How to plant an intensive apple orchard. intensive gardening

Start a fruit growing business by registering a horticultural non-profit partnership (SNT). Documents are submitted to the tax office. Registration takes about 8 days. The payment of state duty is obligatory.

The fruits grown by you must comply with the following GOSTs:

1. - general specifications for dried fruit.
2. - fresh apples sold in a retail network. Specifications.

New landing technology

For the most part, the result of the apple business depends on the geography and variety of trees grown. But gardening is improving every year. New technologies open up great opportunities and significantly reduce the growing time. Follow our recommendations and get the following result:

• after 1 year - 15 tons / ha;
• after 4 years - 35 tons / ha;
• after 6 years - 50 tons / ha.

The success of these technologies depends on the planting of tall varieties on dwarf rootstocks of high planting density of apple trees, proper pruning of crowns. Tall varieties include:

• Golden Delicious;
• Red Delicious;
• Jonared;
• Symorenko;
• Idored;
• starking;
• Royal delicacy;
• Stayman.

You can choose a suitable variety for your area yourself. The necessary information can be found on the Internet.

The business plan for an apple orchard is calculated on an area of ​​​​1 hectare. Trees are planted at 2,000 - 5,000 apple trees per 1 hectare. Use the most popular M9 dwarf rootstock. This is the international standard. Grafting apple trees to M9 will reduce the fruiting period to 1 year. The only drawback is that the roots are in the upper layers of the earth. Because frost resistance is only -11 ° С. Sprinkle tree roots with earth to adapt to low temperatures.

How farmer Valery Zhomer does gardening

Necessary equipment

At the present time, it is costly for a start-up entrepreneur to buy equipment. An alternative option is to buy equipment in or, which you pay from the first income. You can read more information about gardening equipment. To improve earnings for growing apples, we recommend purchasing the following equipment:

1. Car / van / tractor with a trailer - for transporting fruits;
2. Chainsaw or electric saw - for cutting dead trees;
3. Branch cutters - for removing broken and diseased branches;
4. Install an automatic tree watering system - this will free up your time for other important things.

Preparing for landing

First of all, make a plan for the correct planting of apple trees. Not only the health and quality of the fruit, but also your reputation depends on this. For this:

• plow the area;
• when planting, consider the distance of the hole, which is compared with the diameter of the seedling root;
• fill the dug holes with water;
• place the cut roots of the seedlings so that they are covered by the earth;
• prepare the necessary soil, forming a place for watering;
• water the trees.

Prepare the ground for the garden in the fall, and spend the planting itself in the spring. Trees should not shade each other. Therefore, consider planting a garden. Better yet, consult a specialist. The planting scheme for an apple orchard depends on the type of crown pruning:

Prepare holes for seedlings:

Hole: lower 25 kg of peat-distillation mixture and 40 g of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the bottom.

garden care

An apple orchard as a business must take into account the ongoing care of the orchard. First, buy. Free the soil around the trunk from weeds. Do not work the soil mechanically with a garden cutter. Cover with dry needles of conifers, bark chips, treat with herbicides. Processing is done in the absence of wind. Simazin, Kerb, Roundup, Glyphosate, Fosulen and other popular types of herbicides are suitable for this.

Treat trees for insects. Use different types of insecticides, for example, Benzophosphate, Oleocuprite. If this is not done, harmful insects will significantly reduce your crop or completely destroy it.

Seedling pruning: leave 6 buds from the height of the stamp (from 80 cm).

Mow grass between rows. If you use a mower that will chop grass, then use the grass as a soil cover. Remove uncut grass.

Be sure to provide trees with supports. For example, concrete pillars (height 1 - 2 m), buried in the ground at a distance of 25 meters with a stretched wire. Or use pine cola (height 2-3 m). But first treat them with an antiseptic. Thanks to the supports, the tree will grow while maintaining an upright position, and branches with apples will not break.

Few facts:

• the garden bears fruit for several decades;
• the life of an apple tree is about 50 years;
• the peak of the highest yield falls on the 10-15th year of life with a further decrease in fruiting.

Harvest and storage

To get the expected income, the crop must be properly harvested and stored. Fruit picking usually takes place in September. A characteristic indicator is the acquisition of a peel of a characteristic color and the ripening of the stone, which becomes brown.

In winter and autumn varieties, removable and consumer maturity are distinguished. In order for the product to be suitable for consumption, it is placed in storage for further maturation.

Harvest requirements:

• collection is carried out by hand in cool weather;
• be sure to preserve the peduncle;
• there should be no damage on the surface;
• the product cannot be poured, only shifted;
• fruits that have fallen to the ground are collected in a separate container;
• apples are recommended to be put in wooden boxes;
• fold fruit in layers, separating from the previous sheet of paper, and also cover with a sheet on top;

You do not need special equipment for storing apples. The basement will be a good place for storage. Monitor the temperature, keeping it within 0-2°C. You can keep a fresh look until April by collecting autumn and winter varieties.

Selling apples

Growing apples as a business provides for several optimal options for marketing products:

• with small quantities of apples: sale in the markets of the city, wholesale sales to merchants, delivery of apples to baking places;
• with large quantities of apples: sale of goods to large supermarkets, supply of apples to manufacturers of wine, cider, jams, compotes, jam, vinegar.

