Project Description
Soils & Nutrients
Featured stories about soils and nutrients appear in this issue.
Fight fast food
Fruit growers need to take on the processed-food industry in the same way that people challenged the tobacco industry a generation ago, Australian nutritionist Dr.
First Bite
Tom Van Well checks the rooting of CG.202 rootstocks at Waimea Nursery in Nelson Good Fruit Grower is a nonprofit, grower-owned magazine with
Enough bees despite losses
Despite widespread declines in honeybees over the past winter, supplies of hives for pollinating tree fruits in the Pacific Northwest were expected to be adequate.
Growers want antidumping changes
British Columbia fruit growers are spearheading an initiative to help prevent Washington State orchardists from dumping cheap apples and cherries into Canada. At the Canadian
Transition now to new pest controls
An Esteem-intoxicated obliquebanded leafroller larva showing deformities to its external body structures. This article is the second in a series intended to help the apple
Measuring the soil's charge
The use of soil electrical conductivity mapping by orchardists and vineyardists is still considered to be in the "early adopter" stage, but that number is
How soil EC works
To illustrate how soil electrical conductivity works, Craig Walters uses a science experiment from high school. "Remember in high school when we wrapped nails with
Inoculating the soil
As interest grows in reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, producers are now paying more attention to soil quality, with some looking
Making compost on the farm
Compost is not hard to make on the farm once the basics of composting are understood, says Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs. Composting is simply decomposition that
Does weed control pay?
There are many techniques that growers can use to reduce their expense for weed control. Weeds can impact vineyards in more ways than just being
Finding the right cover crop
Cereal rye mixed with resident vegetation is used as a cover crop in this eastern Washington vineyard. Cover crops are grown for different purposes and
Native plants as cover crops
Native plants are potentially beneficial cover crops because they are already adapted to the area's rainfall and climate. But seeds of native cover crops may
Growers rewarded for conservation
Corey Bonsen is working with 40 growers in the Naches watershed who are participating in the national Conservation Securtiy Program. PHOTO BY MELISSA HANSEN More
Calcium deficiency is costly in pears
Pears with cork spot have bumpy surfaces and brown corky lesions in the flesh. Cork spot, a disorder of pears caused by a deficiency of
New nutrient guidelines
Dr. Scott Johnson's stone fruit nutrient deficiency studies have led researchers to look anew at traditional nutrient analysis sampling methods and deficiency threshold levels. Based
New apricots give market advantage
Harry Roberts of Alexandra, New Zealand, is growing new varieties of apricots. Orchardists in the South Island of New Zealand are planting new varieties of
Too many AVAs?
The rapid proliferation of American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Washington State—four of the nine were approved in the last two years, with more coming—can help
What is an AVA?
An American Viticultural Area, sometimes called an appellation, is defined as: a delimited grape-growing region that is distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries that are
Big shift to dwarf trees
Waimea Nurseries in Nelson, New Zealand, sells about 500,000 nursery trees a year. Managing Director Mike Simpson is pictured with the Cornell-Geneva 210 rootstocks
Working for Ag Labor Reform
With the spring apple blossom time upon us, it might seem a bit early to be thinking about harvest, but the extra labor needed at
Tentation is growing
Sixteen New Zealand apple growers have planted the French club variety Delblush, which is sold under the trade name Tentation. The growers have planted 85
Indoor-outdoor orchard
These cherry trees are growing in plastic bags so they can be put into cold storage in winter to delay bloom. Each winter, Kevin Paulin
Crash victim eager to fly
Len Pugsley walked miles, hurting with every step, in an effort to get fit again. But the most painful moment was yet to come. Len
Peach zinc deficiencies
University of California's University of California's Scott Johnson is growing peach trees in sand boxes to induce nutrient deficiencies. These peach trees are grown
Calibration steps
1) Mark the spot where the sprayer is parked when filling the tank with water. Know the total volume of the tank and the effective
Flower power
The California poppy may have potential as a cover crop to attract beneficial insects to eastern Washington vineyards. Washington State University scientists have found that
Extension educator identifies needs
As a young girl growing up near Beltsville, Maryland, Gwen Hoheisel didn't like getting dirty and she hated bugs. Today, the Washington State University Extension
A hundred bins
Brett Drescher of Washington (left) and Chris Kropf of Michigan discuss the phenomenal production at Richard Hoddy's orchard. Members of the International Fruit Tree Association
Last Bite – The Driver Label
Although a golf theme was used by the Dunham company, it is believed that the owner was not a golfer, but that he assumed the