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Production Perils
(The Tart Cherry Industry - continued)
Frosts and Freezes
The most serious production peril in producing tart cherries is a
late spring freeze. Cherries bloom relatively early in the spring
and are prone to damage from late frosts or freezes which destroy the
blossoms and young fruit buds. The extent of damage can range from
minor reductions in fruit set to loss of virtually the entire crop.
Damage may be limited to several trees in low lying portions of an
orchard, or to individual orchards within a region. At other times,
damage may be widespread, destroying most of the crop within a
production area.
A major factor determining the location of the present tart cherry
industry is the susceptibility of the area to frost damage. The bulk
of the industry is located adjacent to major bodies of water, such as
the Great Lakes, which moderate changes in spring-time temperatures.
Late winter and early spring temperatures rise more slowly in areas
adjacent to large lakes, delaying the onset of the bloom period and
reducing the chances of frost damage. In addition, the water raises
nearby air temperatures by several degrees on cold spring nights,
further reducing the chances of frost damage.
Sometimes, the yield losses caused by frost can be so extensive that
it causes market prices to rise. A widespread freeze in Michigan,
for example, can reduce total U.S. production so much that the market
price for cherries rises. Growers with partial yields and growers in
areas without frost damage may actually have higher-than-normal
returns as a result of the freeze.
Excessive Rain
Excessive rain promotes the development of cherry diseases by
diminishing a grower’s ability to apply and maintain fungicide sprays
on the trees. Consequently, brown rot and leaf spot are more likely
to develop into uncontrollable infections during damp, rainy weather
than when the weather is drier.
In addition, excessive rain at harvest-time interferes with the
harvesting operation and can cause cherries to absorb water and
become soft. Such fruit bruises more easily and is more likely to be
injured during the seeding operation than cherries that mature in
drier weather. Damaged cherries are undesirable in frozen and canned
products and reduce the value of the crop.
Excessive Heat
Excessive heat in itself does not appear to be a problem in tart
cherry production. For example, cherries are grown successfully in
Washington’s Columbia Basin, where summer-time temperatures are very
warm. Excessive heat, however, can exacerbate the effects of dry
weather on cherry trees. Trees suffer greater stress during droughts
if the dry conditions are accompanied by excessive heat.
Excessive heat is also associated with the development of “soft
fruit.” This is because extreme heat accelerates the ripening
process. Cherries tend to soften as they ripen, and they become too
fragile for processing sooner during excessively warm weather than
during cooler weather.
Hail
Hail storms can devastate tart cherries over small geographic areas.
Hail bruises and scars the fruit, reducing the quality and the
quantity of usable product. In addition, it creates cracks in the
fruit’s skin, providing an avenue for brown rot infections.
When the hail damage occurs to young fruit, the resulting scar tissue
may extend inward to the seed and cause the skin to adhere to the
seed. This situation interferes with mechanical seed removal and
slows down seeding operations at processing plants.
Production losses due to hail can range from minimal to virtually the
entire crop. Because hail storms affect only small areas, they are
unlikely to reduce industry output sufficiently to affect market
prices. Unlike freeze losses, where growers may receive higher
prices due to the market impact, growers who incur hail losses do not
benefit from a price impact that could partly offset the reduced
yield.
High Winds
As with hail, wind storms reduce the quality and the value of the
crop due to bruising and scarring of the cherries. Physical damage
to the cherry skins also creates opportunities for the introduction
of the brown rot fungus. When damage occurs to young fruit, the skin
may adhere to the seed, slowing down mechanical seeders and delaying
the entire processing line.
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