Orient planting from purchased varieties of apples. This fruit is highly valued among wholesalers and ordinary buyers. If the territory, as well as funds allow, build a warehouse for storage. When selling apples in winter, profits increase by 50%.

The apple growing business is a win-win income based household business. Even if you have not fully sold your product, you can additionally open it, which will not only save your product, but also increase profits.

Apple orchard in numbers

The use of intensive apple orchard growing technologies will take your business to industrial heights in just 3 to 4 years.

Stable profit every year is provided.

The cost of seedlings- from 180 rubles / piece.

Gardening costs:

Cost item	Cost, rub.)
Registration of SNT	12 000
seedlings	360 000 - 900 000
garden design	3 000
Soil preparation	3 700
Planting seedlings	300 000
Irrigation organization	4 000
Installation of supports	320 000
Special equipment	3 080 000
Total	4 082 700 - 4 622 700

Monthly costs:

Hire garden guards only during the fruiting season. Seasonal workers are needed for the harvest. The rest of the time, the number of employees should be minimal. You may be able to make do on your own or turn apple growing into a family business.

Payback business on apples - 3 - 4 years.

Profitability reaches 100%.

During the season, apples are sold at a price of 50 rubles. for 1 kg.

In the winter season, this price increases by 3-4 times.

Spoiled fruits can be sold for industrial processing at a price of 20 rubles. for 1 kg.

In the first year profit from the harvest will be from 750 000 rub. From each tree you will get about 8 kg of crop. Every year the harvest will increase.

Risks

Before starting a business, it is necessary to analyze all possible risks. This business has the following risks and ways to prevent them:

• crop failure - calculate your own costs for crop insurance;
• loss of liquidity due to uneven sales - when attracting a loan, return the funds in seasonal payments with the possibility of deferment and long-term repayment of the loan;
• reduction in prices for products - agree in advance on the supply of products;
• untimely implementation of technological operations due to inexperience - strict implementation of the planned plan for growing technology.

Timely analysis and identification of risks will help you avoid possible mistakes and financial losses in the future.

Additional income

Also, a stable income can be obtained from a new and profitable business for the manufacture and cultivation of caramelized apples. This will require:

• caramelizer;
• caramel mixture, water, sugar;
• sticks for nozzles;
• topping (chocolate, nuts, powder, sesame, sugar powder);
• apples.

Apple - 7 rubles.

Caramel - 3 rubles.

Other expenses - 3 rubles.

Net profit: 60 - 13 \u003d 47 rubles. from one apple.

In a day in crowded places, you can sell 200-300 apples, and at large events from 500 apples.

47 x 300 (average sales) = 14,100 rubles. for one event.

What else to do outdoors?

1. A fruitful and tasty berry can be the key to a successful business. Fast implementation contributes to a monthly profit of 130,000 rubles.

2. . It is the most popular vegetable in agriculture. Business profitability - more than 150%. The product has a high purchasing power, especially at the end of the summer season.

3. - a frequent question of rural residents who have a plot and a desire to make money on this business idea. This type of business has a profitability of 35-40%. Minimal competition and high demand for this product provide an opportunity for good earnings.

4. in your garden. Sea buckthorn is not only a useful product, but also has a multifunctional application in cooking, folk and scientific medicine, cosmetology, which makes it possible to quickly find points of sale for the product.

5. Those wishing to earn on The value of this berry does not subside until the end of the season. The income easily pays for the costs at the initial stage!

Views: 4511

11.05.2017

Grow intensive, i.e. a highly productive, low-stemmed and early-growing garden is quite within the power of even novice amateur gardeners, if they are familiar with the basics of gardening. The beginning of the fruiting of horticultural crops depends on the quality of the planting material, as well as some details in the technology of their cultivation. First of all, as a scion, cuttings selected on trees of high-yielding and early-growing zoned varieties should be used. The rootstock is obtained from seedlings grown in a direct way. After winter vaccination, annual seedlings 1.0 - 1.5 m high are planted in the garden. Thanks to such actions, it is possible to minimize injury to the root system of trees during their digging and replanting, which will favorably affect their further development and the beginning of fruiting.

At least 8 - 10 kg / m 2 are brought under the plantation of the garden plothumus, and directly when planting trees, in each planting hole - 15 - 20 kg of soil mixture from humus and a fertile soil ball. This method will allow you to do without the systematic feeding of trees during the first 3-4 years.

The formation of a low trunk (25 - 30 cm) is another trick that helps to bring the beginning of the productive period of crops closer. As practice shows, in trees with a flat crown shape, a low trunk (and even its complete absence) does not limit the possibility of processing and caring for the trunk circle and row spacing, but allows you to significantly reduce the height of the tree and concentrate the crop in the central part of the crown.

Crown formation begins in early spring, cutting seedlings immediately after planting at a height of 70 - 80 cm from the ground. When the buds swell, they are removed on the future stem to a height of 15–30 cm. In the spring of the next year, all shoots formed from the preserved buds located above the stem are bent in the direction of the row (future fruit wall) at an angle of 75–80 ° to the trunk and shortened by a third (upper) or a quarter (lower). This technique enhances the branching of the future semi-skeletal branch. The lower bent branches are attached with twine to pegs driven into the ground in the plane of the row, and the upper ones to the branches located below. In autumn or next spring, the pegs are removed, and all the upper branches are subsequently attached to the lignified lower ones.

