Crop Management

Pursue black stem borer spring management

Incidents of black stem borer injury to young apple orchards are on the rise in Michigan. Adults are attracted to stressed trees although they have been known to infest trees that do not appear to... more »

Michigan growers assess cold weather impact

Michigan State University Extension has issued an update on frost damage in "The Ridge" area near Sparta, Michigan. There were two very cold mornings this week on May 8 and 9 leading to some injury to flower... more »

Michigan frost forecast brings cautions for apple growers

Michigan State University Extension is urging Michigan apple growers to keep an eye to the weather forecast for the weekend – there are conditions predicted that might lead to a frost/freeze event. When frost conditions... more »

Three new honeybee health research projects get funding

Three new research proposals submitted by Bayer and Project Apis m. have received grants from Healthy Hives 2020, a $1 million research effort to improve the health of honeybee colonies in the U.S. by the... more »

Scientists point out agriculture is good for honeybees

While recent media reports have condemned a commonly used agricultural pesticide as detrimental to honeybee health, scientists with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have found that the overall health of honeybee hives actually... more »

In pursuit of vigorous strawberry plantings

A successful strawberry planting hinges on getting the basics right at planting time. If you can pay attention to the basics, you are well on your way to having a vigorous planting. Here are... more »

Enviroweather improves degree-day maps

The Michigan State University Enviroweather’s “Current Degree-Day Maps” tool shows accumulated growing degree-days (base 50) across Michigan from March 1 to the present (or a user-selected date). Additional maps depict degree-day accumulations compared with normal.... more »

Saskatoon berry pesticide recommendations available from MSU

Saskatoon berries, sometimes referred to as Juneberries, have been grown on a commercial scale in Michigan for only a few years. However, this has been long enough to learn which pests and diseases are real... more »