Intensive Pear Production

What is Intensive Pear Production? I Intensive Pear Production in Australia I Adoption of Intensive Pear Production Project I Publications on Intensive Pear Production

What is Intensive Pear Production?

Fruit growers are striving to achieve early returns on capital, produce consistent high yields of good quality fruit and economise on labour as a result of increasing competition and economic pressure. This has resulted in the world wide trend for pear orchards to be planted more intensively. Throughout the world's pear growing regions, there is considerable variation in what an intensive pear orchard looks like. Tree densities can range from 1000 trees/ha up to 12000 trees/ha (or more) and there are various combinations of rootstocks, varieties, tree spacing, training and management. Intensive systems can have high initial investment costs, due to the need for large numbers of trees and in many cases the construction of a trellis/support system. However they offer better production efficiency through: Earlier bearing and therefore quicker returns on investment Improved fruit quality More efficient pest and disease control Reduction in labour costs for harvest and pruning

Pears planted at 9000 trees/ha in the Netherlands

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Intensive Pear Production in Australia

Intensive pear production is seen as a vital way to improve the efficiency of Australian pear production. This will become particularly important when older pear orchards start to decline in productivity and/or new pear varieties with a specific marketing advantage become commercially available. Currently the majority of Australia's pear production is based upon systems planted at a standard distance of 6m x 6m, which equates to tree densities of 250-300 trees per hectare. Trees are predominantly planted on very vigorous seedling rootstock Pyrus calleryana D6. In many cases trees are over 35 years old. These systems can be inefficient and the production challenges associated with them include : Declining quality of fruit due to limb rub and russet Declining health and productivity of older trees High costs of labour for harvest and pruning Potential OH&S issues with workers at height. There have been many steps taken towards growing pears in intensive systems in Australia, with research work and grower trials in production in a number of pear growing areas. These systems have predominantly focussed on the Packham variety on D6 rootstock and vary in density from 800 trees/ha to 4000 trees/ha. Page Top Adoption of Intensive Pear Production Project The adoption of intensive pear production project is a five year national project funded by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL). The main objective of the project is to provide a cost-effective way of improving industry adoption of intensive pear production. The project was established in late May 2005 and is guided by a steering committee consisting of pear growers and representatives from state agricultural departments, APFIP and APAL. The project officer is Angie Grills who is based at the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in Cobram, Victoria. The project aims to work with the pear industry in developing skills and knowledge in intensive pear production and evaluate the efficiency and potential of intensive systems for Australian conditions. This web-site will be updated with the latest project information and results as well as link to other information sources. If you would like further information about the project or the web site, please contact Angie Grills: Angie.Grills@dpi.vic.gov.au

Traditionally planted pears in the Goulburn Valley Packham pears trained on Tatura Trellis in the Goulburn Valley. Intensive pear production project officer Angie Grills