Depending on the strength of growth and branching, the continuation shoot (trunk, conductor) is shortened by 25–40 cm. In this case, one should be guided by the consideration that a highly cut conductor will lead to the formation of “windows” in the crown, gaps that will increase plant growth and decrease in its productivity. As soon as the buds swell (after 10-15 days), they are removed on the upper surface along the entire length of future semi-skeletal branches to avoid the formation of tops. It will also contribute to the further development of lateral buds, forming horizontal shoots (and later branches with numerous fruit formations) located parallel to the ground surface.

The same crown formation technology is followed in subsequent years. By the age of five, six, the trees will already be fully formed. And the central conductor during the last pruning at this age is removed by transferring to a weaker horizontal branch.

The whole system of agro-activities of the early-growing garden is aimed at accelerating the fruiting of trees and maximizing the growth of their leaf surface. In the case of the appearance of fruits in one- or two-year-old plants, they are not cut off in the spring, but are allowed to fully ripen. If a tree at the age of five or six blooms profusely and gives high yields, it is necessary to prune the crown in order to thin it out and create conditions for better lighting of the plant. Simultaneously with thinning, semi-skeletal branches are shortened (by transferring to a weak shoot), which by this moment already touch the branches on a neighboring tree, and strong apical ones are removed. If tops form on the central conductor or at the base of the semi-skeletal branches, they are not removed, but bent and shortened by a third (quarter) to turn into fruit branches.

When creating a garden of biennial or annual (with a crown) plants with a high trunk (80 - 100 cm), it is recommended to immediately reduce it to 25 - 30 cm. cm, as in the case of unformed annual seedlings. All subsequent operations are similar: removal of the kidneys on the future stem up to a height of 15–30 cm, bending in a row and fixing the skeletal branches by tying them to pegs.

During the first two years, the trees are watered at the rate of 5 - 10 buckets per plant. In the year of planting, at least 2 - 3 are carried out, and the next - 1 - 2 waterings. Row spacings can be sown with perennial grasses the very next year after planting, but in this case the trees require regular watering at least twice a month using 4 to 6 buckets of water per seedling. It is also desirable to water the grass in the aisles.

In connection with the accelerated fruiting and high rates of increase in productivity, in the fifth - sixth year of crop growth, the doses of mineral fertilizers are increased by 1.5 - 2 times compared to the usual norms. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied twice - three times per season (the first time - during the early spring closing of moisture, the last - in mid-June), potash and phosphorus - in uniform doses in June - August and immediately after harvesting. All mineral fertilizers are applied superficially, and then embedded in the soil between rows in the process of loosening or digging.

An intensive orchard grown according to the above technology from early-growing, low-stemmed, flat-crowned trees differs from traditional fruit plantings in earlier dates for the onset of fruiting and fruit ripening, high efficiency and crop quality.

When laying a young orchard, it is often difficult to choose a certain variety. As a rule, private owners have a small plot, and there are too many delicious varieties. And not always the seller can clearly orient the buyer in terms of fruiting of the selected seedlings. But there are varieties of pome-bearing varieties that quickly bear fruit, have a relatively compact crown, and high taste qualities. So, we get acquainted with the concept of "intensive type garden" and deal with the features of intensive varieties of apple trees.

Intensive type apple orchard

Intensive varieties of apple trees include those varieties in which the annular type of fruit links predominates. Other name - spur varieties, which were found in the USA in 1921, and began to be introduced into culture in the 50s of the last century. After the discovery of natural mutations, many spur varieties were artificially bred on their basis.

For beginners in country gardening, it is important to understand the main biological features of spur apple trees:

• weak ability to form shoots;
• high excitability of the lateral kidneys;
• natural short stature of trees.

It is these qualities that lead to the fact that the crown of spur varieties is more compact, and the height of apple trees is about a third lower than the original varieties. On the main branches of such fruit trees, short fruit twigs are formed in abundance. Ringworms bloom profusely and bear fruit. Terminal growths on apple trees are usually vertical, thick, short, with numerous internodes - hence the compact, very dense crown. In addition, leaves are formed on the annelids, which in turn have a dense green color. They determine the high intensity of photosynthesis.

Spur type trees bear fruit early, and even if they are grafted onto vigorous rootstocks, they remain small. Any spur variety can be grafted onto seedlings, then you will get trees with a powerful root system, which contributes to their frost resistance. The advantages of such vaccinations are doubled - a powerful, deep-seated root system is obtained, and a compact aerial part.

spur type of fruiting - photo of fruit twigs on Golden Delicious in winter

Establishing an intensive type garden

Consumer qualities of spur varieties are high - high yield, pleasant dessert taste, good transportation and keeping quality parameters. You can also note the ease of care - they naturally hold the crown, grow little. Therefore, the landing pattern is compacted, 5 × 4 m.

At the same time, note that ordinary spurs are easier to care for than columnar ones - the latter need competent shaping. In private gardens, spurs can be kept in three tiers (see a simple pruning scheme), and in industrial gardens, various moldings are used - palmette, Taganrog boat, fruit walls.

