The Rural Voice, 1990-03, Page 53NEWS
PROJECT: MOBILE
APPLE ORCHARDS
Two Agriculture Canada research-
ers are hoping their mobile orchard will
reduce the labour costs of apple produc-
tion and harvesting.
The have developed a system of
growing dwarf apple trees in 200 -litre
barrels which can be moved by ma-
chines.
The researchers, Raymond Granger
and Roger Chagnon, say that if the trees
are placed over a surface that absorbs
impact (a sheet of canvas or tank of
water), the apples could be harvested by
shaking the trees.
Their four-year study of this novelty
also includes an assessment of irrigation
and fertilization techniques as well an an
evaluation of the system's potential to
eam growers a profit.
Research so far has focused on pro-
duction, particularly the survival of the
trees over winter.
"Trials carried out with 22 trees in
pots last winter showed that the barrels
must be insulated if the trees are to
survive the winter," Chagnon explains.
And apple production outside the
soil presents special challenges, the
researchers note. All water require-
ments must be met by irrigation, and the
trees may need to be fertilized using
"fertigation."
But the trial mobile orchard they will
plant this spring will not begin to pro-
duce fruit until the fall of 1991. Only
then will studies begin on the method of
harvesting and the cost of the idea.0
CFFO ELECTS NEW
BOARD MEMBERS
Two milk producers were elected to
the executive board of the Christian
Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO)
at its recent provincial board meeting.
Bill Vanderklippe from Lucknow in
Bruce County and Arend Streutker from
Moorefield in Wellington County were
elected to two-year terms.
Ann Haagsma, a pork producer from
Salford in Oxford County, was re -re-
elected for a two-year term.
After seven years on the executive
board, Bill Jongejan has retired.0
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MARCH 1990 49