Combined machine for (light) mechanical summer-pruning, combined with a defoliation machine.

Specific systems of Multi-Leaders in Greece of Red Delicious, spur types.

Lenticelspot with the variety
Natyra/Magic Star/Sprank in 2023.

Most likely caused bij high doses of Nitrogen and/or Potassium.

Also ‘Greenspot’, know on Honey-Crunch crossings as WurtWinner/Bloss, ‘Bitterpit’ on apple variety Fräulein and ‘lenticelspot’ on the apple variety Natyra/Magic Star/ Sprank are almost certainly caused by high doses of Nitrogen and/or Potassium.

Gala apples with severe Lenticel-spot, from a farm in Ukraine. This is only possible with Gala after (very) high doses of Nitrogen and Potassium.

I did never see this in practice.

This farm is advised by a Dutch advice-firm, that is know by advising high doses of Nitrogen and Potassium.

March 2023
Pruning-demonstrations in Poland for Soska Konsulting.

December 2023.
Pruning-demonstrations on the Golan-heights.

Poland, summer 2025:
Lot’s of mechanical pruning.
On this farm already for 8 years.

The ‘beginning’ of working-platforms. With good maintenance/feeding they keep on working for decades……! This got a new motor in the meantime.

Israël:
Mechanical pruning in a Guyot-system in September to still get flower-buds, just behind the cuts.

Germany:
Second year of trials with the new machine to do mechanical thinning of apples on a (very) late moment.
It does need further development to avoid damage to the fruits.
Also it only be usable for varieties that are NOT sensitive for
bi-annualty.
Video: Gerhard Baab.

Most crossings with Honey Crunch has serious problems with; greenspot, bitterpit, less good storage, etc.
Just Cosmic Crisp, grown on especially higher altitudes, seems to have less/no problems.

Ukraine:
Xenia (= Noiabriskaia), a very productive and quite good tasting pear from Moldavia. It is one of the two most pear-varieties which are planted the most in Ukraine.

Greece:
Mechanical pruned tree of
Red Delicious. Correction (fine) hand-pruning still has to be done.

Ukraine, Vinnitsia region.
Guyot planting-system with
Fuji San. 2.60 x 1.60 mtr.
In 2024 a total of 48 tons, of perfect seize (they want big!) and colour (they want very red!)
Very good soil, strong growth.
But, too much leaders, so starting to take 2 per tree out: one very strong and one week.

Late fire-blight infection on Conference trees in Belgium, after picking ‘25. It was a low crop, early harvest, lot’s of rain, much nitrification. Trees started to flower again. Flower-infection, which the growers did not see in time and than infection went into the wood and even slime production.

Ukraine:
Early pear-variety (picking-time August) in Ukraine, called RX. Popular by consumers(fresh) and growers(early selling). Big pear, what ukraine consumers like, but not a lot of aroma. Storable for 3-4 months. Rather sensitive for
fire-blight.

Serious ‘Greenspot’ with the apple variety Bloss (=Wurtwinner) in 2024.
A crossing of Honey Crunch.
Quite unexpected. In earlier years it was minimal. In warmer climates (South of Germany, Switzerland and parts of Italy) it was more severe than in cooler climates like in the North of Germany.

A ‘normal’ light meal in the Ukraine.
(The liquor is left out of the picture)
If I would stay the whole year in Ukraine, I would grow 20 kg….!

It is a manager-world.
The only one who is working, seems to be the advisor (=Berater) here…..😜🙏🏻😇

Mechanical thinning machine that could be used in a late stage when fruits are already around 15-20 mm., so after the danger of spring-frost, and even after June-drop. Does come out of the stone-fruit sector. Till now, still too much damage to the fruits. Does need more development.

Poland 2022.
Complete automatic forklift for most of the transport around a grading-machine.

Machine to prune droopy wood. Here in apple trees, but also possible with specific pear-varieties. First the vertical mechanical pruning-machine will do the first round and later on this machine that does prune horizontal. There are already combined machines developed, that does both rounds in 1 go.

In several years, picking-machines will appear on the Fruit-farms.
As here in Israel on a farm on the Golan-heights.

Forty years ago, local housewife’s did most of the picking of apples and pears on the fruitfarms.

Ukraine:
Very tide (single) Guyot planting-system: 1.90 x 1.40 cm., with every leader 6-7 leaders.
Rootstock: M.9-337.
End of second planting-year.
This farm has invested especially in small tractors and spraying-machines.
Varieties Fuji San (mainly) and Golden Delicious.

Visit to Ukraine last week.
Fruitmarkt with specific type of trees: Rootstocks with 3 graftings and out of that a total of 6 leaders.
Rootstock M.9-337.
Variety: Fuji San.
Very balanced growth,
Now from every tree, 1 leader will be pruned away.