On heavy clay and pebbly soils, planting pits are made wider and deeper than usual - 1.2 × 1 m, and fill them with rotted manure or good soddy soil, which no mineral fertilizers can replace. On chernozems, it is enough to dig holes with a size of 0.5 × 0.5 m. In flooded areas, the laying of an intensive garden should be carried out in mounds, from 0.5 to 1 m high.

When digging planting pits, the following order must be observed: the top layer of soil is folded in one direction, and the bottom layer in the other. The top layer of the earth is more fertile and mixing it with other layers will result in a loss of nutrients. Fertile soil mixed with compost or rotted manure is poured into the root zone of a young seedling. 1-2 buckets are added to each pit. Fresh manure cannot be used, it will burn the root system.

Seedlings with an open root system are carefully inspected before planting, damaged and rotten roots are removed, and then dipped in a mash - a mixture of clay, earth and manure, diluted to the consistency of sour cream. After planting, the shoots of the seedling are cut to 1/3 of the height so that the developing leaves do not deplete the nutrient reserves accumulated in the bark. The roots at the time of planting are not yet working and they are not getting food.

After planting, it is advisable to shed each seedling with a solution Kornevin or heteroauxin to stimulate root growth. The root neck of the seedling cannot be deepened. After watering, the soil will settle and some seedlings will lean over. They are corrected and, if necessary, pulled to a vertical position with stretch marks. The soil around the planted seedlings is mulched, and the row spacing is covered.

Features of growing an intensive garden in the south

Intensive apple orchards, the yield of which is largely determined by agricultural technology, most often need watering. There are, of course, quite drought-resistant varieties (for example, Idared, Renet Simirenko), but the quality of fruits without irrigation and sodding of the soil is sharply reduced. But for some reason, when laying intensive gardens, watering is reluctantly remembered, so it would be useful to briefly recall this.

In the first year after planting an intensive garden irrigation in combination with turfing, mulching and sideration, it contributes to optimal survival of seedlings, good growth, precocity, longevity of trees and crop stability. Skillfully thought-out irrigation increases the utilization rate of organic fertilizers, supports the vital activity of soil microorganisms and earthworms, prolongs the life of fruit twigs, and helps to smooth out the frequency of fruiting. It is skillfully thought out watering that is a feature of growing an intensive garden in the south.

But not every watering is beneficial. So, it is impossible to allow flowing irrigation along the near-trunk circles along the row - this leads to a washout of the fertile soil layer. But if in an intensive garden the soil in the aisles is not kept fallow, but tinned, then it is better overflow. Of course, such watering is acceptable on leveled (not terraced) areas. Row spacing is irrigated in strips across its entire width.

Sprinkling- a very effective method of irrigation, since with such irrigation there is a uniform moistening of the layers of soil and air around the crowns of trees. To avoid burns on leaves and young bark, irrigation in intensive gardens is best done in the evening. On the slopes, sprinkling should not be left unattended - with a long spill in one place, slush (landslides) may form.

Drip irrigation- the most progressive way in conditions of deficiency of irrigation water. With drip irrigation of a garden of an intensive type of fruiting, water consumption is reduced by 5-8 times. Such irrigation can be controlled automatically. But this type of irrigation has a drawback - the equipment for its installation is not cheap.

Intensive varieties

The fruit usually has a very bright integumentary skin: bright yellow, red, red-striped. They have a very presentable presentation. Spurs are also characterized by complex resistance to diseases (including fruit rot, scab) and pests. When choosing, pay attention to the following proven varieties: Starcrimson (American), Golden Delicious (Golden Excellent) Wagner, Wellspur, Redspur Delicious, Goldspur, Zhigulenok-spur, Kuban-spur. Of the new ones, the following can be praised: Arkadik (summer variety), Legend (winter variety). For a more detailed description of intensive type varieties, see the table.

So, the laying of an intensive apple orchard is fully justified both in a private and in an industrial garden. Such apple trees bear fruit early, have demanded crop quality parameters, and are relatively easy to care for. Due to their natural dwarfism, they can be placed more densely even on a flat site, and even more so on slopes. Look closely at these varieties, follow the news, they have a great future! But remember, an intensive apple orchard is demanding not only for watering, but also for the constant replenishment of organic matter, so apply the methods used in the practice of natural farming, and you are guaranteed to achieve regular harvests without the use of chemicals.

Thanks to government policies aimed at import substitution, horticulture has recently become another “fashionable” topic for agro-investors. In the last few years, from 10,000 to 15,000 hectares of intensive orchards have been planted annually in Russia. “Intensive gardens begin to bear fruit much faster than traditional ones: already in the second year they give a small harvest, and in the third year they begin to bear fruit fully,” says the CEO of the research company "Growth Technologies" Tamara Reshetnikova. In gardens of the traditional type, you can start collecting products only in the sixth year after planting.

Bet on apple trees

According to the expert, 95% of the intensive orchards being planted are apple trees. Stone fruit trees - cherries, plums, sweet cherries - grow in gardens according to traditional technology, very few enterprises use intensive cultivation for their cultivation. “At the same time, less and less of any kind of fruit is produced in the world using traditional technology: it is too difficult to control the processing and harvesting processes,” the expert says. “Yes, and the entire world selection is aimed at the production of seedlings for intensive gardens.”

