Grapes
Ground truthing technology utilizes sensors to determine crop trends
Agriculture today has transformed into a high-tech enterprise that most 20th century farmers might barely recognize. Alex Thomasson, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University, said it was only 100 years ago... more »
USDA broadens crop insurance options for fruit producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the expansion of crop insurance to provide additional options for fruit and nut producers. The Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion are... more »
Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 28
This is the seventh weekly report of the Michigan State University Extension spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) monitoring network. Traps in the network are baited with Trece lures and placed near susceptible crops and wild hosts... more »
Grape berry moth pressure lower in 2015
With July going past quickly and early August approaching, it is time to alert growers to the approaching window for protecting clusters from the third generation of grape berry moth. For the most southern parts... more »
Blueberry fruit rot severe this year
Anthracnose (also called ripe rot) in blueberry, has been quite severe this year, especially in highly susceptible varieties such as Bluecrop, Bluetta, and Blueray. Anthracnose in blueberry is caused byColletotrichum species, the very same troublesome... more »
MSU: Spotted wing drosophila, brown marmorated stink bug report
This is the fourth weekly report of the Michigan State University Extension spotted wing drosophila (SWD) monitoring network. A total of six females and seven males were captured from six out of more than 130... more »
MSU’s Jim Flore named Cherry Industry Person of the Year
Michigan State University (MSU) horticulture professor Jim Flore was honored as Cherry Industry Person of the Year on July 7.Flore received the honor at the MSU Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center, where public tours are... more »
Safe repellents that protect fruit from SWD found
Insects destroy a very large fraction of the global agricultural output – nearly 40 percent. The spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), for example, feeds on ripening fruits. A nuisance especially in Northern California and Europe,... more »
Weather ideal for start of downy mildew in grapes
Downy mildew, caused by the oomycete Plasmopara viticola, has gotten off to a good start in 2015 due to copious rainfall, moderately warm temperatures and high relative humidity over the past weeks. Downy mildew was... more »
Maxwell Norton, director of UCCE in Merced County, to retire after 36 years
Maxwell Norton, UC Cooperative Extension director and advisor in Merced and Mariposa counties, plans to retire on July 1. Norton, who specializes in tree fruit, grapes and farmland preservation, has served Merced County growers for... more »