96 Horticulture Today
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Almond, pecan, pistachio, and macadamia nut trees produce fruits
that provide essential fats and proteins. Pomology also includes the
cultivation of fruits that grow on prickly, rambling vines or shrubs called
brambles (boysenberries, loganberries, raspberries, and blackberries),
and smaller, fruit-bearing plants such as blueberries and strawberries.
Regardless of whether fruit grows on the ground or up high in a tree, all
fruits offer benefi ts for horticulturists and consumers alike.
Growing Practices
The tree fruit and nut industry is feeding a growing population
and meeting this goal through scientifi c research and application. For
instance, apple trees and orchards are managed quite differently today
than they were 20 years ago. A high-density orchard is a fruit tree
orchard with between 150 and 180 trees per acre that bears fruit within
2 to 3 years of planting. Many traditional orchards have been converted
to high-density orchards, growing almost four times the number of
trees in traditional orchards. Trees may also yield increased harvests
with earlier and better quality fruit. In order to feed 9 billion people
in 2050, practices similar to high-density orchards must be applied to
other crops in pomology and further scientifi c study must be pursued.
Fruit and Nut Growers
Fruit and nut growers, or pomologists, must be physically fi t because
the work requires a great deal of physical labor. Head growers manage
crops and lead other workers. Pomologists must keep up to date with
current research and be excellent recordkeepers. They must decide how
best to cultivate their fruits, Figure 4-5. Fruits require intense pesticide spray
programs or other means of pest management.
Viticulture
Viticulture, sometimes called viniculture, is the cultivation of
grapes to be eaten fresh and to be used for making juices, raisins,
jams, jellies, and wines. Grapes are cultivated by viticulturists, then
marketed, processed, and stored. Viticulturists must pay close attention
to pruning and training grape vines, properly fertilizing soils, and
managing pest populations. Enologists are people who use grapes to
make wine using chemistry and food science knowledge.
B
Franck Boston/Shutterstock.com
Figure 4-5. Macadamia nuts (A)
are native to Australia but are
grown for commercial purposes
mainly in Hawaii. Almonds (B)
are native to the Middle East
and South Asia. Where else do
these trees grow around the
world? Are the nuts expensive?
Where do other nut trees grow?
A
joloei/Shutterstock.com
Thinking Green
Espalier Fruit Fencing
Irina Fischer/Shutterstock.com
A pomologist can create a living
fence through the intensive pruning and
training techniques known as espalier.
This vertical and interlinked growth of
fruit trees can provide borders or privacy
screens and edible fruit.