The planting density and yield of an intensive orchard is significantly different from a traditional one. In the first one, from 800 to 2.5 thousand trees are placed on one hectare, and in the second - 350-450. Accordingly, the yield in traditional orchards is much less: 12 t/ha versus up to 60 t/ha in intensive ones. However, intensive orchards, unlike traditional ones, which bear fruit for 30 years, are effective only for 8-10, maximum 12 years, after which their productivity drops sharply, and growers must do a complete renewal of plantings. Therefore, the number of pledged hectares is not identical to the increase in area and production volume, explains Reshetnikova.

The most favorable regions for investment in apple orchards are the Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh regions. According to Igor Mukhanin, President of the Association of Gardeners of Russia, these are "ideal places for gardening." “The Tambov and Lipetsk regions are not bad, winter-hardy varieties can be grown around Moscow - in the Tula and Ryazan regions, besides, there is a good logistical shoulder,” he says. “And, of course, the regions traditional for horticulture are Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, the south of Krasnodar and part of the Stavropol Territory.” Apples are also grown in the Volga region, although there are some difficulties with irrigation there.

“Apples, on the one hand, are the most traditional, and on the other hand, the most scarce product for Russia,” notes Reshetnikova. “This shortage is especially acute in the fresh consumption segment (excluding off-grade apples for processing).” To cover the needs of the fresh category, at least 1.8 million tons of apples are required, while the gross harvest of the fruit in the country rarely exceeds 1 million tons per year. Import of apples of table varieties is about 700 thousand tons, plus 300 thousand tons of fresh technical apple, which is intended for industrial processing, is imported into the country. Thus, the shortage of domestic apple production in Russia is more than 1 million tons, the expert calculates.

If 15,000 hectares of intensive orchards planted annually are multiplied by an average yield of 35 tons per hectare, then the additional yield will be 525,000 tons of apples. “Theoretically, at the current pace of development of the industry, we will be able to get such a crop in three to four years,” Reshetnikova believes. Taking into account imports and the existing shortage of domestic consumption, while maintaining the pace of renewal of apple plantations, Russian producers will be able to fully saturate the market with fresh apples not earlier than in six to eight years, the expert calculates.

Gardening is a very interesting and promising area, says the head of the Gardens division of the agricultural holding. AFG National» Oleg Ryanov. “After the introduction of the food embargo, there was a large volume of apple imports from Poland, Hungary and other EU countries, and accordingly, there was a good opportunity to fill this niche,” he says. “Our company is steadily establishing itself in this segment.”

In terms of quality and varietal diversity, apples grown by domestic companies are absolutely competitive with imported ones, Ryanov is sure. However, Russian gardeners need time to bring the orchards to full fruiting in order to become competitive in terms of production volumes. “Removing the ban on the import of apples from the EU countries at this stage would be premature, we do not yet see the prerequisites for lifting the embargo,” he adds. The holding's investments in the implementation of projects for the laying of super-intensive gardens in the Krasnodar Territory have already reached 2.5 billion rubles.

Expensive to enter

According to Mukhanin, intensive gardening is now the most investment-attractive branch of agriculture. The profitability of the sector reaches 150-250%. The active support of the Ministry of Agriculture makes the segment interesting for investments, the expert believes. For example, federal subsidies for planting orchards up to 800 plants/ha are 54 thousand rubles/ha, more than 800 trees - 234 thousand rubles/ha, over 1.5 thousand - 730 thousand rubles/ha. The state also compensates 80% of the costs (but not more than 20.7 thousand rubles / ha) for the care of perennial fruit plantations, the partner of the practice adds “ NEO Center» Inna Golfand. “Up to 70% of the investments made are reimbursed for the development of land reclamation, and up to 20% for the uprooting of old orchards and reclamation,” she says.

SPK "Kolos" (Krasnodar Territory, the total area of ​​the orchard is 260 hectares, of which 160 hectares are under young trees and 100 hectares are fruit-bearing) last year received 24 million rubles. subsidies, in this counts on 65 million rubles. The amount depends on the area of ​​planted gardens, explains Vladimir Frolov, executive director of the company. “The state pays subsidies both for planting a garden and for caring for it,” he confirms.

However, the costs of horticulture are high and not every investor can afford them. Thus, investments in the creation of an unsupported intensive garden for 800 plants / ha are 350-500 thousand rubles / ha, from 1 thousand trees - from 1 million to 2.5 million rubles / ha, depending on the trellis, the availability of irrigation systems and selected planting material, which can be expensive Italian or cheaper - domestic, Serbian or Polish, says Mukhanin. According to Reshetnikova, the laying of 1 hectare of an intensive garden will cost 5 million rubles. along with the organization of trellises and drip irrigation. Investments in traditional gardens are 10 times lower - about 500 thousand rubles per hectare.

One of the biggest cost items in intensive horticulture is the construction of fruit storage facilities. “It is impossible to work fully without them, but the costs in this area are subsidized by only 20%,” Mukhanin emphasizes. “Given the high cost of such capacities, this is very little.” In addition, it is possible to receive such compensation only if you take a loan at 12-14% and pay additionally for the examination of the project. If you take a subsidized loan from Sberbank or Rosselkhozbank at a lower percentage, then reimbursement of 20% of the costs is not provided.

