Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2016)
April 15, 2016 CapitalPress.com 17 Researcher investigates less labor-intensive cherry systems By DENISE RUTTAN For the Capital Press An Oregon State Universi- ty horticulturist is developing improved cherry varieties on rootstock in combination with training systems that reduce the size of the trees and thus require less labor. Lynn Long, based in Wasco County, said the research has its roots in a histor- ical trajectory. In the 1970s, cher- ry orchards con- Lynn Long sisted of giant trees commonly harvested on 22-foot ladders. Fast forward to the 1990s, when growers began utilizing shorter, more densely growing trees. What is new is the ever-shrinking labor pool, which has driven grow- ers to become more interested in dwarfing rootstocks and in- creasingly dense orchards. “We wanted to try to reduce the amount of time it took to pick an acre of cherries,” Long said. “By doing this, we relieve some of the pressure on grow- ers to find pickers who may not be there in the future.” Part of why workers are so hard to come by has to do with the labor intensive nature of the harvest of this particular crop. To pluck a juicy, ripe cherry from a bushy branch, workers must typically climb a tall lad- der to reach them. “When you put pickers on ladders, it reduces their pro- ductivity by almost half,” Long said. “They have to set up the ladder, climb up the ladders, and reach for the fruit. Lad- ders increase the potential for accidents because pickers have to be higher off the ground. Pickers having both feet on the ground increases their produc- tivity and reduces the risks for both the worker and the grow- er.” Training the tree to a short- er height means growers use less labor. So Long and other Courtesy of Lynn Long These cherry trees have been grown using a training system that allows them to be harvested from the ground. researchers have investigated the performance of three main types of these training systems. One of these training sys- tems was developed by Wash- ington State University and is called the Upright Fruiting Offshoots system, known more commonly by the slightly spa- cier term, the UFO training system. This system involves training the trees on a wide trel- lis. “It’s a system where no branch hangs down, and it’s an upright system so that it has a free fall for the fruit,” Long said. “If a branch is shaken, fruit can come down into a catch basin without impacting the quality of the fruit. This is one of the systems developed to be able to automate the harvest. We looked at machines to help automation of the harvest and consumer acceptance of cher- ries picked with machines.” The harvest can be auto- mated to a great extent, but it depends on the training system, Long said. Fruit quality is im- perative for cherry growers, so a cherry dropping from the tree cannot be bruised and battered. 24 - 80 hp., 4 wheel drive Compact Synchro- Shuttle Hydro 24, 28, 35, 47 hp Model 4020R SERIES 3120R 4020R 3520R 4525R 3510H 4720H 6640 8050 BRANSON BOSS 800 UTV’s: Two-or-Four door models have 60hp and speeds up to 58mph. • Front Winch • 14” Wheels with 27” Tires • Hard Doors & Roof • Top Mount LED Light Bar • Electric Dump Bed THE TRACTOR STORE (541) 342-5464 5450 W. 11 th , Eugene, OR www.capitalpress.biz/hosted/tractorstore ONV16-1/#5 ONV16-1/#7
