Fruits

West Michigan apple farming looking better than last spring

Last year was tough on Michigan crops. The brutally long, cold winter then cool summer made it tough on fruit growers in particular. 2015 is looking much better.“We have ten to twenty times the number... more »

Penn State fruit field day to be held July 9

The Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center Field Day will be held July 9. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m., and the program will start at 1 p.m. and conclude with a chicken barbecue... more »

Pink Lady steadily increasing in volume

According to production figures from the U.S. Apple Association, Pink Lady volume has shown a steady seasonal average increase of 8.6 percent over the last six years, from 2009 to 2014.“During this period, we’ve seen... more »

Pazazz apple ready for launch in 2016

Pazazz, the newest apple variety to come from Honeybear Marketing, will roll out in 2016.“It can take a decade to develop, grow and market a major new variety like Pazazz,” said Don Roper, vice president,... more »

Refine plant growth regulator receives registration

Fine Americas, a manufacturer and marketer of plant growth regulators for the fruit industry, recently announced the federal Section 3 registration of its new Refine plant growth regulator. Refine features the active ingredient naphthaleneacetic acid... more »

Wind machine donated to Clarksville Research Center

A state-of-the-art, $35,000 Orchard-Rite wind machine has been installed at the Michigan State University (MSU) AgBioResearch Clarksville Research Center (CRC), thanks to a donation from the manufacturer in Yakima, Washington, and its service company in... more »

BMSB’s native enemy found in the United States

The Asian wasp Trissolcus japonicus has been found in the wild in the United States. The wasp, native to the regions of Asia where the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) originates, is known to attack... more »

FDA declares Arctic Apples ‘safe and nutritious’

FDA has completed its evaluation for two varieties of apples genetically engineered by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, and concluded that these foods are as safe and nutritious as their conventional counterparts.Okanagan’s Granny Smith and Golden Delicious... more »