Claire Scofield from Plant & Food Research is currently pursuing a PhD with the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania. Her research centres on understanding the factors that influence calcium uptake in cherries, especially in protected cropping environments.
SNZ is supporting Claire with her PhD studies. This study has wide-ranging implications for fruit quality enhancement and innovative agricultural strategies. Claire's interdisciplinary work bridges environmental sciences and agronomy, ultimately aiming to address practical challenges encountered by cherry growers, not only in Tasmania but also globally.
Key areas of Claire's research
- Microclimate Effects on Calcium Uptake: This facet of the study is crucial for understanding how micro-environmental conditions (like temperature, humidity and light) affect the way cherry trees absorb and distribute calcium to their fruit, particularly the effect of rain covers. This could have significant implications for orchard management and cover practices.
- Calcium Application Rates: By examining the effects of varying calcium application rates at early stages of fruit development, Claire is addressing a key question in horticultural science: how can we optimize nutrient application to improve fruit quality without wasteful excess?
- Fruit Quality Relationship: The link between calcium concentrations in fruit and quality attributes such as firmness is vital. High-quality, firm cherries are sought after in the market, and understanding this relationship can lead to better cultivation techniques that enhance fruit appeal.
- Competition from Vegetative Growth: This experimental strategy seeks to redistribute calcium allocation more favourably towards the fruit by minimizing competition from vegetative parts of the plant. There are possible implications for pruning and growth management practices with this experiment.
Methodological approach
The methodology involves a mix of field experiments both in Australia and New Zealand using environmental and physiological monitoring. The use of non-destructive physiological measurements (e.g. sap flow) allows for ongoing observation without harming the plants or fruit. Destructive measurements (e.g. fruit quality) are designed to provide a clearer picture of how various factors influence calcium uptake and distribution.
Progress to date
The completion of the first year of data collection, including trials in New Zealand and Australia, marks a first-year milestone of the project. Data analysis is currently underway for the first two experiments.
Next steps
Based on the insights gained from the initial data analysis, the next step will be to refine the experimental design for the upcoming growing seasons. This may involve adjusting calcium application rates, modifying the environmental conditions under the rain covers, and/or altering the timing and technique of vegetative growth removal. These adjustments will be aimed at testing the hypotheses more rigorously and exploring new questions that arise from the ongoing research.
Throughout, there will be collaboration with other researchers, industry partners and cherry growers. This will involve presenting preliminary findings at scientific conferences, publishing research papers and conducting workshops for growers. The aim is to foster a collaborative environment where knowledge exchange can potentially lead to practical applications of research findings.
Figure 1 Working with Tasmanian cherry growers. Removing large amounts of new shoots throughout the growing season.
Figure 2 "Tents" simulating high and low humidity environments at the Clyde Research Centre, New Zealand.
Figure 3 Environmental tracking of the simulated extreme environmental conditions faced by blocks maintained under rain covers
Figure 4 Sap flow sensors installed in the trunk of the cherry tree to measure water uptake throughout a season.