Innovation


UFO helps boost cherry production


Cawston grower finds trellis systemhas several significant advantages, but proper start is essential. By Judie Steeves


I


t’s not what you expect to see when you enter a cherry orchard. But, it’s the future shape of orchards, believes Jarnail Gill of Cawston, who has been replanting cherries on trellises instead of pruning them to traditional tree shapes. It’s called the Upright Fruiting Offshoots (UFO) system and it results in a fruiting wall that’s easy to maintain and adapts well to mechanical harvesting or use of a mobile platform to pick from. He’s finding his production is far higher than when he used


conventional systems even though his first planting is only four years old and he lost much of the growth to winter-kill in the second year. However, he warns that the first two years of pruning to the new system are very labour-intensive, and it’s vital it be done right because any mistakes are difficult to fix. “If you make a mistake, you have to start fresh, so you lose a couple of years of production,” notes Gill.


After that, pruning can easily be done by even inexperienced orchard workers, he says.


“The tonnage with this system is double and the work is half after those first two years,” he reports. Initial growth is speeded up by planting each whip at (at least) 60 degrees to the ground and secure it along the first wire, encouraging


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vertical shoots to sprout and


supporting them with a system of five wires above. Already he’s


harvesting 2.5 tons per acre with the new system and he figures ultimately he should be able to harvest 12 tons average per acre with the UFO system.


The Gill family farmed first on 40 acres in the Oliver area beginning in 1985, growing mostly Red and Golden Delicious apples, but then in 2007, they replanted to cherries and


expanded to leased properties as well.


JUDIE STEEVES


Jarnail Gill illustrates the leaning plant and resulting shoots.


Varieties included Chelans, Santina and Lapin.


In 2008, he recalls, “everyone wanted grapes, so we leased property for a vineyard in Cawston.” It’s adjacent now to their current apple and cherry orchard and includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Viognier, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, on 34 acres in total.


“It’s a perfect location,” he says, “There’s no rot. It’s very clean.” It’s located on a sloped site with good southern exposure, backed up against a hillside. They had been shipping the harvest to Lulu Island Winery in Richmond, but have just signed a new contract with Terrabella Wineries, he says.


In 2011, they bought their current orchard in Cawston, which contained


British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2016


the first planting by the Mennell family of the Ambrosia variety of apple, which the Mennells discovered as a chance seedling in their orchard. In addition, there were seven acres of Sylvia, Lapins and Santina cherries, as well as acreage in the later Sweethearts, which the Gills pulled out, replanting to the early Tietons and the later Skeena.


The Gills farm organically, except for the grapes, and pack and ship their own fruit, under the label Blossom River Organics. Along with his wife Baltej, the Gills’ son Manpreet is now working in the family business as well. In 2013 they replanted four acres of some old Fuji apples to the new UFO trellised cherries, and later took out another acre of Fujis to plant in trellised cherries as well.


Gill plans to replant more next year, and is also looking at designing rain


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