Project Description
Soils & Nutrients
Featured stories about soils and nutrients appear in this issue.
Minimal pruning has maximum benefits
Kevin Day describes the minimal pruning technique to IFTA members. By doing minimal pruning in the first two years, one California grower-shipper is able to
First Bite
How does one start a perennial fruit crop? By planting it into the ground. The soil. That is where it all starts. Sometimes we take
No progress in talks with China
Access to China for more U.S. apple varieties and fresh pears were topics on the agenda at the U.S.–China Plant Health bilateral meetings held in
Pros and cons of the low dollar
Although the low value of the dollar is making U.S. goods seem like good value to overseas buyers, it's making it expensive to promote the
Bitter pit causes are complex
Symptoms of bitter pit include dark sunken pits on the surface of the fruit and corky brown tissue. (Good Fruit Grower file photo)
Fertilizer sticker shock
Just like motorists filling up their cars with gas, orchardists are experiencing sticker shock as they buy their fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. Greg Rosenau, purchasing
N-P-K: What's in the bag?
The three numbers separated by hyphens on a fertilizer bag indicate the percentage of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, respectively, that is available to the plants.
Byproduct tested as fertilizer
Scientists looking for new uses of ethanol byproducts have discovered that distillers dried grains (DDGs) have potential as an environmentally friendly herbicide or as a
Industry opposes fumigation buffer
The tree fruit industry is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency not to require buffer zones around orchards when they are fumigated for replant disease.
Searching for resistance to nematodes
Resistant rootstock may be the only real answer in replant situations.
Managing the orchard floor
These Regina on Gisela 6 rootstock cherry trees, grown under a bark mulch, are part of an Oregon State University research project studying the nutrient
New herbicide option for cherries
Russian thistle, also known as the ubiquitous tumbleweed. A new herbicide called Matrix (rimsulfuron) will be available this spring for use in apple, cherry, and
Learn by doing
Twenty years ago, when apples suddenly became a profitable crop to plant in California's San Joaquin Valley, few had experience in growing the new fruit.
Roller coaster cherry production
To overcome rootstock-scion incompatibility, two Chelan trees on Mazzard rootstock were planted next to the original tree on a Mahaleb rootstock and entwined to grow
Prepare site before replanting
Before an orchard is replanted, the soil should be ripped and cross ripped to a depth of two to three feet and fumigated. Good site
Challenges to growing cherries
In mid-February, these Brooks cherry buds were already starting to push. These cherries are some of the earliest to be picked in California.In mid-February, these
Good Stuff
Sweet but lethalSucraShield, a new pesticide made from natural sugars and food-grade fatty acids, is labeled for control of soft-bodied insects and mites on many
Families persevere with Fuji
Malling 7 rootstocks and a V-trellis system seem to work best for Fuji and Gala apples at Britton VanKonynenburg Farms. Though many California orchardists have
Diversifying to survive
Tad Kozuki tries to find varieties of tree fruits that will set them apart from others. Tadashi "Tad" Kozuki has always tried to be at
Cherries on the cutting edge
The Zee Stem, a cherry interstem on top of Mazzard rootstock, allows a wider range of rootstocks to be used in California cherry plantings. Getting
Year-round planting a plus
Each cup holds 25 plants, with 300 plants on a tray. The tiny plants live in the small cups until they are big enough for
Death by fireblight
In what could be the only Golden Delicious planting in California, Dr. R. Scott Johnson said that the real value of the NC-140 rootstock trial
Vineyard preserves diversity
Le Vieux Pin winery at Oliver, British Columbia, Canada, has retained some of its apricot, apple, and pear trees. Some people are giving a second
How to start a winery
A good business plan will help avoid the pitfalls of trial and error in designing and building a winery, says Norm McKibben, partner in Pepper
Good to know
This highly feathered tree is perfect for establishing the tall spindle planting system. The quality of the nursery tree planted in the orchard is considered
Last Bite
The Wenatchee Produce Company, with its famous Rose brand label, was among the largest fruit shippers in the state of Washington for nearly 40 years.
New source of phosphorus
Each year, U.S. farmers use about 3.7 billion pounds of phosphorus fertilizer, which is mined from underground phosphorus deposits around the world. Now, a team
Getting the most out of fertilizers
With the price of fertilizer rising, orchardists are trying to use nitrogen in the most efficient and economical ways possible, says Lee Gale, horticulturist with
Striving for efficiencies
Bill Tos of Tos Orchards said that while the family farm has grown through the years, they haven't taken the vertical integration step of packing
Corn boosts demand
U.S. farmers planted about 90 million acres of corn last year, aiming to profit from high prices driven by high demand for corn for ethanol
Fertilizer suppliers and users
The world's largest fertilizer users are the United States, China, India, Russia, and Brazil, according to The Fertilizer Institute. Nitrogen: The United States is the
Good question
A weak U.S. dollar means different things to different people and countries. When measured against foreign currencies, it can be a strength or disadvantage, opportunity