A brief history of pears
Pears have come a long way in the 25–65 million years since their evolution in the mountains of western China. By Anna Mouton. Pears are woody trees and shrubs in the genus Pyrus. No one is sure how many Pyrus…
A European perspective on post-harvest diseases in pome fruit. Q+A with Dr Marcel Wenneker
Dr Marcel Wenneker, senior crop-protection researcher at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, shares his insights. By Anna Mouton. Q: What is the status of post-harvest diseases in pome fruit in the Netherlands? A: Post-harvest diseases are a minor…
A model of fruit microstructure
Researchers are using advanced medical technologies to unravel the relationship between storage disorders and internal structure in pome fruit. By Anna Mouton. Commercial controlled-atmosphere storage has been around for nearly a century and helped fresh apples become a year-round supermarket…
A South African perspective on chemical thinners
Fresh Quarterly interviews a deciduous fruit expert. By Wiehann Steyn. Professor Karen Theron has been with the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University since 1985. She currently holds the Chair in Applied Preharvest Deciduous Fruit Research. For the past…
A tool to decode climate data
TerraClim is a climate and terrain tool for the Western Cape that offers powerful decision-making support to pome-fruit growers. By Anna Mouton. We are all aware that environmental variables such as temperature are decisive for pome-fruit production and quality. This…
An international perspective on pear production
Prof. Stefano Musacchi has been working on pears for more than three decades. He started his career at the University of Bologna and currently holds the Endowed Chair in Tree-fruit Physiology and Management at Washington State University. He also chairs…
An interview with Christo Strydom
Christo Strydom of specialist pear-packhouse Wolfpack is unusual in the South African deciduous-fruit industry because he focuses mainly on pears. He spoke to Fresh Quarterly about the challenges and opportunities facing our industry. By Anna Mouton. Q. You started in…
Apple scab 101
What is it and what can be done about it? By Anna Mouton. Apple scab or black spot is a disease of apples caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis — unaffectionately known to many growers as fusi — short for…
Apple-growing in Australia
Fifteen years of the Future Orchards project. By Anna Mouton. The Future Orchards project was launched in 2006 to help Australian apple and pear growers improve orchard productivity and fruit quality. Fifteen years on, Fresh Quarterly spoke to apple grower…
Are cover crops hosts for lesion nematodes?
Cover crops in orchards have many benefits, but could there also be risks? By Kyra-Kay Rensburg. A Hortgro-funded project led by Dr Rinus Knoetze, senior researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, screened cover crops earmarked for trials in apple orchards…