Chile freeze may prove beneficial as crop thinner
Chile freeze may prove beneficial as crop thinner
PHILADELPHIA The extent of fruit damage from a freeze in Chilean vineyards and orchards on, and to a lesser extent before, Sept. 12 remains something of a mystery. Scattered areas in Chile had a freeze on Sept. 12, but there were lesser freezes in the country running from late August until Sept. 12.
Jim Pandol of Pandol Associates Marketing Inc. in Delano, CA, said Sept. 27 that the impact of the cold weather on Chile's fruit exports will be "significant but not disastrous."
Tom Leonardi, vice president at Fresh Taste Produce U.S.A. & Associates Inc. in Philadelphia, said Sept. 26 that the freeze will shorten some of the production overall but will not be as bad as everyone could forecast. Overall, the mentality is that this helps the industry by thinning out [the fruit set]. It is a natural thinning for the early grapes. It is one of those natural thinning processes we hope for. But growers want their neighbor to do it.
Mr. Pandol said that his Chilean contacts were indicating that it is too early to determine the full extent of the fruit damage. There is a lot of wait and see about how the vines respond. People are still studying it and trying to figure out what to do. I have to say the damage was pretty spotty. The true extent of the damage is yet to be seen.
Mr. Pandol continued, This is the kind of thing no one has a lot of experience with. If it happens every 10 years, in most peoples careers theyve only been through this a few times.
He said that growth stimulants for roots and vines are being considered by some growers to compensate for the effects of the cold. This type of damage will tend to make a crop come later and have a little less quality and have less volume. The extent to which these things will be manifested, we do not know.
Jim Pandol of Pandol Associates Marketing Inc. in Delano, CA, said Sept. 27 that the impact of the cold weather on Chile's fruit exports will be "significant but not disastrous."
Tom Leonardi, vice president at Fresh Taste Produce U.S.A. & Associates Inc. in Philadelphia, said Sept. 26 that the freeze will shorten some of the production overall but will not be as bad as everyone could forecast. Overall, the mentality is that this helps the industry by thinning out [the fruit set]. It is a natural thinning for the early grapes. It is one of those natural thinning processes we hope for. But growers want their neighbor to do it.
Mr. Pandol said that his Chilean contacts were indicating that it is too early to determine the full extent of the fruit damage. There is a lot of wait and see about how the vines respond. People are still studying it and trying to figure out what to do. I have to say the damage was pretty spotty. The true extent of the damage is yet to be seen.
Mr. Pandol continued, This is the kind of thing no one has a lot of experience with. If it happens every 10 years, in most peoples careers theyve only been through this a few times.
He said that growth stimulants for roots and vines are being considered by some growers to compensate for the effects of the cold. This type of damage will tend to make a crop come later and have a little less quality and have less volume. The extent to which these things will be manifested, we do not know.
