The apple harvest is currently underway in Potkozarje, and despite a challenging year, fruit growers have reasons to be satisfied. However, the large number of fallen apples, the most widely cultivated fruit in the region’s orchards, could dampen their spirits.
High temperatures have negatively affected apple yields. In Nikola Vukota’s orchard in Trebovljani, a significant number of apples fell from the trees before the harvest even began.
- “From what you can see, Jonagold was heavily affected, while Idared fared better in this regard, though many of the fruits ended up on the ground. I’ve already collected Idared twice, and it’s now ready for a third round before the harvest begins,” said Nikola Vukota, a fruit grower from Trebovljani.
Agronomists point to nighttime irrigation as one of the reasons for the intense fruit drop, which caused many issues.
- “Those fruit growers who have irrigation systems ran water during the night, leading to the steaming of trees and fruits, causing a sudden increase in fallen apples,” said Dražen Čekić from the Department of Agricultural Services, Regional Unit Gradiška.
As a form of protection against fruit drop, experts suggest switching from the currently predominant spindle training system to newer methods being tested at the Faculty of Agriculture in Banjaluka.
- “The bibaum training system results in fairly uniform fruits, meeting market demands for quality. However, with the ‘ufo’ training system, we’ve noticed some uncertainties in balancing growth and yield, especially regarding the ends of the growth phases,” said Miljan Cvjetković, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture in Banjaluka.
Unlike cherries, pears, and plums, apple growers are also facing decreased demand. The early and mid-late varieties harvested so far remain largely in storage.
Source: RTRS
