Yellow Jacket Orchard Demonstration Project
The Fruit Tree and Vineyard Research and Demonstration Project was implemented in April 1991 and is a cooperative effort among Dolores County Extension, Montezuma County Extension, Natural Resources and Conservation Service in Dolores County, and the Colorado State University Southwest Colorado Research Center at Yellow Jacket, Colorado. The completion of the Dolores Irrigation Project resulted in a substantial number of new client requests for local research-based information/data on fruit tree and vineyard varieties, equipment usage, and cultural practices. Prior to this project, all fruit tree information originated from the Grand Junction area Experiment Stations which have a considerably different growing environment. Presently, the Team is evaluating 75 different fruit tree varieties including 21 field apples, 43 trellised apple varieties, 2 apple varieties planted in a “super high density,” 5 peach varieties, 4 pear varieties, and 3 plum varieties. The Team is also studying 1 raspberry variety and 14 grass varieties.