Cumulative Net Returns (thousands/acre) 



$10 



-^ NE Central Leader 

 -^Slender Spindle 

 -*- Vertical Axis 

 -"-Vertical Trellis 



/ r 



-$10 



1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 



Figure 1. Cumulative net returns of four apple training 

 systems. Dotted lines are projected returns. 



tical-axis trees fruited in the second season, yielding 

 about 43 bushels per acre. Overall costs of the 

 vertical axis were increased because of the costs of 

 picking, storing, packing, and selling; however, $533 

 were returned per acre in the second growing sea- 

 son. 



During the third growing season again, the 

 slender spindle required the most labor and supplies 

 to manage. Year three was the first significant 

 fruiting year, with yields of 148, 209, 341, and 113 

 bushels per acre for the NE central leader, slender 

 spindle, vertical axis, and vertical trellis, respec- 

 tively. Net returns varied from the low of $245 from 

 the trees on trellis to $1916 from trees trained to the 

 vertical-axis system. 



Figure 1 presents the cumulative net returns for 

 these four systems for their first three growing 

 seasons, along with projections for the next three 



seasons. The most costly system 

 was the vertical axis; however, it 

 yielded sooner than the other sys- 

 tems and is expected to net over 

 $2000 per acre afler the fifth grow- 

 ing season. The slender-spindle 

 and trellis systems were similarly 

 costly; however, the slender 

 spindle yielded better in 1992 and 

 is expected to yield more than the 

 trellis for the next few seasons. 

 The slender spindle will pay for 

 itself by the end of the fifth grow- 

 ing season, but the vertical trellis 

 will not pay for itself until the end 

 of the sixth growing season. The 

 least costly system to establish 

 was the NE central leader, but it 

 is not expected to be as profitable 

 as the slender spindle. 



Conclusions 



Significant differences in costs 

 and returns existed among the 

 four intensive apple-training sys- 

 tems included in this planting. 

 One factor came very much into 

 play in determining what the early 

 returns were from these trees. 

 The early yields on a per-tree ba- 

 sis were negatively related to the 

 degree of pruning which was done 

 at planting. The vertical axis trees 

 were not pruned; therefore, one- 

 year-old wood was retained at 

 planting which set flower buds during the first 

 growing season. Trees yielded in the second season. 

 With no pruning, the canopies of these trees were 

 larger than in the other systems and trees yielded 

 significantly more in the third season. NE central- 

 leader trees, slender-spindle trees, and vertical- 

 trellis trees were all headed at planting, removing all 

 lateral branches and most one-year-old wood and 

 preventing them from settingflower buds during the 

 first season. NE central-leader trees and slender- 

 spindle trees were headed at 34 inches, and trellis 

 trees were headed at 22 inches; the more severe the 

 heading, the lower were the early yields. 



A second factor which also has come into play 

 and will continue to be a factor is the planting 

 density. The two systems that have been the lowest 

 yielding on a per acre basis and probably will have 

 the lowest returns for a number of years are at the 



Fruit Notes, Summer, 1993 



