Summary: The project was initiated in 1992 and planted in 1996 to investigate two issues: 1) impacts of irrigation management, and 2) if any of the rootstocks offer an economic advantage. The trial site was thoroughly treated for replant issues (pH, compaction, fumigation sulfur). Soil type is loam / silt loam. The irrigation system is microsprinkler, with one maxijet per tree. The first year had irrigation challenges followed by very heavy snow which stripped limbs off the tree. The block had bloom in 1999 (fourth leaf) which were killed by a late spring freeze. The first harvest was in 2000, the fifth leaf. These extraordinary events impeded the ability to evaluate precocity of rootstocks. Today, the block has a very uniform canopy capable of sustaining 40 to 50 bin per acre yields of 90 count and larger fruit.