Another expensive component of the business is planting material. “Seedlings for intensive gardens can only be bought abroad,” Reshetnikova points out. “Russian breeding centers and nurseries mainly grow seedlings, including small ones, for households, they are unsuitable for industrial use, and domestic companies cannot offer the volumes necessary for laying all the planned intensive orchards.”

To keep costs down, some gardeners are trying to grow seedlings themselves. The horticultural sector "Southern AAA" (Krasnodar Territory) has such experience. “In order to grow a hectare of our garden and carry out a year of maintenance work, we need to spend 450,000 rubles,” says Alexander Akimov, director of the enterprise. “The investment in the purchase of planting material, which we buy abroad, is especially high.” The best solution to reduce the share of these costs is to take a bud from imported seedlings, graft it and grow your own plants. In addition, the leader emphasizes that not all popular foreign suppliers can offer high-quality planting material, and growing your own seedlings helps to reduce this risk.

Establishing highly efficient intensive orchards is inappropriate to consider without the construction of modern fruit storage facilities, Tamara Reshetnikova from Growth Technologies believes. In Russia, there are several types of facilities - short storage, where fruits can be kept until the New Year (there are most of them in the country), medium, where products can be stored until March, and long-term - apples can be stored in them until mid-June, that is, in fact, until next harvest (there are actually none). All enterprises that plant intensive orchards also invest in fruit storages, and some investors also invest in processing, Reshetnikova says.
The SPK Kolos has a fruit storage facility for 5,000 tons. And by 2020, it is planned to commission another one for 10,000 tons. “These will be modern facilities with a controlled atmosphere,” says Vladimir Florov. “Now we store products in conventional storage facilities, treating them with a phytomagic, which extends the life of an apple by three to four months and allows it to be stored for up to six months.”
Special processing of fruits before storage allows them to preserve not only their shine on the outside, but also the moisture inside, confirms Reshetnikova. “Many fruits during long-term storage have the problem of ripening too quickly: after being unloaded from storage for two to three days (namely, it takes so long to pack them and deliver them to stores), the fruits begin to deteriorate quickly,” Reshetnikova draws attention. “Networks set conditions so that the marketable appearance of products is preserved for at least a week.”

Gardeners' plans

Gardeners interviewed by Agroinvestor plan to increase production capacity. " AFG National» grows apples using super-intensive technology in the Krymsky and Abinsk districts of the Krasnodar Territory on an area of ​​400 hectares. “In 2017, we harvested 4,000 tons of apples, most of which (3,300 tons) were put in storage,” says Ryanov. This year, the company expects to finish laying the third stage of orchards and complete the construction of the first and second stages of fruit storage for 10,000 tons. times - up to 8 thousand tons. “At the end of last year, the Volga Group joined the project (the owner is businessman Gennady Timchenko, the company already has experience in gardening: in the Krasnodar Territory, the company owns 40% of the Alma Production enterprise, whose garden area 316 hectares), having bought out a share of 35%,” the top manager shares.

The group of companies " Agro-Belogorye". 150 thousand seedlings will be planted on 50 hectares in April. The planting material for the expansion of the garden will be purchased by the company from three nurseries in Serbia. Preparatory work is currently underway at the production site in the Yakovlevsky district of the Belgorod region, and trellises are being installed to hold the trees. The new site for laying, as well as the existing one, will be a trellis-dwarf garden of intensive technology using drip tape for constant irrigation and fertigation (feeding) of plants, says Nikolai Razuvaev, deputy general director of the holding. In addition, in the summer Agro-Belogorye» will start construction of a fruit storage facility with a capacity of 5,000 tons.

The area of ​​intensive and super-intensive gardens of the Yuzhnoye AAA enterprise is 400 hectares. 95% of production is apple trees, the rest is pears, plums and cherries. “Now our garden is working at 40-45%, the yield ranges from 45 to 80 tons, storage facilities are generally designed for 20 thousand tons,” Akimov lists. The planting density in the company's super-intensive garden is 5.6 thousand trees per hectare, which is significantly higher than the average in intensive ones. “Intensive orchards are the last century,” the top manager believes. “It should be understood that the quick payback of the project comes only after reaching a yield of more than 40 t/ha.” This year the company plans to plant another 100 hectares of apple trees.

SPK Kolos also has ambitious plans. This year, the area for laying gardens will increase to 280 hectares, and in 2019 - immediately up to 1 thousand hectares, Frolov shares his plans.

In addition to the existing production facilities, new investors appear in the industry every now and then. In the future, one of the largest projects of the Ecoculture company (one of the leaders in the greenhouse vegetable growing market) may become one of the largest. The holding plans to lay down super-intensive orchards in the Stavropol Territory this year. In the future, according to the "Technologies of Growth", investors want to increase the area of ​​fruit production to 900 hectares.

In the same region last year, 100 hectares of intensive gardens were planted by the Beshtau Gardens enterprise. Some of them are intensive, some are traditional. “In view of the fact that the cost of laying traditional orchards is several times lower than intensive ones, the investor wants to reduce costs,” explains Tamara Reshetnikova. “Traditional orchards are also needed for varietal diversity, plus they can grow an industrial apple for processing.” Investors also plan to build a 10,000-ton fruit storage facility and a juice production workshop.

