Effects of soil surface management practices on soil and tree parameters in a ‘Cripps Pink’/M7 apple orchard 2. Tree performance and root distribution
John Wooldridge, Johan Fourie & Marlise E Joubert
https://www.tandfonline.com
There are around 22 000 ha of commercial apple orchards in South Africa. Of these, 70% are located in the upland areas of the Western Cape. The apple industry exports c. 40% of its production and supports an on-farm labour force of 27 800 (Hortgro 2012. Apple producers are currently adjusting their production techniques to meet increasing consumer demands for organic over conventionally produced fruit.