Machinery is their specialty: German operation has unique machines for basic orchard tasks

摘要

Over-the-row sprayers are not a new concept for the Griesbach family, who farm near Dresden, Germany. They've been using them for more than 20 years. Working with big machinery is their specialty, Jan Griesbach told members of the International FruitTree Association when they visited the orchard during a study tour this winter. Jan, his brother Peter, and his father Dr. Klaus Griesbach, have 280 hectares (almost 700 acres) of apples, sour cherries, sweet cherries, plums, and pears. They use big equipment for planting, spraying, and transporting bins. They also have a machine for sweeping prunings. The orchard is on a plateau 300 meters (1,000 feet) above see level. Annual rainfall averages 680 mm (27 inches), and the diseases black spot and mildeware among their production challenges. They spray between 19 and 25 times per season, depending on the weather.