Author Topic: Higher Fruit Production  (Read 1953 times)

Millet

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Higher Fruit Production
« on: April 15, 2021, 01:18:11 PM »
A two year study by the University of Florida found  that citrus trees grown under 30% shade produced twice the yield of fruit than citrus trees growing under Florida's full sun.

poncirsguy

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2021, 03:52:19 PM »
That puts me in a real good position with my 4 in ground trees.

Millet

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2021, 03:58:16 PM »
Poncirusguy, I noticed that with your New Zealand Lemonade tree this year.

Plantinyum

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2021, 04:14:01 PM »
A two year study by the University of Florida found  that citrus trees grown under 30% shade produced twice the yield of fruit than citrus trees growing under Florida's full sun.
I guess this relates only to hot ,tropical climates with strong sun??

lebmung

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2021, 04:39:53 PM »
A two year study by the University of Florida found  that citrus trees grown under 30% shade produced twice the yield of fruit than citrus trees growing under Florida's full sun.
I guess this relates only to hot ,tropical climates with strong sun??

Tropical climates don't have a strong sun like summer in your country. Many days are cloudy as well. Growth stops during the 2 hot summer months.

sc4001992

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2021, 04:48:54 PM »
Millet, yes that's correct. I can say that of all the citrus trees I grow, the large grapefruit tree that I have 10 other varieties grafted always seems to be the most productive and its in partial shade from the other taller loquats and citrus trees next to it. I had 110 oroblanco fruits on one large branch (completely broke off tree), and last year had 75 Late Lane navel oranges on two grafted branches. It also seems to give bigger fruits than my other trees with the same variety grafted onto them.

Here's a large Oroblanco I picked off this tree last fall.


sc4001992

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2021, 04:54:08 PM »
I guess I better graft some sumo/shiranui cuttings on this tree somewhere. I had a sumo fruit that was huge (potential Worlds Record) and I had to cut that branch off so I will just graft it onto this tree. Maybe next year I'll get an even larger fruit by the time Guinness makes this category.

Millet

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2021, 06:04:23 PM »
Experiments with red and white particle kaolin clay sprays on leaves to prevent psyllids attacking the trees, the researchers noticed that it also provided benefits of shading both some of the sunlight and the warm humid environment that over loaded the leaves. With new recently planted citrus groves, the researchers found that the shading reduced disease pressure, lessened the water deficient, while enhancing the growth and yield, by larger denser canopies..
« Last Edit: April 15, 2021, 06:06:48 PM by Millet »

FV Fruit Freak

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2021, 07:03:54 PM »
I’d like to know the different brix levels in the shade grown vs sun grown
Nate

EricSC

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2021, 07:37:23 PM »
sc4001992,

Having a  Worlds Record definitely is exciting.   Also you may evaluate the  taste of fruits produced under partial shade or no-shade.

Galatians522

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2021, 10:09:23 PM »
A local citrus grower mentioned this to me a couple months ago. He claimed that the trees in the psylid protection bags grew faster than the trees they grew pre-HLB. At the time, I assumed it was due to more vigorous rootstocks, because I remembered the trees on the shaded end of the citrus nursery took a couple weeks longer to reach saleable size then the ones on the sunny end. There must be a "sweet spot" that cools the leaf just enough to allow photosynthesis to occur but still allows enough sunlight to create plenty of energy. Very interesting!

Galatians522

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2021, 10:12:26 PM »
I’d like to know the different brix levels in the shade grown vs sun grown

When pulling fruit for brix testing, growers select fruit from all sides and positions in the canopy because fruits with more sun exposure are known to have a higher average brix (at least this is what I have been told).

Millet

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2021, 10:41:04 PM »
The trees in the experiments written above had sunlight reduction of 30 percent.  Additional light reduction does no better. In my greenhouse (30-ft. wide x 72-ft long)  last summer I put a 30% shade cloth covering over the greenhouse.  My fruit was just as large and exceptionally sweet.  I'm still eating and picking fruit from that crop.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2021, 11:25:03 PM by Millet »

Seanny

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2021, 01:28:21 AM »
A study on fruit trees in Australia indicated that trees under netting were hotter and produced better fruits.

2x yield is very significant!

Yorgos

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2021, 01:59:55 PM »
Experiments with red and white particle kaolin clay sprays on leaves to prevent psyllids attacking the trees, the researchers noticed that it also provided benefits of shading both some of the sunlight and the warm humid environment that over loaded the leaves. With new recently planted citrus groves, the researchers found that the shading reduced disease pressure, lessened the water deficient, while enhancing the growth and yield, by larger denser canopies..
Thanks Millet.  I have a large sack of Surround, a white/greyish koalin product.  While it is not red, I would think that would help for a sun screen as well as a psyllid deterrent.  I used it on peaches and seemed to deter squirrels (except the clay doesn't come off the peach fuzz as it does for citrus). 
Near NRG Stadium, Houston Texas. USDA zone 9a

mbmango

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #15 on: April 18, 2021, 02:27:23 AM »
Interesting!  Will have to look for this study.  Any hypothesis on why?  I wonder how localized the effect can be.  I normally get more fruit on the north side of my tree, but I also have to prune it less since the south is towards the fence.

mbmango

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2021, 02:39:19 AM »
Another article on it https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/media/crecifasufledu/extension/extension-publications/2020/2020_aug_shade.pdf
says triple yield!  However, the study seems to be for mature already HLB-infected trees?  Curious how the benefits translate to healthy trees.

Galatians522

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Re: Higher Fruit Production
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2021, 06:00:48 AM »
Another article on it https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/media/crecifasufledu/extension/extension-publications/2020/2020_aug_shade.pdf
says triple yield!  However, the study seems to be for mature already HLB-infected trees?  Curious how the benefits translate to healthy trees.

I think the shade mainly helps in returning trees to the same level of productivity that they had pre-greening. There may be a percentage increase for healthy trees, but I doubt that yields would triple. Many pre-greening groves used to produce 600 boxes of oranges to the acre or more. With greening we are closer to 200 boxes per acre with a lot more "babying." I could see going from 200 boxes/ac back around 600 boxes/ac, but I just can't see 1,800 boxes/ac being realistic. I think all of this ties in to the thread that Millet started about how drought stress drastically reduces yields. Soil organic matter, shade, and supplemental watering all help the tree deal with that stress without dumping the fruit that it is trying to fill.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2021, 06:09:27 AM by Galatians522 »