 Sweet Cherry Canopy Architecture and Rootstock Trials near their planned completion — 2017 is Year eight of 10 — it is time to envision some of the "next generation" intensive canopy training systems that will build on what has been learned thus far. Since the trial was conceived, the need for increased labor efficiency, partial mechanization, and simplified fruiting units for easier management of leaf-to-fruit ratios, fruit quality and yield targets have only grown stronger. This column will summarize some of the conclusions to date and potential continued evolutions regarding each system in the trial.