The number of moderate vigour apple trees is rising briskly. No less than 86 per cent of apple trees planted in 2003–2007 were moderate vigour trees. In 2008, Tike, the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, conducted a survey on the varieties, ages and planting densities of apple trees in commercial orchards.

A questionnaire was sent to those orchards whose apple acreages were, according to the Horticultural Enterprise Register, greater than 0.5 hectares in 2007. There were 192 such orchards, totalling 614 hectares of apples. Similar fruit tree surveys are carried out in all EU countries, although only data on apples needs to be collected in Finland.

Lobo defends its title – Rubinola rises
For each major variety of apple, data was collected on the acreage cultivated, the year of planting and their average planting density. Lobo was still the most cultivated variety, accounting for just under a third of the surveyed area (27%). The next most cultivated varieties in terms of acreage were Kaneli and Jaspi. Although Jaspi was the second most cultivated variety in Finland in terms of acreage, Amorosa was second in terms of the number of trees.

The varieties grown in the Åland Islands differ from those in mainland Finland. The top three in the Åland Islands were Lobo, Amorosa and Rubinola compared to Lobo, Jaspi and Kaneli on the mainland. Cultivation of Rajka, Collina and Summerred has also increased significantly in the Åland Islands. Although Summerred is also grown on the mainland, Collina and Rubinola are only cultivated in the Åland Islands.

Orchards are getting younger
According to the Apple Orchard Statistics, 45 per cent of apple trees were planted in 2003–2007, with only 10 per cent of trees planted before 1982. Orchards in the Åland Islands are younger than those on the mainland. The majority of old, pre-1982 trees in Finland as a whole were of the Lobo variety, and Lobo trees also accounted for just over a fifth (23%) of young trees planted in 2003–2007. Lobo will therefore continue to be a major variety in the years to come.

According to the Horticultural Enterprise Register, the acreage given over to apple cultivation has been increasing since 1994. In 2007, there were 94 hectares of young trees not yet producing fruit, representing 14 per cent of the total 649 hectares.

A brisk rise in moderate vigour apple trees
Apple producers have begun using moderate vigour rootstock in their orchards. This enables trees to be planted more densely, and they also require less frequent pruning. Moderate vigour apple trees can be planted at a density of 1,500–2,500 per hectare, and up to 4,000 per hectare in the Åland Islands. The planting density of vigorous trees is only 700–800 per hectare.

13 per cent (58.9 hectares) of the total area surveyed was planted at a density of under 400 trees per hectare, 42 per cent (184.2 hectares) at 800–1,590, and 10 per cent (45.3 hectares) at over 1,600. The proportion of moderate vigour trees had risen dramatically – 86 per cent of the just under 185,000 apple trees planted in 2003–2007 were moderate vigour trees.

Background information
In accordance with the European Parliament and Council’s Directive 2001/109/EC, Tike, the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, conducts surveys to determine the production potential of specified fruit tree plantations. Only apple production is surveyed in Finland. This survey must be carried out every five years and has been conducted in Finland in 1997, 2002 and 2007.

Data for the 2007 Apple Orchard Statistics was obtained from the Horticultural Enterprise Register and a full-sample survey of commercial apple orchards. The lower limit for commercial cultivation was set at 0.5 hectares, as farmers of smaller orchards use the majority of their own use. 192 apple orchards were surveyed, totalling 614 hectares of apples. Responses were received from a total of 184 orchards with a combined acreage of 577 hectares. The 22 varieties of apple listed in the questionnaire covered 437 hectares.