Peaches

Marketing

(Describe the market the school peach enterprise is trying to meet)

Peaches are sold to staff and students through the canteen.

Peaches should be slightly unripe, firm to the touch and over 6cm in diameter. The fruit should show no stings, lungs or dimples. Sold in boxes of 6 from the farm.

Varieties 

(Explain why the variety of peach Sherman's Red was chosen for the school orchard)

1. An early variety which matures late November, which is suitable for Jame Ruse so it can be sold and marketed.

2.  It also has a low chill requirement (300 hours).

(Low chill: 100-450 hours under 7°c)

Site choice 

(Explain the choice of site for the peaches on the farm)

The original site for the JRAHS school orchard was chosen for several reasons:

• It has a northerly aspect (slope faces north → more sunlight)

• The site has a gentle slope (drainage)

• The soil is adequate for fruit production. 

Pests: Queensland Fruit Fly

(Outline for a major pest (Queensland Fruit Fly or aphids): the life cycle, effect on the plant/symptoms, management in a commercial setting)

Life Cycle

Total time taken: 3-6 weeks

• female flies lays six eggs at a time 3mm deep in fruit

• eggs hatch in 2-3 days and the maggots burrow into the fruit

• larvae develop through 3 larval stages and are 9mm long when mature (9 days to several weeks)

• they pupate in soil (9 days to several weeks depending on temperature)

Effect on the plant/symptoms

Maggots destroy the interior of the fruit and the fruit falls.

(where the ovipositor punctures the fruit is known as a sting.)

Management in a commercial setting

• Harvest fruit as early as possible and destroy any infested ones

• Netting with fine mesh

• Dak-Pot lures for male flies do not control, but indicate level of activity.

Diseases: Peach Leaf Curl

(Outline for a major disease (Peach leaf curl or Brown rot): the life cycle, effect on the plant/symptoms, management in a commercial setting)

Causative organism:

The fungus Taphrina deformans.

The life cycle

• High summer temperatures stop development while cool/wet conditions favour development.

• Ascospores are similar to gametes of the fungi

Effect on plant/symptoms

leaves 

• curled/distorted

• colour turns from green to red/purple.

• the colour then fades into yellow and straightens out

• the fungus produces powdery grey spores on the upper surface of the leaf

shoots

• thickened, distorted and yellow-green in colour

fruit

• raised, irregular and rough patches (red in colour). they fall prematurely

management in a commercial setting

a spray of fungicide at any stage of dormancy (when the buds are swelling but before they have opened). It is not possible to control the fungus once it's entered the leaf.

Where the disease has been difficult to control in previous seasons, use a program of 3 sprays:

1. Apply the first spray in autumn, at leaf fall.

2. Apply the second spray immediately before budswell at the late dormant stage.

3. Apply the third spray about 1 week later at budswell.

Calendar of operations

Construct a calendar of operations for peaches

Time of year

Operation

Details/reason

winter

spray fungicide

spray twice before budburst with lime sulphur or copper based spray. spray buds, stems, trunk and ground to prevent peach leaf curl and brown rot.

winter

prune

remove old and diseased wood, shape tree by removing inward facing branches and strong upright growth.  encourage long stems for fruit exclusion bags. throw prunings into rubbish bin to prevent spread of diseases

Late winter

Blossom thinning

Allows space between fruit later on and encourages larger fruit to develop

early spring

place dak pots in trees

to monitor presence of fruit fly (male)

early spring

fruit thinning

thin fruit when they reach the size of a marble (10-15mm), allow 100mm between each fruit

early spring

apply fruit exclusion bags

place over branches to provide a physical barrier to fruit flies. insecticides are not needed.

early spring

spray fungicide (lime sulphur or copper based spray)

when fruit are small to prevent brown rot

early spring

apply liquid feed seasol as a foliar spray

thickens leaves to prevent insect attack and promotes good health

spring

irrigation

as needed (they will die of thirst)

oct-nov

bird netting

when fruit is half size to prevent bird damage to fruit

nov

harvesting

remove bird netting and fruit exclusion bags. harvest when fruit are ripe but firm to prevent bruising of fruit during transport. 

nov

grading

diameter 6cm and over, no blemishes or holes

nov

marketing

sell in school canteen (set price per box). price may change due to market conditions. 

dec

summer prune

prune water shoots e.g rootstock and vigorous upright growth, shape trees, remove inward facing branches and damaged or diseased wood.

dec

apply fertiliser

with dynamic lifter and blood and bone

summer

irrigation

they will die of thirst

Other operations

• Monitor pest/diseases throughout the year, treat as required 

• Paint trees with fungicide/lime to prevent sunburn, control fungal bracts and borers

• Spray around trees with herbicide, mulching and mowing (weeds)

• Testing for soil pH (annually)

Summary of calender of operations:

Winter

• Spray fungicide (before budburst)

• Prune

• Blossom thinning (flowering)

Spring 

• Thinning (once fruits = 10-15mm/fruit setting)

• Fungicide (when fruits are small)

• Harvest (matured fruit)

• Irrigation 

Summer

• irrigation

Autumn

Peach jam: 

Excess fruit or rejected fruit from the grading process is turned into peach jam. This reduces wastage and is a value-adding process to increase profits. 

Relate the annual cycle of events to the management calendar of operations

1. growing of peaches (to 10-15mm): fruit thinning

2. mature fruit: harvesting

3. budburst: spray fungicide (before)

Events for the peach tree

Dormancy

All the buds are covered in hard scale like material.

Leaf emergence

New leaves emerge from the leaf buds on the stem. 

Budburst

Flower buds swell up and split open revealing the petals.

Flowering

Flowers fully open with petals displayed. Pollination by bees take place.

Fruit setting

On fertilised flowers the fruit begins to grow - it does not fall off as unfertilised flowers do.

Mature fruit

The fruit has grown to its full extent, the skin is coloured, usually red and ready for market.

Building up of reserves

After the fruit is harvested the plant carries on photosynthesis with all its leaves and stores food for the next year.

Leaf fall

The leaves go yellow and brown and fall off. This usually happens in autumn.

Weed management 

Describe the weed management system adopted in the school orchard

weed matting: 

It is laid beneath the fruit fly netting to prevent Kikuyu from growing and causing holes.

Wood chip mulch:

It is added over a newspaper base. Mulches should be kept away from the trunk to prevent collar rot.

Roundup: 

A chemical/herbicide (with an active ingredient Glyphosate) that interferes with the action of a plant enzyme and kills the plant over a period of 1-2 days. Weeds are spot sprayed and red dye is added so the chemical can be easily spotted.

Gazania

It is no longer used at the base of the tree, but is still found at the edges of the orchard.

It is used as a living mulch which increases organic matter and promote populations of micro and macro organisms in the soil. It effectively competes with weeds.

Irrigation 

(Describe the sprinkler irrigation system in the school orchard and suggest an alternative system)

dripper watering system (current sprinkler irrigation system)

• saves water by minimising evaporation. 

• Nutrient losses from leaching is reduced. 

• Can be used in irregularly shaped fields.

Overhead sprinklers (alternative system)

Disadvantages:

• The foliage gets wet, which can cause fungi and bacterial diseases.

• most of the water evaporates before it reaches the plant roots where needed. 

Advantages:

• Efficient and easy

• Mowers and trimmers can slice tubing of drippers.

Alternative crops

(Investigate alternative stone fruit crops)

Alternative stone fruit crops: nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries (in order)

https://quizlet.com/michaeIliu/folders/agriculture-yearly-y8 psw: lightningyt