Tresza Fruit Farm is a greenhouse farm that grows cherry trees by using a retractable roof system. The greenhouse is managed by a private farmer, who used to produce sour cherries, plums, and elderberry, but since decreasing the farm's acreage in 2017, he looked for new growing methods.
This is when Medifruct, a producers organization in the Southern Great Plain region of Hungary, stepped in. The organization currently has 20 professional producer members and deals in the sale of stone fruits, mainly cherries, cherries, and plums.
"We are working with Tresza Fruit Farm as a team and help with the planning, consultancy, and commercial aspects, as well as sales," says Peter Kelemen, managing director at Medifruct.
Retractable roof
As mentioned, the greenhouse has a retractable roof system that can be opened and closed, which the sides of the greenhouse can do as well, depending on weather conditions. The farm has chosen this method for a few reasons, one of which is to always create the optimum weather conditions to enhance plant processes such as photosynthesis.
"The retractable roof allows for harvesting the sun in the best way possible. The farm can always optimize the radiation and the leaf temperature, therefore, the farmer can regulate photosynthesis and the transpiration of the plant. The trees can always be kept at the upper limit of productivity, maximizing the genetic potential of varieties. It also allows for the protection of the crop from rain and wind. So to summarize, the main benefit of the retractable roof is that when you need a greenhouse, you can use it as a greenhouse, but when the conditions outside are better, you can basically put all the trees outside at once," says Peter.
The fruits of labor
The project is still in the learning phase in many ways. The trees were planted in the spring of 2020 and have since grown exponentially. The tree branches are directly in the sun thanks to the roof, producing lots of sugar and allowing the grower to use the plant's growth in his favor.
"A little over 3000 kg of fruit were picked in 2022, during the 3rd growing season for the orchard, the harvest of which happened between 10-20 of May. So far, we are pleased with the results, but the real breakthrough is expected to happen in 2023. We hope to offer 15-20 tons of cherries with a size of 30 mm or more in the middle of May. I believe that if we can achieve our goals, we will find the best customers for the high-quality products," Peter concludes.
For more information:
Peter Kelemen
Medifruct
Tel.: 00 36 30 336 4775
Email: medifruct@medifruct.hu
