Orchard Management

Innovative orchard and vineyard floor management activity 

As part of the Living Lab – Nova Scotia activities, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research team from the Kentville Research and Development Centre is co-developing, testing and evaluating innovative orchard and vineyard floor management practices with growers in two of Nova Scotia’s largest woody perennial crops: apples and grapes. 

Since the beginning of this activity, grape and apple growers have been sharing different beneficial management practices (BMPs) that some growers had previously implemented on their farms. Together, farmers, partners and AAFC researchers are co-developing new on-farm practices to test and evaluate innovative orchard and vineyard floor management practices. In this activity, they are using legumes and grasses in orchard and vineyard laneways, mulching practices in orchard systems, and comparing zero-till and rotational tillage in vineyard laneways. The goal is to evaluate if these BMPs reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve carbon sequestration, as well as enhance overall soil health and biodiversity, sustain good crop productivity and help to combat pests and disease. 

Over the last two growing seasons (2023 and 2024), grape and apple growers have been testing these BMPs on their farms. While farmers implemented the field practices, AAFC researchers simultaneously collected regular greenhouse gas and soil samples to measure the nitrous oxide emissions and carbon sequestration. Using the soil samples, the team is also analyzing the microbial communities and properties within the soil to assess how these BMPs impact the overall soil health. Additionally, they installed several insect traps around the orchards and vineyards to monitor pest activity and any potential increases in pests. The team has also gathered data to measure the biodiversity of the landscape and the co-benefits of these BMPs.

Growers regularly prune their orchards and vineyards throughout the year. During early spring, 2023 and 2024, the AAFC team collected the pruning’s to evaluate the biomass weight and determine the carbon content within the plant. The remaining branches were placed on the ground, chipped and added into the laneways to assess the carbon and nitrogen contributions to the soil during decomposition. Additionally, in mid-summer 2024, the AAFC team incorporated tissue samples to their data analysis to evaluate the overall health of both crops.

In the upcoming year (2025), fruit yields will be evaluated to better understand the BMPs impacts. The growers and researchers will continue to meet regularly to refine the BMPs and more data samples will be collected.