FRUIT PRODUCTION -WARM CLIMATE BHT217

COURSE STRUCTURE
There are 8 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction To Warm Climate Fruit Growing Identify different types of fruit crops, which can be successfully grown in your region. Explain the nature of the fruit industry in your region (locality).

2. Establishing An Orchard Develop a plan for the establishment of an orchard

3. General Cultural Practices Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops in your locality.

4. Tree Fruits

5. Nuts, Vines and Berries

6. Citrus

7. Cultural Management of a Fruit Plantation or Orchard

8. Marketing Your Produce

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

AIMS

• Identify different types of fruit crops, which can be successfully grown.
• Explain the nature of the fruit industry
• Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops.
• Develop a plan for the establishment of an orchard.
• Formulate appropriate methods for marketing specific fruit crops grown
• Develop a calendar for cultural management of a fruit plantation, or orchard.

• Compile a resource file of different sources of information regarding commercial fruit varieties.
• Compare the facilities used to produce six different fruit crops, in a specified locality.
• Determine criteria for selecting a fruit variety to grow as a commercial crop.
• Select different fruit varieties with commercial potential for a specified location.
• Analyse the physical layout of a specified orchard.
• Determine the scope of commercial fruit growing in a specified locality.
• Demonstrate standard soil tests to three different soils to determine:
  • Soil type
  • pH
  • Drainage
  • Water holding capacity
• Evaluate the three different soils tested to determine their suitability for growing different fruit varieties.
• Analyse the culture
  • Watering
  • Weed control
  • Soil management
  • Pruning
  • Fertilising
  • Pest control
  • Disease control
• Determine soil management practices, including:
  • Nutrition
  • Soil structure
  • Cultivation
  • Weed control
• Determine the susceptibility of specified fruit species to pest and disease problems.
• Explain how to control twenty different, specified pests and diseases, on different fruit varieties grown.
• Develop sets of guidelines for pruning different types of fruits.
• Determine the factors which are critical to growing fruit trees.
• Determine criteria to select a site for fruit growing.
• Compare the physical layout of two different orchards.
• Prepare a plan for establishing a fruit growing area, in a specified locality, including:
  • Concept layout plan drawn to scale
  • Materials list (including plants)
  • Cost estimates for establishment.
• Analyse three different marketing systems in the fruit industry, including at local, national and international levels.
• Explain common reasons for price fluctuations in the fruit industry.
• Compare different fruit crops in relation to different factors, including:
  • Storage requirements
  • Storage life
  • Harvesting time
  • Shelf life
  • Transport to market
• Evaluate the presentation and packaging of different fruits, for marketing through different marketing systems.
• Analyse different marketing strategies used by a specific fruit grower.
• Develop a marketing strategy, including:
  • Marketing stages
  • Marketing schedule (ie. timetable)
  • Estimated marketing costs
  • Handling procedures
  • Promotions, for a specific fruit crop.
• Differentiate between the cultural practices undertaken by different growers, on the same crop, grown in two different localities.
• Determine the cultural practices necessary to grow different fruit crops for a twelve month period, on a specified site.
• Prepare a monthly calender, covering a twelve month period, for cultural practices in a fruit plantation or orchard.

Duration: 100 hours

Example of an Assignment from this course:

1. Compare the botanical characteristics of different types of fruits, including:
*Pome *Drupe *Multiple fruit
*Nut *Berry *Pseudocarp.

2. Differentiate between the characteristics of major groups of commercial fruits which grow in the your region, including (where appropriate) varieties of:
*Citrus *Stone Fruits *Pome Fruits
*Vines *Berries *Nuts.

3. Compare the facilities used to produce six different fruit crops, in your locality (based on set task 2). What does each crop require? How do they differ from each other in their requirements? Why?

4. Determine criteria for selecting a fruit variety to grow as a commercial crop in your locality
(i.e. on what factors would you base your selection of fruit crops to grow in your area?).

5. Select five different fruit varieties with commercial potential for a specific location (your choice of site). Provide a brief description and the location of the site you select.

6. Analyse the physical layout of the orchard inspected in your third set task.

7. Determine the scope of commercial fruit growing in your locality.
What sorts of fruit are grown? How much (e.g. how much fruit produced, how many growers, etc.)? What are the main methods of production?

8. Don't forget your plant review sheets for this lesson.

Extract from course notes:

AVOCADO
(Persea americana) Family : Lauraceae

Description: Tree 4.5 to 13.5 metres tall.
A tree 5 12m. tall. flowering normally winter or spring and fruiting 5 14 months later, during the wet season. Native to central America.

Requirements:
Avocados are suited to tropical and sub tropical areas, but some varieties can be adapted to cooler climates. Mexican varieties will withstand lower temperatures. ("Bacon" withstands night temperatures to minus 5 degrees centigrade. "Hass" withstands to minus 1 centigrade). In frost areas it is necessary to provide protection overhead watering has proven most successful in reducing frost damage. Good drainage is required in high rainfall areas; irrigation required in low rainfall areas. Soil fertility is not critical, but a well drained soil structure is important. North and east slopes are the preferred aspect. Avoid exposed windy sites.

