In the Netherlands, it was all hands on deck in the spring to achieve a nice new pear harvest. "Skill and constant alertness are becoming increasingly important to guarantee a good crop," begins Wim Bijl of the pear farm Bijl's Fruit.
He says pear cultivation becomes more and more challenging every year. "The recent months' grim weather means we had to pull out all the stops. We finished pruning in late February. Then we began pruning roots and clearing branches. That's never taken as long as it did this year. We usually get done clearing within a week; this year, we had two days at a time to do it before it rained for three weeks straight again."
"We, thus, had to get going as soon as the weather allowed. It didn't matter what time of day. Because before you knew it, you were too late and had to wait another few weeks. There were many breakdowns because of the wet plots. So, you had to stay alert all the time to make the opportune moments, and you needed that necessary skill," says Wim.
These days, if you do not have a handle on everything, much of the new year can be ruined already, says the grower. "Consider, say, drainage. If you don't have that built properly, the water doesn't drain, and things go wrong. Spraying is tricky too. To get that done at the right time, you need the right temperature. However, it always stayed around 12 to 13°C. If you then have one outlier, you can go ahead for a day, but then it's done. To my mind, this spring lasted a particularly long time, only really ending three weeks ago."
Almost impossible to rectify issues
Then the weather changed from dark and wet to warm and dry, which is also problematic for growers. "That brings along the next challenges. To dry the ground, you need northeastern winds. Those started but then didn't stop, blowing day and night for a month. Then when the temperature rises slightly, there's so much evaporation that the soil is bone dry in no time. This year, we almost reached the 1976 record, drought-wise. So, from one extreme to the other," Wim explains.
"Watering is crucial to keep the pears nice and healthy. We use drip irrigation with a double hose, so give a bucket of water per meter per day. The strips stay nice and moist, and the pears grow well. It ensures we currently have the same-sized fruits as last year. On the good plots, of course. However, if a tree isn't sufficiently watered, you'll never get good sizes. If you're behind now because of water availability issues or moderate irrigation, you'll never catch up. That shows the importance of good preparation."
Toolbox is emptying out
So, to ensure good quality, growers have been busy with the new harvest since February and have had to keep a close eye on every aspect. Though there are also long-term concerns, Wim points out. "Things aren't made easier for us either. Plant protection products are becoming a genuine issue. If it continues like this, our entire toolbox will become empty," says Bijl.
"It used to be completely full to deal with challenges, but at the moment, we only have a few or no tools at all. Pear psylla, for example, is a problem, and everyone's spraying with all their might, trying to get rid of it. There's currently a remedy, but it, too, will be banned in two years. It already only works moderately well, so you can imagine what it will be like if we're not allowed to use it. That will be disastrous."
"If the weather played entirely along, we could, perhaps, still make a go of it. That, however, is becoming increasingly extreme. It never perfectly cooperates anymore, and I'm genuinely concerned about the future. Our next harvest still looks good because of good management, but I frankly daren't make any statements about the years to come," concludes Wim.
For more information:
Wim Bijl
Bijl's Fruit
10 Oosthoek
3265 LE, Piershil, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 186 691466
Email: [email protected]