Project Description
New Technology, Labor
Featured stories covering new technology and labor appear in this issue.
Click here to view a PDF version of this issue.
The Tangler
Brett Bunker shows off the launcher he uses to dispense pheromone-containing capsules in apple trees. The clip in the magazine holds 25 capsules. Left: When
Define bloom consistently
Left: With a bloom time of only one or two days, this Chardonnay cluster in New York shows even development. Right: With a bloom time
SweeTango lawsuit settled
An out-of-court settlement of the lawsuit challenging the exclusive marketing arrangement for the SweeTango apple has been reached. The lawsuit ended in victory for the
Cherry vote
Cherry growers vote this month to continue or end a federal marketing order that regulates handling of sweet cherries grown in designated counties in Washington
Picker and platform
A four-person picking crew can have two on the ground or all four on the platform, but each pick into their own tube. An apple
Picker and sorter
Miguel Geronimo found himself testing the new harvester during his first season as an apple picker. He previously worked in restaurants but was enjoying orchard
Under-cover operation
Workers wrap a rolled-up rain cover in black plastic to protect it through the winter. It remains attached to a cable above the tree row.
Postharvest potential for picking platform
George Lobisser sees potential for in-field postharvest treatments. Geraldine Warner When George Lobisser saw a new mobile apple-harvesting system in action, it wasn’t so much
So, does it bruise the fruit?
The Picker Tech harvester is on tracks, making it easy to turn and reducing soil compaction. A concern about mechanically assisted harvesting of fresh apples
Safety regulations nix customized platforms
A worker uses a Girette to prune trees. (Courtesy Flathead Cherry Growers, Montana) Regulators in British Columbia, Canada, have developed safety documentation for the elevated,
Technology for the packing house
Inventions developed in the course of building a better apple-harvesting system might have application also in packing houses. Picker Technologies developed special tubes for transporting
Fresh cherry harvester
Picker Technologies, a Washington-based developer of automated equipment, is working on a mechanical harvesting solution for fresh cherries. Sweet cherries have traditionally required a large
Concord grapes, part of American culture
Though Concord was generally accepted as being pure Vitis labrusca, horticulturists today believe it is a hybrid with another species and that most of the
Electronic trap saves labor
An electronic trap for monitoring insect pests will free up growers or employees from the chore of checking trap catches every week in the field.
Trouble on the Double Z
Roxanne Bell photographs a Double Z ranch foreman who is peering through the steel fence—just feet from where it trails off to twisted strands of
Good Point
It is time for the federal government to act. It’s not as if Congress doesn’t know there is a need, and it’s not as if
Bloom heading can improve yields
A water deficit of as little as 0.1 or 0.2 of an inch can cause shriveled tendrils and poor fruit set. These vines were part
Pay attention to vines at bloom
Cabernet Sauvignon with (left) and without nitrogen deficiency during bloom. Markus Keller To a casual observer, a cluster thick with berries might forecast a bumper
What is driving change in the tree fruit industry?
The Washington State Horticultural Association’s annual meeting will inform growers about a wide range of issues and innovations that are driving change in the tree
Great Lakes Expo set for December 6–8
The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo will be held in the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from December 6–8.
Strange times
Robert Stearns of Kelowna is cutting his apple trees because he can't afford to replant them. Marc Arellano During a scene in the film Strange
B.C.’s strategic plan stymied
When the British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association launched its strategic plan four years ago, the priorities were to develop new varieties, increase fruit quality, strengthen
South Carolina peach breeder wants better peaches, faster
Ksenija Gasic heads Clemson University’s peach-breeding program, which was recently revived after a 25-year hiatus. Richard Lehnert One of the great things about being a
On a FasTrack
Horticulturist Ralph Scorza pollinates plum flowers while geneticist Ann Callahan measures sugar content and molecular biologist Chris Dardick measures fruit size. FasTrack allows scientists to