Recently published articles featured on Good Fruit Grower.
Microbiome boost
Symbiotic microbes found inside wild poplar and willow fix nitrogen for their hosts and appear to confer the same benefits to many crops.
Dininny: Growing forward
New circulation coordinator joins Good Fruit Grower.
Destination Washington
International orchard groups plan tour, research conference.
Legumes win cover contest
Research shows legume cover crops boost tree growth better than grass.
Jose Garcia, a young grower from Wenatchee, Washington
Jose was born in Mexico and grew up next to the farm his family worked on in Wenatchee. He pursued agriculture at Wenatchee Valley College and Washington State University and is currently an assistant ranch manager in Quincy. Jose is the son of Anita and Juan Garcia.
Auction of Washington Wines awards industry grant
The Auction of Washington Wines has awarded its annual industry grant to La Casa Hogar,
Making soil more alive
Grape growers turn to compost to boost long-term soil health.
Renewed push for precision
Cornell research and extension urging growers to make precision crop load management a priority, including blossom thinning.
Creating a good buzz for bees
How blueberry growers can create healthful habitats for stressed pollinators.
Mass traps making fatal attractions
Trials show promise for spotted wing drosophila control with juice-baited traps and mass trapping of Japanese beetles.
Use ethephon early to help young trees grow strong
Defruiting young tart cherry trees can speed their growth.
Building a better bee
WSU entomologists use bee semen collected from around the world as part of breeding project to improve genetics of honey bees.
Let in the light
Pruning in mature pear canopies can improve light and spray penetration, boosting fruit quality.
Herbie Annala, a young grower from Hood River, Oregon
Herbie returned to the family farm with his wife, Dani Annala, after working as a metal fabricator in Portland, Oregon. He’s the son of Bev and Tim Annala.
New wine grape varieties from old genetics
Generations of back-crossing with traditional European wine cultivars yields new Pierce’s disease-resistant selections with high wine quality.
New mason bee pest found in Pacific Northwest
Beekeepers advised to check for Houdini fly maggots and destroy them if found.
Horror movie hornet
After first detecting it late last year, Washington officials mount aggressive response to beehive-destroying Asian giant hornet.
Blossoms get a boost from the blues
Researcher shows blue orchard bees improve fruit set in Washington cherries and pears.
Codling moth comeback
Growers try variety of methods to check a possible codling moth resurgence.
It’s a matter of timing for codling moths
Entomologist reminds growers to use all the tools on time.
No napkins needed with neat peaches
New varieties from the Rutgers University breeding program offer good flavor in a firmer fruit that’s less messy for consumers.
The spread of spotted lanternfly
Penn State developing management techniques for invasive pest.
San Jose scale befuddled by pheromones
Mating disruption shows promise for San Jose scale.
Prioritize the paperwork
Surveys can overwhelm; focus on those that help the industry.
A passion for pear psylla love songs — Video
WSU researchers record pear psylla vibrations to develop mating disruption.
A bear of a problem for fruit growers — Video
Big pests a growing concern for orchards across the country.
Wasps becoming more worrisome for grape growers
Yellow jackets, hornets a growing problem in Midwest grapes.
Healthy farms need healthy farmers
Stress management tools aim to help farmers cultivate resilience and make good decisions during tough times.
Prengaman: A focus on fire recovery
Australian devastation points to the increasing wildfire risk for growers and the need for more research and resources.
Good to Know: Reflections on the elder statesmen of apple and pear IPM
The integrated pest management foundation that entomologists Stan Hoyt and Everett Burts built decades ago still supports growers today.
Tart cherry growers to vote on free markets or orderly marketing
Tart cherry industry to decide Cherry Industry Administrative Board’s fate.
Tatura system formal attire for cherry orchards
Sweet cherry growers turn to the highly structured Tatura training system, which is already common in apples.
Buy-in for biopesticides
Great Lakes growers take closer look at biopesticides.
Rational mealybug management recommended
First warning sign found that the carriers of grapevine leafroll virus could be developing imidacloprid resistance.
Growers facing a time of tough decisions
Three growers share ideas for the pains caused by industry overreach.
Growers keeping watch for phylloxera
With phylloxera found in more parts of Washington, there’s still no cause for panic.
Apple scab study aims for disease-resistant genes
Cornell pathologist studies the genetics of trees and pathogens to help breeders win the genetic arms race.
Rot resistance leads to one less tool
Indar resistance is requiring more emphasis on hort techniques to fight brown rot.
Fighting fungicide failure
WSU research finds resistance emerging to key postharvest fungicides — pathologist says sanitation strategies are needed to protect fruit.
Matt Murphy, a young grower from Geneva, New York
Matt is a first-generation tree fruit grower and graduated from Cornell University with a degree in viticulture, enology and plant sciences. He’s a farm manager at Red Jacket Orchards and is the son of Tina and Marty Murphy.
Good to Know: The 1-2-3 rule for renewal pruning
Use the 1-2-3 rule of renewal pruning to keep the fruiting wood of apple and pear trees young and productive.
Trellising and training tips for pears
Oregon pear growers host preharvest field day and share tips for building and managing trellis systems.
Frozen leaves can affect wine flavors
Widespread frost damage hits Washington wine grape growers, raising concerns about how frozen canopy impacts quality.
Prune hard for better blueberries
OSU blueberry specialist urges deep pruning for sustainable quality.
Pruning after cold damage
After severe freezes, timing becomes critical to remove injured limbs.
Packing performance good for first Cosmic Crisp
Cosmic Crisp rolls out with respectable packouts, with mechanical flaws as biggest cullage cause.
Cosmic Crisp soars at launch
After years of research and branding buildup, the first Cosmic Crisps hit the market.
Scharlau: Ensuring clean plant sustainability
National Clean Plant Network vital to success of the grape, hop and tree fruit industries.
A robot’s rules for pruning — Video
Robotic harvest remains the Holy Grail of orchard automation, but researchers continue their pursuit of pruning technology.
Support the tech pipeline — Video
Carnegie Mellon scientist explains why supporting new technology is so important for the agriculture industry.