Fruit Growing Around the World

Fruit Growing Around the World. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Rolf Luehs, a German student intern with the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission recently led Hort Convention attendees on a virtual trip around the world of fruit growing. He says that Australia has learned to cope with water issues.

LUEHS: There’s another interesting thing there, the environmental nets which is expensive but it also reduces your sunburn in your orchard, it also reduces the wind rub and it lowers the transpiration of the trees so you can save water and irrigation.

He now hops over to New Zealand.

LUEHS: New Zealand being a very interesting country, very good climate. Even they have a huge impact on us with their breeding program. Everybody knows Jazz or Envy which is going to be planted this winter quite a lot.

He now jumps over to the Southern Hemisphere and South Africa.

LUEHS: They are really in the special situation that they don’t have a problem with labor. They have about 60% unemployment there and pay 32.50 U.S. cents per hour but they have problems as well. They have to deal with light soils, a lot of replant disease, put a lot of effort into soil health and nutrition to face those challenges

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.