Project Description
Crop Management & Pollination
Featured stories covering crop management & pollination appear in this issue.
Washington Syrah: Rising or falling star?
Syrah was to be one of the stars in Washington State’s wine lineup. But something happened along the way to greatness, and wineries have watched
$4.5 million project
Dr. Vince Jones, entomologist with Washington State University in Wenatchee, is heading a $4.5-million research project to help growers take full advantage of biological control.
Weed-eating beetles
The knapweed root weevil, Cyphocleonus achates, feeds on knapweed roots. The lesser knapweed flower weevil, Larinus minutus, feeds on knapweed seed heads. The two insects
Food facts and fiction
Appalled by what he calls “quacks in scientific garb,” Dr. Joseph Schwarcz is on a mission to demystify science, separate sense from nonsense, and help
Watch out for the good guys
Researchers have been testing different types and colors of traps for monitoring beneficial insects. This white sticky trap, placed next to an insect attractant, caught
Keep hives warm and dry
Placing beehives in a good location in the orchard is one of the keys to getting honeybees to do the best possible pollinating job. Orchardist
Montana growers pin hopes on new varieties
Louise Swanberg, pictured with Tom Colyer, says it’s hard to make money with the existing cherry varieties grown in Montana. Photos courtesy of Pat mcglynn,
Pollination role of native bees studied
The price tag for renting honeybees for apple pollination, just $35 per hive a few years ago, now tops $100 in some regions. At one
Italians study light & shading
Dr. Luca Corelli is studying a rainbow of hail net colors to see if fruit growth and development can be influenced. Photo courtesy of University
Mechanical thinner ready
Darwin used on perpendicular vee peach orchard in California (Family Tree Farms). Researchers who studied the Darwin string thinner found it does a good job
Evolution of the Darwin
While the researchers have pronounced the Darwin string thinner “good to go,” it’s not considered perfect—not by the Canadian company that’s selling it, nor by
Skimping on bees can be risky
The strength of a bee colony is important, but it is difficult to assess without looking inside. Bees are critical for setting a good crop,
Beekeepers fear loss of forage
The purple spotted knapweed flower is attractive to bees and a good nectar producer: However, once it gains a foothold, spotted knapweed kills competing vegetation
Understanding cherry fruit set
Researchers, with the help of electron scanning microscopes, can view cherry reproductive organs, like this stigma of a Sweetheart cherry. Photo courtesy of Matt Whiting,
New treatment against CCD
Remebee is easily administered—mixed into heavy bee syrup and fed in one feeding of one pint. Some beekeepers are trying the latest version, RemebeePro, this
Sweet cherries thrive in a sea of apples
Natalie, 16, greets customers and weighs the cherries they pick, using an old brass-beamed platform scale. Picking buckets hold about 15 pounds of cherries, and
Good Stuff
Sweet success A new series of scab-resistant apples called “Sweet Resistants” developed by the Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV) in Italy was among the ten finalists
Last Bite
Jonagold combines the Jonathan red color splashed over a Golden Delicious background, but some strains are so red they cover the yellow completely. Jonagold is
Unusual apples are researcher’s passion
On an ordinary weekday, Dr. Ian Merwin is a Cornell University teacher and researcher who has put his mark on the orchards of New York—and
Drosophila parasitoid found
A female wasp attacks a spotted wing drosophila pupa PhotoS COURTESY OF PETER SHEARER AND PRESTON BROWN, OSU Scientists at Oregon State University have identified
When is the best time to pick?
Cherry researchers used this cherry color chart in the harvest timing project. (Courtesy of Lynn Long, Oregon State University) Determining when to harvest
Color is not a sign of maturity
The color and sugar levels of apples are not useful indicators of when the fruit is ready to pick, says Dr. Bill Wolk, postharvest specialist
Where to find unusual apples
The New York State Experiment Station in Geneva includes a USDA-ARS Plant Genetic Resources Unit, with a germ plasm repository containing one of the world’s
Optimizing cherry harvest timing
Horticulturist Todd Einhorn says leaving cherries on the tree longer can result in higher sugar content, but this must be balanced against adverse effects An
Cherry pioneer
Rodney Klenk explains his production system, with support from Wally Heuser (right), his long-time advisor. Rodney Klenk credits much of the look of his cherry
Be patient with Syrah
The lack of consumer interest in Syrah wines is of keen interest to Washington’s wine industry. Some industry officials estimate there are 3,000 acres planted
Washington needs to own the Syrah variety
The salvation to lagging wine sales of Syrah may be in Washington State owning the variety as it now does Riesling, says Bob Betz, who
Good Job
Allan Baugher wins Maryland hort award The Maryland State Horticultural Society gave Allan Baugher of Westminster, Maryland, its Harry Black Distinguished Service Award during the