Apples 



Peaches 



Pears 



Plums 



Cherries 



Apricots 



o 



c 

 o 



zr 



3 

 o 



-n 

 CD 



12 3 4 5 



Figure 2. Grower suggestions of potential changes in the emphasis placed by the Extension Tree- 

 fruit Team on various tree-fruit crops. 



were thought to be between important and very 

 important. Clearly, growers had distinct feelings 

 about the relative value of these various tools. It is 

 interesting to note that there were differences 

 between growers of small acreages and those of 

 large acreages with respect to a few of these 

 information sources. Generally, the larger the 

 grower, the more likely they were to find meetings 

 of greater importance, and the smaller the grower, 

 the more likely they were to find the Tree Fruit 

 Newsletter of greater importance. 



Figure 2 presents the results regarding the 

 relative emphasis placed on horticultural aspects of 

 different tree-fruit crops. Specifically, growers 

 were asked if we should provide the same effort, 

 more effort, or less effort with respects to apples, 

 peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and apricots. The 

 average levels for pears, plums, cherries, and 

 apricots suggested that we should not emphasize 

 these crops any more than we currently do. The 



responses for apples and peaches suggested an 

 interested in enhanced efforts. There were no 

 significant differences in recommendation with 

 regard to orchard size. 



The next assessment related to various aspects 

 of horticultural management (Figure 3). For all 

 topics, growers suggested that the Team maintain 

 or increase current efforts, with very little 

 difference among topics. Nutrient management, 

 stop-drop chemicals, pruning and training semid- 

 warf trees, chemical thinning, and high-density 

 training received the highest ranking, and cultivar 

 evaluation, weed management, rootstock evalua- 

 tion, and maturity and harvest management 

 received the next highest. Storage management 

 received the lowest rating, but on average, growers 

 felt that the Team should maintain current levels of 

 activity. Some variation with orchard size was 

 seen. Specifically, as orchard size increased, 

 growers said that they would like to see a greater 



Fruit Notes, Summer, 1996 



