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Collaborative approach: 2014 Growers of the Year
O’Brien brothers are known for their innovation and collaboration.
Quiet innovators – 2014 Growers of the Year
Brothers Craig and Mike O’Brien have been testing the limits of tree density in an effort to maximize yields and stay competitive. Their innovative and inspiring approach has earned them the title of Good Fruit Growers of the Year.
Distinguished Service Award: Harold Thome
The Thome family poses for a portrait. The new building in the background will
Sweet Rosa Lynn
New apple variety named after wives of the two men who discovered it.
Night shift: Harvesting apples at night
A shift from ladders to illuminated platforms allows pickers to work day or night.
Mylar machine moves fast
Antonio Montoya invented a machine that takes most of the labor out of laying a reflective mulch.
A tale of two harvesters
Two ladderless apple harvest machines vie for grower approval. They are now for sale.
Understanding how tart cherry trees work is key to quality and cost control
Ask an orchard manager, just how good a job do you have to do to keep it producing high quality fruit year after year?
Sensors help classify insects
New research holds promise for growers.
Automated trap simplifies research
Peter McGhee explains how pictures of sticky traps can be examined on a computer.
Fighting food fraud with forensics
Each apple has a chemical fingerprint that links it to the place it was grown.
Remote pest managment with automated traps
With an electronic trap and wireless network, growers can spend less time scouting in the orchard.
Growers sought for Piqa pears
PiqaBoo is a new pear that combines attributes of European and Asian pears(Prevar Limited)
Washington State University to develop genomic database
Washington State University has been awarded a five-year $2 million grant to build and maintain a
Applying precision agriculture to tree fruit
Precision agriculture helps growers optimize returns.
Removing variability to improve crop uniformity
Precision agriculture allows farms to be managed in zones
Ideas from Mars
Horticulturist takes inspiration from NASA to envision crews of robots in the orchard.
Time’s right for precision ag
An effort to introduce variable-rate fertilizer applications in orchards was 20 years ahead of its time.
Labor worries spur automation effort
Washington scientists are looking for worldwide collaborators to work on automated harvesting.
RosBREED extended with new SCRI grant of $10 million
Ten million dollars in new funding will transform the RosBREED project from a research program
Robots that fly
UAVs—also known as drones—are waiting in the wings to come into orchards and vineyards.
Controlling the stinkers
Strides have been made against brown marmorated stinkbug.
Exploring on-farm hydropower
After helping growers install superior fish screens, the Farmers Conservation Alliance is looking at the potential for turbines in canals.
Optical sorters come to wineries
The same type of high-tech sorting equipment used by tree fruit packers is being adopted in the wine industry.
Multi-row sprayers offer great improvements in timeliness
As more growers move toward modern, high-density planting systems to improve yield and
Northern Grapes Project gets $2.6 million in added funding
Northern Grapes Project Director Dr. Timothy Martinson speaks about the training system trials during
Research tackles decay issue
A new project will focus on controlling decay and finding pollinizers that are not disease hosts.
Ste. Michelle hosts rootstock trial
This is one of the first full-scale rootstock trials in a commercial vineyard
Chose plant material wisely
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates will plant nematode-resistant rootstocks for the first time in Washington on a small scale.
New York varieties come to market
Production of two new apples developed at Cornell is ramping up.
Stemilt to manage new Minnesota apple
MN55 offers Honeycrisp qualities a month earlier.
European consumers like bicolored apples
Smitten resembles its grandparent Gala but is less prone to splitting and stores well.
Marketer is smitten
Randy Steensma thinks the New Zealand apple Smitten has a big future.
Growers and consumers like the look of WA 38
Growers to plant WA 38 in 2017
24 lucky Cosmic Crisp winners
Several growers listen to Tom Auvil, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, talk about WA
Cider demand outstrips supply
It takes the right fruit to produce good hard cider.
Expect to wait for cider apple trees
Most major nurseries don’t carry cider apples in their inventories.
The hard trials of growing cider apples
Be prepared for a large investment and modest yields.
An early Honeycrisp debuts
A new strain ripens three weeks earlier than the standard Honeycrisp.
Line built specially for Rainiers
Chelan Fruit Cooperative, one of the largest packers of Rainier cherries in Washington
East Malling appoints French researcher
East Malling Research in Kent, England, has appointed physiologist Dr. Julien Lecourt to lead research
New Zealand apple Koru finds fans
Koru brand apples will be produced in Washington and New York.
Soil testing seminar planned for late October
Washington State University soil scientist Dr. Joan Davenport will present a seminar on “The Hows
Retirements reduce Cornell’s tall spindle apple team
Stephen Hoying, Alison DeMarree both joined program in 1982.
Inmates help with grape research
Most spider mite research projects involve the tedious work of counting spider mites—peering down a
OSU hopes to fill David Sugar’s research position
Growers and other stakeholders will meet on September 9 at Oregon State University’s
Eastern growers plant new pear
Canadians are planting fire blight-resistant Harovin Sundown at high densities using biaxis trees.
New Michigan commission signs agreement with university
Michigan growers pledge their money in return for assurances.
Diamond and Gem
Diamond Fruit sees great potential in new variety.
Cleveringa joins Research Commission
Jeff Cleveringa Jeff Cleveringa, head of research and development for Oneonta Starr Ranch