Pear growth in focus: daily insight into the growth of pears in five fruit regions
How does a pear develop during the season? What influence do the weather, the soil and the cultivation measures have on the growth? And how do the different fruit regions in the Netherlands and Belgium relate to each other? We started working on these questions. Because in a time when precision agriculture and data-driven cultivation are becoming increasingly important, it is essential to be able to steer not only on feeling, but also on facts.
Why measure pear growth?
For many growers, the growth of their pears is an important point of attention. After all, growth not only determines the final fruit size and yield, but also influences the quality, shelf life and the optimal harvest time. Yet it is difficult to properly monitor the growth of pears: the differences are often small, and with the naked eye you only see late whether a fruit is lagging behind or running ahead. By measuring daily, as a grower you gain insight into growth accelerations or decelerations much faster, and you can adjust in time where necessary.
What exactly do we measure, and how do we do it?
Since this season, we have been measuring the diameter of pears daily in five leading fruit regions – North Holland, Betuwe, Zeeland, Hageland and Haspengouw. For this we use a dendrometer, an extremely accurate measuring instrument that has been specially developed for monitoring fruit growth. The dendrometer is attached directly to the pear and continuously registers the smallest changes in diameter, accurate to one hundredth of a millimeter.
What makes this approach unique is the link with the WolkyTolky system. The measurement data from the dendrometer are automatically and wirelessly forwarded to an online platform, where they are immediately visible. This means that we are not dependent on manual measurements or notes, but always have access to current, reliable data. Moreover, we can easily recognize trends and patterns, both in the short and long term.
The power of regional comparison
Each region has its own characteristics: the climate, the soil structure, the water management and the cultivation methods sometimes differ considerably. By performing exactly the same measurements in five different regions, we can map these differences objectively. For example, we see how irrigating or not irrigating in the Betuwe can have a different effect on growth than in Zeeland, or how the difference in soil moisture in Haspengouw relates to North Holland.
This regional comparison offers not only interesting insights for researchers and consultants, but especially for growers themselves. You can compare your own situation with that of colleagues in other regions, and learn from each other’s experiences and results.
What do we want to make transparent?
With these measurements we want to do more than just collect figures. Our goal is to truly visualize the growth dynamics of pears during the season. We show how the growth develops, which influences play a role, and where striking differences or trends can be seen. Think of the effect of a warm period, a rain shower, or a specific fertilization strategy.
Every week we publish an overview of the growth figures per region, with clear graphs and an explanation of the most important developments. We discuss striking growth accelerations or decelerations, compare the regions with each other, and provide practical tips or points of attention for cultivation where possible.
What do you as a grower gain from these insights?
By continuously monitoring the growth of your pears, you can respond more quickly to changes. For example, if you see that growth is lagging behind after a dry period, you can decide to irrigate extra in time. If you notice that growth in your region is lagging behind other areas, you can investigate the cause and possibly adjust your strategy. Moreover, it helps to better determine the optimal harvest time, which directly contributes to the quality and yield of your harvest.
Follow the pear growth
With this blog, we take growers, advisors and other interested parties along every week in the current state of affairs regarding pear growth in the Netherlands and Belgium. We hope that these insights will contribute to an even better, data-driven cultivation. Do you have any questions or would you like to know more about the measurements? Please feel free to contact us.
Below you will find the first graph with the daily growth of pears in the five fruit regions.
Pear growth week 25
In the period from June 16 to 23, the growth of the pears in all regions progressed remarkably evenly, with an increase of approximately 3.4 to 4.0 mm in fruit diameter. The Betuwe shows the largest growth this week (+4.0 mm), followed by Zeeland (+3.8 mm) and North Holland (+3.7 mm). Hageland and Haspengouw are growing slightly less hard, but remain ahead in terms of absolute fruit size. Zeeland is still slightly behind in terms of absolute size, but the growth rate is comparable to the other regions.
The differences between the regions are small, which indicates that pear growth in the Netherlands and Belgium is proceeding almost synchronously this week. Thanks to the daily measurements with WolkyTolky, these subtle differences and similarities are clearly visible and growers can objectively compare their own situation with other regions.
Questions? We are happy to help you!
Would you like to know more about these measurements, the possibilities of WolkyTolky or do you have other questions? Please visit our contact page for more information or to contact us directly. We are happy to think along with you!