Project Description
Rots & Spots, Disease & Disorders
Featured stories about rot, spots, disease, and disorders appear in this issue.
Michigan surveys organic growers
Michigan's organic agriculture has followed the national trend, with acreage of certified crops more than doubling from 1997 to 2005. However, Michigan's organic fruit acreage
In search of canker resistance
Oregon orchardists Mitchell Huru of Hood River (left), Peter Winnick of Medford (center), and Bill Reeves of Mosier check a canker on a young Sweetheart
Low-risk disease controls
A lack of reduced-risk fungicides makes it difficult to control cherry leaf spot without using traditional chemicals, reports Dr. George Sundin, plant pathologist at Michigan
Good sanitation saves fruit
Good sanitation at both the orchard and the packing house is key to minimizing fruit rots, Dr. Robert Spotts emphasized during Washington State University's Apple
Why retailers are so demanding
Today's retailers are more demanding of producers than they've ever been, and that's because their strategic thinking starts with satisfying the consumer, says Peter Austin,
B.C. fruit co-ops join forces
Apples are packed at the B.C. Fruit Packers plant. In an effort to enhance and streamline operations, the four Canadian fruit packing cooperatives in British
Finding and keeping employees
In a competitive labor environment, what would make a person want to come work for your --business, and stay there? Jorge Estrada of Leadership Coaching
Good contracts
When finding buyers for their crop, many grape growers look for wineries they can call friends. After all, the wine industry is built on relationships,
Dangerous combination
Dr. Naidu Rayapati says that the discovery of mixed virus infections in grape vineyards makes thorough testing more important than before. The world of grapevine
Branching agent registered
Anew growth regulator that nurseries can use to promote branching of young apple and cherry trees should be available for use this year. Dr. Don
Teaming up for health
Dr. Cynthia Thomson, registered dietician, advocates that people eat whole fruits and vegetables for health and nutrition instead of relying on dietary supplements. In a
Combatting fireblight
Many of the apple and pear cultivars grown today are susceptible or highly susceptible to fireblight. Fireblight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, seriously
Midwest organic apples can be profitable
xCan it really pay to grow organic apples in the upper Midwest in a climate that encourages diseases that are often difficult to control with
Michigan organic growers survey highlights
• From 1997–2005, Michigan's certified organic cropland increased by 166 percent; the United States as a whole increased 63 percent over the same time period.
Mint compost in organic orchards
Spent peppermint and spearmint hay left over after distillation is finding good use in several Washington State organic fruit orchards. The compost, which sells for
Last Bite
Roy and Theo Thornton sold their Okanogan County apples under two of their own labels, Britevale and Thornton's. Operating their own warehouse had been a
Apple spots & rots
Glomerella leaf spot causes irregular spots on the leaves and can defoliate an orchard by harvest. Glomerella is showing up in Gala and Golden Delicious
Disease Insight
Young trees with fireblight strikes A new growing season approaches, and behind the expanding buds lurk the pests and diseases that can threaten a grower's
Analyzing sustainability
The grass in the drive row of an orchard is a free resource that growers might be able to use to improve the sustainability of
Reducing sweet cherry doubling
Instance of cherry doubling ranges from 5 to 15% in the Pacific Northwest, depending on the year and the cultivar. Matthew Whiting & Rolando Martin
Consider organic
After being asked by key apple processors to encourage growers to produce organic fruit, the Michigan Apple Committee sponsored a study to analyze the organic
Good question
Wilfrid Mennell Organic apple grower, Cawston Find a nicheBritish Columbia, which produced around 4.5 million boxes of apples this year, is of a scale where