Crop Management
Effectively controlling plum curculio in stone and pome fruits
Plum curculio is a key early season pest on pome and stone fruits. There are many insecticides available for plum curculio control, but their performance characteristics vary greatly compared to our traditional broad-spectrum chemistries. These... more »
Finalized Clean Water Rule released
Agriculture groups were busy analyzing the impact of new government rules issued May 27 by EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.“We are undertaking a thorough analysis of the final WOTUS (Waters of the... more »
Merivon, a new fungicide option for disease control in strawberries
Merivon is a pre-mix fungicide containing two systemic active ingredients: fluxapyroxad (succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors or SDHI, FRAC group 7) and pyraclostrobin (quinone outside inhibitors or QoI or strobilurins, FRAC Group 11). Fluxapyroxad is a new... more »
NRCS invests $21 million to aid drought-stricken areas
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest approximately $21 million in additional Farm Bill dollars to help farmers and ranchers apply science-based solutions to mitigate the short and... more »
Chlorothalonil use for pre-shuck split cherry leaf spot control
The goal of early cherry leaf spot sprays is to prevent or delay initial infection events. Based on our previous observations, cherry leaf spot infection levels can rise to epidemic proportions under weather conditions that... more »
USDA funding available for food safety training, outreach, technical assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of $2.3 million for the establishment of regional centers to support comprehensive food safety training and education, pursuant to... more »
How farmers, motorists can work together to prevent traffic crashes
According to the Michigan State Police, between 150 and 212 traffic collisions involving farm equipment have occurred in the state each year since 2005. On average, 174 collisions involving farm equipment have occurred causing 63... more »
Is organic healthier? Consumers think so.
According to recent research released by Mintel, customers buy organic food for multiple reasons.Here’s a summary from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT):Research from Mintel shows that Americans appear confused about the benefits of organics,... more »
The challenges of disease control during rainy spells
While relatively dry, cool conditions in early spring may have delayed pathogen development, recent warm, wet conditions mean that fungal and bacterial diseases are getting a jump start. This even applies to powdery mildews, which... more »
Keep bee safety in mind during orchard bloom
Protecting pollinators against pesticide exposure by paying attention to when bees are active is one of the most important steps tree fruit growers can take as part of a sound integrated pest management (IPM) plan.... more »
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IFTA Yakima Valley tour provides orchard insights
IFTA recognizes tree fruit honorees
Pennsylvania recognizes fruit industry professionals
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