Fruit Growers News

Research continues at English facility

Modern apple growers owe their livelihoods to East Malling Research (EMR). That was one of the refrains heard over and over again during the International Fruit Tree Association’s (IFTA) tour of England, The Netherlands and Belgium in July. East Malling rootstocks helped revolutionize the apple industry over the last few decades. In fact, more than 80 percent of commercial apple orchards worldwide are still grown on rootstocks that were developed at the English research center, according to EMR. EMR’s history goes back to 1913, when an experimental station was established for the benefit of fruit growers in southeast England. Now a private company, EMR is recognized as the United Kingdom’s leading research center for the horticultural industry, according to its website. Despite its worldwide fame, EMR owes its existence to the United States, said Will Sibley, chairman of the East Malling Trust, which provides financial…  » Read more

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Apple scab shows fungicide resistance

Orchard growers have started finding that some of the most commonly used fungicides are no longer effective at controlling apple scab, according to a Purdue University study. Janna Beckerman, an associate professor of botany and plant pathology, said that extensive, long-term use of four popular fungicides has led to resistances in apples in Indiana and Michigan, the focus of her study. “The fungicides that are regularly used to control scab have started to fail,” Beckerman said. “But the most disturbing thing we found is that many of the samples we tested were resistant to all four fungicides. It’s kind of like multidrug resistance in antibiotics. This is full-blown resistance.” Apple scab, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis, is highly destructive to apples, causing brown lesions on leaves and fruit. A single lesion can reduce an apple’s value by 85 percent. Over time, the scabby lesion…  » Read more

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Researchers studying blueberry splitting

USDA researchers and a university colleague have found several factors involved in blueberry splitting, a significant problem that can cause losses of $300 to $500 per acre. Splitting and cracking occur in southern highbush and rabbiteye blueberries if they receive preharvest rainfall when fully ripe or approaching ripeness, according to scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). ARS horticulturist Donna Marshall, retired horticulturist James Spiers and geneticist Stephen Stringer at the ARS Thad Cochran Southern Horticultural Laboratory in Poplarville, Miss., and University of Southern Mississippi associate professor Kenneth Curry collaborated on the research studies published in HortScience. In the first study, published in 2007, the researchers developed a laboratory method to model rain-related splitting in blueberries. Many blueberry breeders throughout the country are using this method to more vigorously screen cultivars and selections for splitting susceptibility. The results from field and laboratory tests showed that…  » Read more

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Fruit spurred growth of organic farming movement

If the U.S. organic farming movement has a father, many would point to J.I. Rodale. In 1947, Rodale founded what became known as the Rodale Institute to “study the link between healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people,” according to the institute’s website. “The concept of ‘organic’ was simple but revolutionary in the post-World War II era,” according to the website. “Manure, cover crops and crop mixtures were standard practices through World War I, but chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, artificial ingredients, preservatives and additives for taste and appearance in the years since the war rapidly changed agriculture. As Rodale communicated the idea of creating soil rich in nutrients and free of contaminants, people began to listen and acceptance grew.” The Rodale Institute, which survives to this day, played a leading role in the growth of the organic movement over the last few decades. But it…  » Read more

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Creating a brand for your farm

All farmers have something they feel identifies them. They may not have a logo, but they have something that holds a special meaning. This can be used as a logo and is the basis for forming a brand. That was the message Lynn Drown, a representative from Rockford Package Supply, gave at a presentation at the Michigan Cider Makers’ Guild summer meeting, held July 30 at Klackle Orchards in Greenville, Mich. There are some brands that are so iconic, they have become part of the culture. Coke, McDonald’s and Apple are just a few of the many brands we instantly recognize. Take whatever it is that you feel best represents your farm and make your brand, Drown said, and put it on everything possible, from labels and signage to hats and clothing. Some of the keys to a successful brand are size and clarity. You…  » Read more

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Invasive feral pigs can devastate crops

Feral pigs are a major problem for everyone, not just farmers. Due to a high reproductive rate and a lack of natural predators, feral pigs are quickly becoming a huge nuisance problem in the U.S., causing millions of dollars in damage to agricultural crops and posing a danger to people and animals. Control programs for feral pigs are expensive and time consuming, but essential to protecting valuable habitats and food sources. Origins and biology The feral pigs growers and others are dealing with today are non-native descendants of domestic stock brought to the Southeast centuries ago by Spanish explorers, according to USDA. Domestic hogs provided a major food source for early explorers and settlers. Hogs that escaped or were released adapted readily to the wild and prospered in a wide variety of habitats. Feral pigs are hoofed mammals, generally stocky, with short legs, long snouts,…  » Read more

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U.S. apple crop expected to be average this year

The size of the U.S. apple crop in 2011 will be 227.5 million bushels. That’s the estimate the U.S. Apple Association (USApple) came up with Aug. 19, during its annual Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference in Chicago. USApple’s estimate for this year’s crop is slightly larger than USDA’s estimate of 226.4 million bushels, announced the week before. According to both estimates, 2011’s crop will be larger than the 2010 harvest of 221.4 million bushels, and should be close to the five-year average of 226.4 million bushels. East George Lamont, president of Premier Apple Cooperative, Waterport, N.Y., gave the estimates for the Eastern states. The biggest concern for Eastern apple growers this season was the unpredictable weather. Whatever kind of weather you wanted – wet, dry, hot – you got it this year, Lamont said. Weather swings were so wild that, for a time, Lamont…  » Read more

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Mexico opens markets to southern U.S. peaches

The U.S. and Mexican governments have signed an agreement allowing Southern U.S. peaches to be sold in Mexico for the first time in close to two decades. This move opens a potentially huge market for Southern peaches, said Desmond Layne, a horticulturist from Clemson University. “Mexico has a very large population, and the Mexicans like U.S. peaches,” he said. “The larger cities closest to the border will be the first target markets for Southern U.S. growers. We haven’t had access to this market in 17 years.” The cause for the closure of this market to Southern growers had to do with pest concerns. One of the keys to making this market a successful place for Southern peaches again is getting Southern growers’ IPM practices to meet the stringent requirements of the Mexican government, Layne said. “There is a tremendous market there, but Mexico is greatly…  » Read more

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Washington tree fruit growers voting on assessment

Washington tree fruit growers who pay assessments to the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) are voting on a special assessment that would raise $32 million for research. The Washington Department of Agriculture mailed ballots to apple, cherry, pear and soft-fruit growers Aug. 10. The goal of the assessment is to permanently expand the research and Extension services of Washington State University (WSU) at the Wenatchee and Prosser tree fruit centers, said Jim McFerson, WTFRC’s manager. The Campaign for Tree Fruit assessment would be used to fund three endowments, McFerson said. The endowment funds would be managed by the WSU Research Foundation and would be a gift to WSU and be overseen by an industry advisory committee that would be formed for that role. The assessments would be collected at the point of first handling after harvest. “WSU, like many other state universities across the…  » Read more

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