Hort Forum

Webinar:
Are 2-D orchard canopy
management systems
a leap forward or a side-step?

Tuesday
7th February 2023,
Hours: 17:00 – 19:00
Central European Time (CET)Registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QSLYz8CITA6k7M7yk6k77A

The International Society for Horticultural Science invites you to
the ﬁrst episode of Hort Forum:Are 2-D orchard canopy management systems a leap forward
or a side-step?

Speaker: Terence Lee Robinson, Professor of Pomology,
Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell AgriTech,
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University,Geneva, NY 14456, E-mail: tlr1@cornell.edu
Abstract
Since the 1970s, fruit scientists have understood that qualityof tree fruit crops is related to the exposure of the fruit and thesurrounding leaves to light. This has led to more narrow canopies
with higher light distribution which resulted in improved fruit
quality. Concurrently, pioneers in high-density plantings haveshown that early yield and cumulative yield are higher and fruit
quality is better with high-density orchards and this has resulted inlarge improvements in lifetime proﬁtability. Since the early 2000s,
there has been a trend toward even more narrow canopies (fruitingwalls) often termed 2-D systems. Those advocating these narrowsystems report improved fruit quality and the possibility of easiermechanization, especially now that robotic mechanical harvesters
are being developed. However, there is little data indicating thatsuch canopies will outyield more traditional high-density canopies
and more importantly that they are more proﬁtable than a 3-D
high-density system. This presentation is aimed at stimulating ascientiﬁc discussion of the value of 2-D systems and whether they
represent an important leap forward in tree fruit production from an
economic perspective.

Short Bio
Terence Robinson is a Research and Extension Professor ofHorticulture at Cornell University located at the Cornell AgriTech
Campus in Geneva, New York State. His research program is aimed
at developing advanced orchard management practices to improveyield, fruit quality and proﬁtability of apple, cherry, peach, and pearorchards. His areas of specialization are light interception andutilization, orchard planting systems, rootstocks, economics ofhigh-density orchards, pruning and training, precision crop loadmanagement, and fertigation. He is the co-leader of Cornell's applerootstock program. He received his BS degree in Agronomy andHorticulture from Brigham Young University in 1978 and his MS
and PhD degrees in Horticulture from Washington State University
in 1982 and 1984 and has been at Cornell for 38 years. He has
published 200 scientiﬁc publications given 250 presentations, atscientiﬁc conferences and published 400 articles for fruit growers
and given more than 1000 presentations to fruit grower groups.
He has contributed his expertise in fruit production in more than
20 countries.

Organizers

Theodore DeJong,
University of Davis,
USA

George Manganaris,
Cyprus University ofTechnology, Cyprus

Panelists

Luca Corelli Grappadelli,
University of Bologna,
Italy

Stefano Musacchi,
Washington State
University, USA

Gregory Lang,

Ben van Hooijdonk,

Michigan State
University, USA

Institute for Plant
and Food Research,
New Zealand