Project Description
The Optimal Orchard
Featured stories about the optimal orchard appear in this issue.
Apple research surges in China
As global apple industry competition intensifies, apple-producing countries often seek to boost their competitiveness. One way to improve performance is through new growing strategies and
First Bite
Janet Turner, technician at Oregon State University's Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River, explains a Competitive Orchard Systems trial for pears. There
Good Point
In the December issue of Good Fruit Grower, Washington State University announced an upcoming fruit school on Competitive Orchard Systems (COS). During the annual meeting
Let there be light
Light can improve the yield and productivity of an apple orchard in two ways, according to Dr. Jens-Norbert Wünsche of the University of Hohenheim in
Sensing good fruit
Dr. Renfu Lu is using multispectral-based prototype sorting equipment to determine internal apple quality. There's new interest in technology for specialty crops, thanks in part
Pear industry survey launched
A large-scale survey of the Pacific Northwest pear industry began in January to gather information on what the industry might look like in the next
Robots look cost effective
When the citrus industry began to pursue the idea of a robotic harvesting system several years ago, it had plenty of labor and was looking
Mechanization meets with skepticism
Several prominent Washington tree fruit grower-shippers say they foresee labor shortages but are not banking on mechanization and robotic harvesters to resolve them. The Washington
Speak out on immigration
Orchardists need to make it known that without immigration reform, they are not going to have the labor force to harvest their crops, says Jon
Dealing with the H-2A
If all 9.7-billion apples that Washington State produces were lined up, they'd run 18.5 times around the earth's equator or stretch almost to the moon
MCP works at lower rates
Some cold storage operators could lower MCP concentrations, reducing costs without losing effectiveness, according to some research data from Michigan State University. MSU scientists also
Undercover apples
A British Columbia, Canada, orchard is pioneering crop tunnels for apple --production. Raymond and Sonja Barker of Silverhill Orchard in Mission, B.C., about an hour's
Natural enemy attractant
Chemist Kamal Chauhan observes lacewings in a trap containing the pheromone he identified as iridodial. A natural attractant that can lure lacewings into farms and
Meaningful orchard trials
I am amazed how often I visit a grower's trial to pass comment and find that some fundamental error in the design does not allow
The scent of a vineyard
Dr. Kerry Ringer's new role as Washington State University Extension enologist and assistant food scientist will take her sniffing around vineyards and wineries as she
Pinot noir sequenced
Amajor advance in viticulture research was achieved last August when the Pinot Noir grapevine genome was sequenced by a French and Italian public consortium, said
Value in the land
Just north of Oroville, Washington, on the shores of Lake Osoyoos, plans for the first phase of the 110-unit Veranda Beach resort development are steaming
Lake Chelan's growth industry
Lou Wagoner and Don Wood produce 2,000 cases of wine at Icicle Ridge, including dessert ice wines made from estate-grown grapes. On a sunny afternoon,
Last Bite
Organized in 1901, the California Fruit Exchange, a marketing cooperative of independent fruit growers and shippers, sold its products under the brand name Blue Anchor.
Whatever happened to…
Four years have passed since voters threw out Washington State's ergonomics rule; it's been six years since the federal standard was repealed. What's happened since
Good Question
Ed Wittenbach Belding, Michigan "Hottest variety." The optimal orchard starts with the hottest variety out there, said Belding, Michigan, grower Ed Wittenbach. While Honeycrisp is