Pomologists study fruit trees and nuts, specializing in developing new cultivars, managing pests, and dealing with weather conditions. They ensure fruit crops remain commercially viable and examine harvesting practices, shelf life, and storage conditions. A career in pomology requires an interest in fruit and the ability to work flexibly.
A pomologist is someone who studies fruit trees and nuts. He or she may specialize in developing new fruit cultivars, discovering existing fruit of commercial value, managing crop pests, dealing with changing weather conditions and other issues related to growing, harvesting and selling fruit. To become a pomologist, someone usually studies in a horticulture program, with a focus on pomology in the later years of study.
The fruit comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and is a tremendously valuable crop commercially. Crops such as apples, oranges, almonds, walnuts and bananas are widely grown and sold, along with peaches, nectarines, kiwis, walnuts, mangoes, lemons, pears, cashews, apricots and many other fruits and nuts. Pomologists are responsible for ensuring that fruit crops remain commercially viable and for solving any problems that may arise in the world of fruit growing.
At the end of cultivation, a pomologist can study the growing conditions of various fruits and nuts and develop new cultivars. New cultivars may exhibit specific flavor traits, produce more fruit than their predecessors, be easier to harvest, or cope more efficiently with drought, extreme cold, and other weather conditions. Pomologists also study things like pruning practices, fertilization, and other activities designed to keep fruit trees healthy and productive.
Within the crop subset, a pomologist can study things like pests and infections that can threaten the health of a crop. If new threats to the stability of a fruit crop are identified, pomologists can quickly move into action to learn how to deal with these threats. For example, they can identify a new insect pest and determine which method should be used to control it.
Pomologists also examine harvesting practices, using scientific practices to determine the best way to harvest and transport fruit. Developing specialized boxes for specific fruits to ensure they reach the market without being bruised or damaged, for example, is a pomological pursuit. Finally, pomologists look at shelf life and storage conditions with the aim of making the fruit last as long as possible on the tree.
Depending on the aspect of pomology one chooses to focus on, he or she may spend a lot of time in the field working with real trees or more time in a laboratory working on theoretical research such as genetic sequencing of various crops or new harvesting technology. A career as a pomologist generally requires an interest and appreciation for fruit, as well as the ability to work under flexible conditions and to cooperate with people at various stages of agricultural production.
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