JULY 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Research updates presented to cherry growers


Plant health, pest control top list of priorities for orchardists


by TOM WALKER KELOWNA – BC cherries


have a lot of advantages when it comes to competing with others grown in the Pacific Northwest, says Graem Nelson, a marketer and treasurer of the BC Cherry Association. “One of those advantages is the incredible support the industry receives in research and market development,” Nelson told the education session at the BC Cherry Association’s annual general meeting earlier this year. Participating growers


heard about a variety of initiatives that are helping the industry. Erin Wallich, research and


development manager at Summerland Varieties Corp., outlined the next-generation sequencing Michael Rott of the Sidney Centre for Plant Health has developed. The process is now being tested as a suitable replacement for the woody bio-assays currently used. The new technique promises to shorten the time required to test plant material for viruses prior to its release to growers. Cherry slip-skin is a condition primarily affecting late harvest sweet cherry varieties that causes the flesh on the shoulder of the cherry to become soft, allowing the skin to slip away. The condition is not easily identified until after harvest. Agriculture and Agri-food


Canada (AAFC) researcher Dan O’Gorman reviewed his work over the last several years which points to the use of multiple early applications of calcium, starting at petal fall, or later pre-harvest applications of hydrogen peroxide that reduces the


impact of this physiological condition. Growers leave cherries to ripen as long as possible before picking in order to have maximum flavour, but that may not work for fruit that goes into storage for shipping. AAFC research scientist


Peter Toivonen reviewed results of first-year studies on measuring dry matter (which correlates with ripeness) and post-storage flavour in Sweetheart cherries. “If someone complains


that your cherries are bland and have no flavour after shipping, it is probably because you harvested them too late,” says Toivonen. While very ripe cherries


have a dry matter of up to 23.5%, Toivonen says such fruit will lose both sugar and acidity more rapidly during shipping storage. “Our initial trials show us


that a dry matter of no more than 20% is best for Sweetheart cherry,” says Toivonen.


Rain covers Gayle Krahn of Coral Beach


Farms in Vernon reviewed its use of Voen covers, a fabric rain cover that they are testing on a 10-acre plot of high-value Rainier cherries. “In 2016, the covers were


worth their value,” says Krahn. “We had as much as 70% damage in uncovered blocks.” Seasonal install and take-


down requires a lot of labour but Krahn hopes that will be less for a new 12.5-acre site that will use zippers for installation rather than clips. While the covers provide


excellent protection from the rain, they can raise orchard temperatures substantially and make conditions


TOM WALKER


uncomfortable for workers. Cherries grown under cover also tend to be softer. The covers also cut down on light transmission, resulting in paler cherries. “ExtendDay” covers on the ground to reflect light back up to the fruit are helping the fruit colour-up to acceptable levels.


Stink Bug Kelowna is a hub for Brown


Marmorated Stink Bug with upwards of 20 detection sites across the city last summer, growers heard. It usually


takes three to four years for the pest to spread from urban areas to agricultural sites. However, this may be its third year in the city and there are several orchards only blocks from the urban infestations. “If you happen to find a Samurai wasp down in the States, bring it back to Canada,” quipped a couple of the presenters, referring to a natural predator US growers have deployed against the pest. Growers were treated to a roundtable on controlling


powdery mildew in the Staccato cherry, a later season variety developed at the Summerland research station. It is important to be on top of this disease all the way from April through to the end of August with up to weekly sprays, the panel noted. Panelists recommended slowing down, checking the calibration of the sprayer regularly, and adjusting it in accordance with foliage density to ensure adequate penetration and coverage of the canopy.


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