The Fruitometry team is back on kiwifruit orchards with our winter bud scanning service which enables orchardists to accurately evaluate winter pruning and provides valuable information about the upcoming crop load.
A winter bud scan can be done as soon as the canes have been tied down and the orchard is mulched. Our technology enables us to measure winter buds density (reported as buds per square metre), offering a quality check on the pruning process. By mapping the density of winter buds, orchardists can identify specific areas that may require additional wood removal before bud burst.
Our winter bud density report also serves as an early indication of the expected crop load. This information empowers orchard managers and owners to make informed decisions regarding crop management strategies well in advance.
Our density reports have been updated to include a coefficient of variation percentage to understand the level of variability within a block, an estimated total count of the feature being detected and the distribution of the densities under, within and over the target range.
Winter bud scans completed in recent weeks demonstrate the use of our winter bud density report.
Orchard 1
Orchard 1 is a two block Gold orchard in Te Puke. Both blocks are within the winter bud target with low variability. The owner of this orchard is pleased with the quality of the winter pruning and won’t be taking any corrective action.
Orchard 2
Orchard 2 is a three block Gold orchard in Katikati. Winter bud counts were higher than the manager’s target, in particular block 3 with 43.2 buds/m2 with 63.5% of the block area over the target density range. The density map shows more of the high density areas are in the left side of the block. The manager of this orchard is taking corrective action by getting the pruning crew back in to tackle the high density areas.
Contact us to find out how our winter bud scanning service could help you, or click the link below to book a scan.