Another new project is being implemented in the Belgorod region by the Bely Sad company. Last year, the enterprise planted 100 hectares of intensive orchards, this year in April, according to plans, about 400 more hectares will be planted, the expert knows. In the summer, the company will begin construction of the first stage of a 6,000-ton fruit storage facility, and a year later, the second stage, with a capacity of 5,000 tons. The orchard's design yield is 40 tons/ha.

According to the Russian Horticultural Association, the area of ​​intensive orchards in Russia is increasing annually by 10.5 thousand hectares. “The structure of production is changing towards intensive orchards, thanks to which the yield of apples for the fresh category is growing by 100,000 tons on average almost every year,” Mukhanin emphasizes. “If a few years ago the ratio of standard and technical apples grown in our country was 450 thousand tons to 520 thousand tons, respectively, now Russian producers produce 70% of apples for the fresh segment and only 30% of the technical one.” The share of the latter is decreasing along with the number of traditional gardens, the expert explains.

Restraining factors

Although horticulture is one of the most actively developing industries in the Russian agro-industrial complex, there are factors that hinder its development. One of them, according to Igor Mukhanin, is unfair price competition with foreign suppliers. “No subsidies will help horticulture develop if there are so many imported products on the market,” he is dissatisfied. “It is necessary to close the import of apples for several months of the year, from August to at least January.” The selling price of imported apples is equal to the cost of Russian production. As a result, domestic gardeners are in conditions of unequal competition, the expert emphasizes. “When the import of apples from Belarus, which resells Polish fruits to Russia, was closed in February of this year, Russian producers immediately increased sales,” he says.

Inna Golfand, speaking about the factors hindering the development of horticulture, notes that the market is experiencing a decrease in apple consumption due to the replacement with other fruits. “Also, many investors are stopped by the long period of time for orchards to bear fruit,” she adds. “Fruiting begins in two or three years, and reaching the planned capacity usually occurs in seven years, the investment pays off in 10 years.”

Another stop factor is a poorly formed scientific base. “Our specialized institutes and schools do not train suitable personnel. As a result, we don’t have not only agronomists - we can’t find tractor drivers. And in an intensive garden it is impossible without tractor drivers, ”Alexander Akimov draws attention. Also, according to the top manager, it is impossible to develop intensive orchards without using the world's best practices in this segment. “At our enterprise, we conducted training for specialists who wanted to engage in horticulture, invited foreign experts, studied horticulture ourselves in Italy, Germany, Israel, Latin America, traveled to gardens all over the world,” he says. Without well-trained personnel, Akimov believes, the effectiveness of horticulture as a business is collapsing.

In addition, it is impossible to fully engage in intensive gardening until the country has its own high-quality planting material. The maximum yield that Russian seedlings for intensive orchards can produce is 28-30 t/ha, which is unprofitable, Akimov says.

A good harvest will lower prices

In the 2017/18 season, there is a shortage of Russian products on the apple market, as the orchards of the central zone of the country fell under frost during flowering. As a result, prices have increased. At the end of February, wholesale prices for apples ranged from 49 to 60 rubles/kg. “This is a good price, since the cost of production is about 25 rubles,” explains Igor Mukhanin from the Association of Gardeners. This year, the winter was favorable for a large harvest, so if the weather does not intervene, production will increase, and prices will fall accordingly, he does not rule out.

By the end of the 20th century, industrial orchards in Russia consisted mainly of vigorous apple trees grown on seed rootstocks. The harvest in such gardens was collected 10-12 years after planting the trees, at best - in the 5-6th year, and it was most often low. Intensive-type orchards on low-growing clonal rootstocks, characterized by an early onset of fruiting, a rapid increase in yield and a reduction in garden maintenance costs, have not been in the climatic conditions of central Russia for a long time due to the lack of sufficiently winter-hardy rootstocks.

Science and life // Illustrations

Shoots of dwarf apple trees are tied to both vertical wire and horizontal guides.

Fruits on dwarf apple trees ripened already in the first year after planting.

Most branches of dwarf apple trees extend towards the row spacing by 50-60 cm.

Apples in such orchards are easy to pick, no special tools are required.

The most early and productive varieties of dwarf apple trees: Alesya, Antey, Venyaminovskoye, Kandil Orlovsky, Pamyat Kovalenko.

As a result of long-term selection by domestic scientists, low-growing clonal rootstocks were obtained, the root system of which can withstand temperatures of minus 15-16 ° C and below. New rootstocks have been tested in different regions of Russia and have earned a positive assessment. The intensive technology of growing apple trees on dwarf rootstocks on an industrial scale in the Non-Chernozem region was first introduced at the Lenin State Farm (Moscow Region). 25 varieties of domestic apple trees adapted to the climate of central Russia were tested, the most productive ones with fruits of high quality and marketability, no different from imported ones, were developed, systems for maintaining soil in the garden and fertilizing were developed. The introduction of this technology for the production of apples makes it possible to obtain maximum yields on a limited area in farms and personal subsidiary plots.