Culture:
Avocados are normally grown by grafting selected varieties onto seed grown plants. Some varieties produce better crops if cross pollinated (ie: If you have two or more different varieties planted together).
Normally plant on mounds or ridges for drainage and to reduce root rot, windbreak plantings are commonly required and cover crops are often grown between trees. Commonly, trees are planted initially on a 10m x 5m grid. Eventually, every second tree is removed leaving a 10m x 10m grid. Smaller growing varieties may be spaced on a 7m x 4m grid.
Handle gently when planting; tease roots if potbound, otherwise do not disturb at all. Apply fertilizer and mulch around the base of a newly planted tree. Keep the soil moist, but not saturated for the first few months. It may be necessary to water twice weekly. In some areas individual protection (eg: hessian around the tree) may be valuable to reduce affect of wind and sun.
Trees should be fertilized regularly, but not too heavily as over feeding makes trees more susceptible to root diseases. Nitrogen is critical too much and flowering is reduced too little and leaf is reduced. It is often a problem to establish and maintain correct nitrogen levels. Nutrient deficiencies sometimes occur with zinc, boron and iron.
Avocado trees should be pruned to develop and maintain an uneven canopy and keep trees from growing into each other. Proper pruning leads to increased productivity, better quality fruit and easier access to the tree when spraying and harvesting.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction To Warm Climate Fruit Growing
   • Deciding what to grow
   • Where to get helpful informationm and start networking
   • Scope of Warm Fruit Growing -Review of main groups: Citrus, Berries, Nuts, Vines, Other fruits.
   • Understanding plant naming
   • Review of tropical fruit families:Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Bombaceae, Bursaraceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Guttiferae, Lauraceae, Lecythidaceae, Malpighiaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Musaceae, Myrtaceae, Oxalidaceae, Palmae, Pasifloraceae, Proteaceae, Rhamnaceae,Rubiaceae,Rutaceae, Sapindaceae.
   • The botany of a fruit
   • Types of Fruits
2. Establishing An Orchard
   • Develop a plan for the establishment of an orchard
   • Site considerations -choosing a site
   • Understanding Soils and Nutrition
   • Soil Testing
   • Several warm climate fruits are then reviewed including: Avocado Banana, Citrus, Cocao, Coffee, Macadamia and Paw Paw
3. General Cultural Practices
   • Fertilsers and Nutrition
   • Pest and Disease -determining and managing problems
   • What problems occur on what fruit plants
   • Weed control
   • Frost and sun protection
   • Drainage
   • Pruning
4. Tree Fruits
   • Avocado
   • Banana
   • Star Fruit (Carambola)
   • Custard Apple
   • Durian
   • Jackfruit
   • Lychee
   • Mango
   • Mangosteen
   • Rambutan
   • Sapodila
   • White Sapote
   • Paw Paw
5. Nuts, Vines and Berries
   • Strawberry
   • Solanum
   • Pepino
   • Tamarillo
   • Lilly Pilly
   • Passionfruit
   • Coconut
   • Macadamia
   • Peanut
   • Pecan
   • Pistacio
   • Cashew
   • Brazil Nut
6. Citrus and other Fruits
   • Suitability to different climates.
   • Grapefruit
   • Mandarin
   • Tangelo
   • Sweet Orange
   • Meyer Lemon and other Lemons
   • Limes
   • Figs
   • Olives
   • Guava
   • Pineapple
   • Pomegranate, Persimmon, Quandong etc
7. Cultural Management Of A Fruit Plantation or Orchard
   • Flow charting a crop
8. Marketing Your Produce
   • Considering marketing options
   • Market Research
   • Maintaining marketing standards and selling

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

REASONS TO STUDY WITH ACS DISTANCE EDUCATION

• Reputation:
    -teaching Horticulture since 1979
    -exceptional faculty staff (see below)
• Hands on: develop practical as well as theoretical skills
• Uniqueness:
    -successful people are always those who can offer a skill or service that others can't
    -this course is different; our graduates have different skills to set them apart.
• Relevance -curriculum developed in response to industry needs
• Lots of help: personal, prompt attention from tutors
• Holistic Courses: We teach more than just "facts"
    -success is only 20% about intelligence (and what you know)
    -you also need to build networking, problem solving & communication skills, and more!
    -this course helps you develop all of these things and more
• Value: courses compare very favorably on a cost per study hour basis
• Up to date: courses under constant review
• Student amenities: This school is backed by over one of the most unique and comprehensive private collections of intellectual property in the horticultural industry. The principal and staff have written and published over 50 books and 150 gardening magazines, as well as 20,000 hours horticultural study programs. A team of 5 horticultural writers continue to develop and update new material continually. These resources together with web sites, an online student room, social media etc. provide a unique and comprehensive facility to support students studying with the school.

Marie Beerman  B.Sc., M.Hort.