Anyone who’s tried to nurture a lone apple tree in their backyard can attest that apple growing is a tricky business. For commercial farmers, whose livelihoods depends on a flourishing crop, it’s something they have to get right, year after year. That’s why farming families such as the Ardiels of Clarksburg, Ontario look to modern farming innovations to not only ensure their crop survives, but also to improve the quality and increase the amount of the apples they produce. Running a successful orchard is nothing short of “an art and a science,” according to Gail Ardiel. “We want to produce the best possible apples that we can, and they’re award-winning apples.”
Know your apples
Across their 90-acre orchard – around the size of 230 hockey rinks – the Ardiels grow 10 varieties of apples, each with their own distinctive flavour and appearance. Here’s the inside track on the main three:
Honeycrisp: This bright red coloured apple with creamy white flesh is known for being exceptionally crisp and having a mixture of a sweet and acidic taste. Honeycrisp apples were first bred at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, with the intent of creating an apple that could tolerate the cold local weather.
Gala: A sweet and aromatic apple, the Gala was first grown in New Zealand in the 1930s and has a red-orange, mottled appearance. The US Apple Association predicts that the Gala will eventually become America’s favourite apple, overtaking the Red Delicious.
Ambrosia: Shane Ardiels’ favourite apple is named after the mythical “food of the Gods” and is a relatively new addition to the apple catalogue, having been registered in 1993. The Ambrosia apple is sweet and juicy, with a low acidity that makes it easier for children and older people to digest.
What makes the perfect apple?
The colour, the shape, the crunch… growers like the Ardiels instinctively know what a good apple looks, feels, smells and tastes like. In part, this is because they need to cultivate apples that align with people’s tastes. Studies have shown that around 95% of consumers value the flavour of an apple above all else, with overall freshness and look – not soft or discoloured, for instance – also ranking highly. All of these factors can be influenced by the apple’s growing conditions, such as if it has enough light and water and is free from pests, or if it is picked at the right maturity.
In addition to consumer preferences, did you know there are actually regulations on apple attributes which decide what can and can’t be sold in Canada? The Canadian Food Inspection Agency provides rules around apple sizing, maturity, firmness, shape, colour – and much more – that impacts what “grade” apples can be sold as: Canada Extra Fancy, Canada Fancy, Canada Commercial, Canada Hailed, Canada Commercial Cookers, Canada No1 Peelers or Canada No2 Peelers. The regulations also state that apples from must be handpicked to prevent bruising (except for Canada No1 and No2 Peelers grades) – which means there’s a lot of ground for the Ardiels and their team to cover!
How the Ardiels use farming innovations to get their apples right
Satisfying consumer demand and government regulations means the Ardiels are constantly trying out new ways of farming to improve their crop. Kyle Ardiel leads the way when it comes to making the most of innovations. “It’s important to try new things and to learn as much as you can so that you’re staying ahead of the game – and to be able to grow for future populations,” he says. Here are a few advances they’ve used at Apple Springs Orchards this year.
High-density orchards: When Shane Ardiel first took over the family orchard, they were growing around 125 trees to the acre. Now, it’s around 2000 – all thanks to high-density farming. In simple terms, this means they have replaced traditional large and broad apple trees with shorter trees that have a more compact growth structure. This allows for more dense planting in well-ordered rows, which increases the size of the crop on the same land and improves the efficiency of working the orchards and harvesting.
Trellis system: The cornerstone of the Ardiels’ high-density orchards is the trellis system. Essentially, a trellis is an open metal framework which encourages the apple trees to grow up towards the sun, instead of out into the other nearby trees where they would compete for light. It also supports the trees, according to Kyle, who says that “without the trellis, your entire crop would fall on the ground,” due to the hundreds of pounds of weight in the trees throughout each orchard row. To maintain the upwards growth pattern, Kyle uses clips to attach the branches to the trellis.
The platform: This slow-moving, height-adjustable farm machine allows Kyle and his team to pass through the orchard at a regulated pace. As they do, they can maintain the trellis system growth pattern, using clips to attach the branches to the trellis and keep them growing upwards. When on the platform, Kyle can also assess if the trees are properly pruned so that they are getting maximum light penetration. “That provides consistent coloured apples and the same size of apple,” he says.
Reflective material: This year, the Ardiels have placed reflective white fabric between each row of trees to improve the colour of their pick – and save labour costs by making the picking process more efficient. “The white fabric bounces the sunlight up into the apples [from below] so that there’s even colouring all the way around the apples,” Kyle says. “That way, instead of getting 60 per cent on my first pick, I’m going to get 80 or 90 per cent because all the apples have been getting all the light at once”.
Quick Fact
Red apples tend to be a lot more popular than green ones with consumers. Research by the Ontario Apple Growers in 2015 showed that 89% of consumers preferred “juicy, crisp and sweet” apples with the “fresh, red aroma”, and just 11 per cent of those quizzed plumped for green.
Plant science leads the way with Arctic apple
The Ardiels’ modern farming practises all contribute to them producing apples that look and taste great. Now, advances in plant science are also helping. Plant-breeding experts have developed a non-browning apple that retains its colour, taste and texture when it is bitten, sliced or lightly bruised. Known as the “Arctic” apple, it is genetically modified specifically to remove an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) which causes the flesh of the apple to brown. The even better news? Health Canada has declared the Arctic apple to be just as safe and nutritious as its traditional counterpart. While Arctic apples are not yet grown in Canada, they are approved for production and farmers like the Ardiels may be able to utilize this amazing plant science innovation in the future.