INCREASING APPLE ORCHARD OUTPUT 



Department 



Wi 1 1 i am J . Lord 

 of Plant and Soil 



Sciences 



Dr. John C. Cain of the New York State Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, Geneva, New York, recently published a report enti- 

 tled "Tree Spacing in Relation to Orchard Production Efficiency," 

 (N.Y. Agr. Res. Circular No. 15). 



In this report, the efficiency benefits of close spacings for 

 apple trees are discussed. Efficiency was defined simply as OUT- 

 PUT/INPUT. The output factors were resolved into bushels per tree 

 and trees per acre, while the input factors included planting, pro- 

 duction and harvest costs. 



In spite of technological advances, efficiency increases have 

 barely kept pace with inflation and higher living standards. 

 Yields per tree have improved considerably, but according to Dr. 

 Cain, too little attention has been given to a study of tree spac- 

 ing in relation to land-use efficiency and its effect on production 

 per acre. Using some of the information presented by Cain as well 

 as other data and ideas, the writer has attempted below to analyze 

 our Massachusetts orchards and visualize how production efficiency 

 can be increased. 



Many of our older orchards are spaced 40' x 40' and as pointed 

 out by Dr. Cain, at maturity the trees may actually cover no more 

 than 50-60% of the land. Furthermore, at least 25 years are re- 

 quired for these trees with 40' x 40' spacing to reach maximum pro- 

 duction. If production were approximate linear function of the 

 land area covered by the trees, the lifetime production efficiency 

 in terms of land usage in a 40' x 40' planting could be no more 

 than 30-35%. However, as it will be pointed out later, yield per 

 square foot of space occupied by the tree is greater for the small- 

 er tree. 



per a 

 el i m i 

 contr 

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 al ley 

 used . 

 vary 

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 of 40 

 trees 

 miles 

 wi th 

 seedl 

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 moved 



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 feet, 

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i 1 i z a 

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is e 

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 needs 

 pace 

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poss 



tion 



Cain 

 spray 

 ty fo 

 1 i m i n 

 Sec 

 to b 

 neede 

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 nted 

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 nt of 

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 ocks 

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and p 

 sugg 

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 r spr 

 ated . 

 ond , 

 e det 

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 an 8- 

 32' X 

 6% (2 

 with 

 tree 

 e of 

 32' X 

 ntrol 

 are n 



roduct 

 ests t 

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 ay ing 



Ther 

 the mi 

 ermi ne 

 pears 

 foot a 



40' i 

 7 to 3 



no mo 

 s will 

 trees 



1 



40 

 1 ed by 

 1 bei 



1 on 



he 



mical 



and 



ef ore , 



nimum 



d and 



to 



lley 



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4 



re 



vary 

 on 

 s pos- 



re- 

 ng re- 



