Cherry Lessons From Down Under
February 1, 2009 
The most obvious and widely used water savings method was the use of drip irrigation. Long estimated that fewer than 1% of growers are on drip irrigation in The Dalles, where microsprinklers are used for the most part. “We’ve just historically used sprinklers,” he said. “Also, when we first tried drip many years ago we had a lot of headaches with clogged emitters that technology has now taken care of for us.”
But area growers are getting more interested in drip because of its efficiency. An OSU study showed that drip can reduce irrigation needs by 70%, he noted. In addition, there was a trend toward increased yield, and, even more importantly, a significant increase in the percentage of marketable fruit. The take-home message from Australia was that while drip has big advantages, it’s going to take quite an effort to make the change. “With drip, your whole mentality has to change,” said Long. “There’s a very steep learning curve.”
Straw Can Pay Off
Another water-saving technique that’s widely practiced in Australia is the use of straw mulch. While growers in The Dalles started using straw mulch as a result of a 2004 trip to Australia, Long said it was mainly to boost the organic content of the soils in the region, which generally average just 1.5% to 2%. “Breaking down straw helps our low-organic content soils,” said Long. “Typically in an orchard system the soil under the trees is dominated by bacteria, and we prefer a higher percentage of fungal microorganisms.”
The higher organic matter also boosts the oxygen levels, which is particularly important in growing cherries. While apples and pears can grow in heavier soils, cherries are typically grown in medium to light soils, said Long, because they are especially sensitive to anaerobic conditions. “That’s why trees in lower lying areas are generally not as healthy,” said Long. “Mahaleb (rootstock) is particularly susceptible to that, and to a lesser degree, Gisela 5.”
Retiring To A Life Of — Cherry Picking?
When Long was in Australia, the Oregon State University Extension horticulturist said he was surprised to hear that a government agency was encouraging retired people to pick cherries. In the appeal, the government suggested it was a great way for older people to travel and enjoy the outdoors while supplementing their incomes.
While it might be a bit of a shock to Americans, Long said it’s understandable in Australia, where, as in New Zealand, they rely on itinerant travelers — “backpackers,” as they are called in that part of the world — to pick cherries and other crops. “They don’t have a regular supply of Hispanic laborers,” Long explained.
It’s a real disadvantage for the Aussie growers, because those harvesting the fruit have no real talent for it. He estimated that farm workers in the U.S. can harvest cherries at about three times the rate of their counterparts in Australia and New Zealand.
The lack of skilled labor partly explains the popularity of the Modified Spanish Bush cherry training system, which is also known as the KGB, or Kim Green Bush system. Kim Green is an Adelaide, Australia grower who popularized the system. Green has made many visits to Oregon, and the training system is becoming more prevalent in The Dalles, said Long.
It is just like the Spanish Bush system at the beginning of the training process, as the tree is headed at planting, then allowed to grow two feet, then headed back to 5 inches. However, the Modified Spanish Bush system does not subsequently require complicated pruning as the true Spanish Bush does.
Long says his colleague at Washington State University, Matt Whiting, refers to systems that can be pruned in a simple, replicated process such as the Modified Spanish Bush, or Whiting’s own UFO system, as science-based, whereas the more traditional Open Vase, with its complicated structure, is art-based. The science-based systems are much simpler to manage and also have the advantage of producing a pedestrian orchard.
Pedestrian orchards can be harvested at twice the rate of a traditional orchard with tall trees, and will become increasingly attractive to growers in the coming years as labor becomes harder to come by. After all, workers paid at piece rate want to earn the additional money they can glean from a pedestrian orchard.
“You’re more likely to get workers in a tight year than your neighbor with big trees,” said Long. “And we’re not in a huge production area like Washington. We must have something to offer to get them to stop in The Dalles and not go on to Yakima or Wenatchee.”
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