Crop Protection
Guesstimate: Fruit crops back to normal in 2013
By late spring 2012, freeze events had done so much damage to Michigan fruit that organizers briefly considered canceling that year’s Fruit Crop Guesstimate – the annual meeting held to estimate the size of Michigan’s,... more »
Are Chinese apples the biggest threat?
For a long time, John Rice – vice president of Rice Fruit Co., an apple grower and packer based in Gardners, Pa. – was a strong proponent of keeping fresh Chinese apples out of the... more »
Farmers hope for relief from ’12 crop damage
Michael DeRuiter knew he lost his battle last year with Mother Nature to protect his cherry trees on the 19th night of springtime frost.When the temperature dropped to 19 degrees in May 2012, the co-owner... more »
Edgewood Bogs sustains success in cranberries
Taking a lean and green approach in operating Edgewood Bogs has paid dividends for cranberry growers Matt and Cindy Rhodes. The couple purchased the operation, in the heart of southeastern Massachusetts’ “Cranberry Country,” from Matt’s... more »
Report: Multiple factors for honeybee declines
USDA and EPA have released a comprehensive scientific report on honeybee health. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honeybee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and... more »
Beekeepers blame neonicotinoids for bee deaths
Recent research has suggested that neonicotinoid insecticides – used throughout the world to protect corn, soybeans, cotton, canola and other major crops – are harming pollinators. Because of that, the use of neonicotinoids is being... more »
Talkin’ Shop: What’s your take on organic farming?
Editor's note: This is a complete list of the responses to the Talkin' Shop question on page 55 of the May 2013 issue of FGN. Organic chemicals, if not handled or applied correctly, can cause... more »
Deadline debate continues for FSMA
Two days after a federal judge ruled that FDA is taking too long to implement new food safety regulations, the agency officially extended the comment periods on a pair of rules contained in the wide-reaching... more »