An industrial intensive apple orchard on a dwarf rootstock "62-396" was laid at the Lenin State Farm in the fall of 2008. On each of the 6 hectares of land, 1670 two-year-old trees, 25 varieties of apple trees, most of which are immune to a dangerous disease of fruit crops - scab, were planted (which is important for obtaining environmentally friendly fruits). Varieties of winter ripening (Venyaminovskoye, Kandil Orlovsky, Vesyalina, Zorka, Pamyat Kovalenko, Polyvitaminnoe, Slavyanin, Daughter of Mekintosh) and late winter (Alesya, Antey, Belorussian raspberry, Belorussian sweet, Verbnoe, Zaslavskoye, Imant, Nadzeyny, Pamyat Syubarova, Pospeh) dominated. , Enchantress), and only a few varieties were summer-autumn (Melba, Orlovim, Young naturalist).

The garden laying technology was based on the model of the intensive garden of the Sad-Giant agricultural company in the Krasnodar Territory, developed by Alexander Anatolyevich Klad, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences. Every 10 m of future planting rows, support poles were installed - iron pipes with a diameter of 100 mm. Three vertical lines of wire were attached to the poles at a height of 60, 120 and 180 cm. On each pole, at a height of 60 cm from the ground, iron crossbars 80 cm long were fixed, through the ends of which horizontal wires were stretched. Such a support system made it possible to tie the shoots both to vertical wires and to horizontal guides.

Furrows 25-30 cm deep were cut between the supporting pillars with a plow. The seedlings were planted in the furrows, the trunks were tied to the wire with an elastic agrotube, watered abundantly and covered with soil, as a result, the trees ended up on elevated ridges. To avoid damage by mice and hares, the apple trees were whitewashed with garden paint. All seedlings took root and were well preserved until spring.

After the snow melted and the air warmed up to positive temperatures, they began to form a crown according to the type of a simplified modified "spindle". Initially, the side branches of seedlings were tied to side trellises - wires, giving them a horizontal position.

In the future, to encourage trees to early and abundant fruiting, special techniques were used: tilting branches, kerbovka, cutting branches “on a stump” and others. The fruit wall was not supposed to consist of trees of one specific shape. First of all, they tried to build up overgrown wood with fruit formations on guide trunks and form a crown elongated along the rows. Particular attention was paid to conductors, which had to occupy a leading position not only in height, but also in thickness. Starting from the fifth year, individual lateral branches of the apple tree began to compete in thickness with the trunks. So that the trees would not weaken, some of the branches were cut out, leaving stumps 1-3 cm long. Soon, new replacement shoots grew at the base of the stumps, which in two years turned into fruit formations.

When growing an intensive garden on a dwarf rootstock, much attention was paid to the introduction of nutrients (fertigation) and water into the soil in the form of drip irrigation. During the growing season, soil moisture was maintained at the level of 75-80%, control was carried out using tensiometers.

The doses of mineral elements were adjusted annually depending on the content of nutrients in the soil, leaf diagnostics and the planned yield. Their introduction with irrigation water was carried out fractionally, according to the phenological phases of plants. In addition to soil nutrition during the growing season, foliar feeding of trees with microelements and growth stimulants was carried out.

At the age of four, the height of apple trees ranged from 215 cm (Polyvitaminnoye variety) to 330 cm (Pamyat Syubarova variety). For most trees, it approached 300 cm. The smallest crown width was found in the variety Pamyat Syubarova (90 cm), the largest - in the varieties Belarusian Raspberry and Daughter of Mekintosh (150-175 cm). The branches of most trees extended 50–60 cm towards the row spacing. Thus, in the conditions of the Moscow Region, a more restrained growth rate of apple trees on a dwarf rootstock was observed compared to trees grown in the southern regions. This allows in the future, when laying new gardens, to place seedlings at smaller distances in a row (1-1.2 m), and if appropriate equipment is available, to reduce row spacing to 3-3.5 m.

Dwarf apple trees of all varieties, even in the nursery, laid flower buds on annual growths and fruited in the first year after planting in the garden. The varieties Venyaminovskoye, Belorusskoye sweet, Kandil Orlovsky, Antey, Alesya, Belorusskoye raspberry, Pamyat Kovalenko turned out to be the most early-growing and fruitful. In subsequent years, these varieties maintained high yields. Along with them, the fruiting of the varieties Verbnoe, Daughter of Mekintosh, Orlovim, Pamyat Syubarova, Charovnitsa increased from year to year. Four years later, the yields of individual varieties of apple trees reached more than 40 tons per hectare, and with age they increased annually. From the fourth to the eighth year inclusive, the following varieties showed a high stable potential: Venyaminovskoe, Antey, Mekintosh's Daughter, Alesya, Belorusskoe sweet, Verbnoe, Pospeh.

Most of the fruits grown on dwarf trees had high commercial qualities, beautiful color and large mass. Their appearance was not inferior to imported foreign fruits with high taste indicators.

90 tons of apples were harvested from the entire garden area in the fourth year, 96 tons in the fifth, 125 tons in the sixth, 139 tons in the seventh, 132 tons, or 28 tons per hectare in the eighth. This made it possible to receive annual proceeds from their sale and already from the third or fourth year to fully recoup the cost of laying the garden, and in the future to make a profit.

The introduction of a proven technology in the Moscow region and other regions of the Non-Black Earth region can be of great help in the framework of import substitution.