April 2019 - 47

U.S. APPLE
A look behind the scenes of a delicious apple
TRACY GRONDINE
tgrondine@usapple.org
USApple
Director of Consumer
Health & Media Relations
significantly from year to year. " Some
years, we're are perfectly fine and hardly
have to use water, " Wittenbach said. " There
are still farms that don't use any water, "
because there is plenty of rain.
In especially dry years, irrigation
In the United States, you can walk into
nearly any grocery store, almost any day
of the year, and more often than not, you'll
find a selection of apples. Even though
most apples are harvested in just several
busy weeks spanning from late summer
to early fall, Americans have grown
accustomed to having apples available as a
year-round shopping list staple.
But the process of ensuring that there's a
steady stream of apples available any time
of year requires thousands of dedicated
growers - not to mention all the suppliers
who support those growers, as well as the
professionals who harvest, store, transport
and market apples to keep them available
in retail or food service settings or for
processing into other apple foods and
beverages. Just one apple's journey from
bloom to bite is much more intricate than
most consumers likely consider each time
they grocery shop.
It's a little overwhelming to imagine
all of the things that need to go right in
order to get an apple to grow to have
the proper size, shape, color, flavor and
texture - not to mention all the work
that ensures apples are harvested at the
appropriate time, stored and transported
in the premium conditions, and brought
to retail locations where customers
are excited to purchase specific apple
varieties. Perhaps most importantly, many
of these factors are beyond the control of
the experts working within the process,
like the weather, for example.
Elizabeth Wittenbach, a fifth-generation grower at Wittenbach Orchards in Belding,
Michigan. Photo: Gary Pullano
U.S. Apple board member Elizabeth
Wittenbach, a fifth-generation grower
at Wittenbach Orchards in Belding,
Michigan, shares her unique perspective
on the climate and geographical
uniqueness of west-central Michigan -
one of the top-producing apple regions
in the country. She explains the lay of
the land that impacts apple growth
and the fruit's qualities. Many old and
diverse varieties can thrive in her area of
Michigan, where her orchards are filled
with Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, SweeTango,
Macintosh and Jonagold. But there's also
plenty of challenges for growers each day
as they work to bring their orchards to a
healthy harvest.
Michigan's humid climate, for example,
is moderated by the Great Lakes, but that
extra humidity (compared to arid central
Washington state) means different disease
and insect pressures.
She describes some of the most common
challenges and the strategies she uses to
help apples grow to the ideal size, develop
their beautiful, iconic coloring, and
delicious, juicy taste.
In the spring, the combination of
chilly temperatures and wetness for an
extended period can result in infection
called apple scab, a disease caused by
fungus that results in black or greybrown
lesions on the surface of tree
leaves, buds or apples themselves.
Early in the season, chilly nighttime
temperatures can also cause problems for
growers. Just a few degrees can mean the
difference between a small percentage of
buds dying and losing the entire crop. Once
blooming occurs, the temperature is even
more critical. Temperatures above 29˚ F are
generally safe, but 26˚ F can be devastating.
Microsprinklers and wind machines
help to prevent freezing - even flying
a helicopter over the farms can help to
circulate warmer air down to the tree level.
Through the summer, the primary
concern is water, which can vary
becomes critical. In 2018, Wittenbach's
orchards were 100 percent irrigated and
needed water the entire summer. But
irrigation and rainwater are not equal in
terms of what they can do for the fruit, she
explains. Michigan growers saw smaller
fruit sizes this past year, which is typically
associated with rainfall. Wittenbach said
rainwater can more easily bring apples to
the ideal size than irrigation water can, but
Michigan's especially hard irrigation water
can impact nutrient uptake, and thus the
size of the fruit.
" There is still plenty of research to
be done regarding irrigation water
in Michigan, but there are plenty of
adjustments you can put on the irrigation
to filter the water, " Wittenbach said. For
example, running sulfuric acid when
irrigating can help to bind up free ions,
making the water less hard so that fruit
trees can absorb nutrients more efficiently.
When we ask about what most
shoppers don't know about their apples,
but should, Wittenbach talks of the yearround
efforts that go into taking care of
apple orchards. Like most living creatures,
apple trees are ready for some rest after a
long period of labor. After harvest is over,
apple trees are prepared for dormancy,
which gives them several months of
downtime until the proper temperature
and light conditions indicate it is time to
break dormancy. These chilling hours are
critical to their ability to bear fruit each
year, which is why states like Michigan,
with cold, snowy winters, give apple trees
ample dormancy. FGN
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FGN | APRIL 2019 | 47
http://www.copenhavenfarms.com
April 2019

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