Project Description
Crop Management & Pollination
Featured stories about crop management and pollination appear in this issue.
Finding the
The response of grapevines to crop load management varies substantially from year to year and between varieties and sites, which makes following viticulture "recipes" meaningless,
In the Box
Dear Good Fruit Grower: I read with interest the article about carbon credits ("Carbon credits require proof," February 15, 2009, Good Fruit Grower:). It was
The ABCs of bees
Eric OlsonPollination is one of the most important factors in a good fruit crop. The information in these articles is designed to be used by
Is your orchard bee friendly?
The number of hives needed to pollinate a tree fruit crop depends on the species of tree, the density of planting, and other conditions. Eric
Overcoming poor fruit set
Researchers are trying to unlock the secrets of fruit set in Regina. The Regina sweet cherry cultivar has been widely planted by growers in Oregon's
Fruit set fundamentals
Examples of cherry cultivar compatibility. The blue pistils (stigma, style, and ovary) are Bing maternal tissue. Yellow circles are the pollen grains of the variety
The nibble approach to thinners
There's more to chemical thinning agents than just their value in adjusting crop load to grow bigger fruit. Thinners are becoming an important tool used
Using postbloom thinners
Dr. Duane Greene of the University of Massachusetts provided a brief overview of postbloom thinners and their benefits during tree fruit talks in Grand Rapids,
Predicting thinning response
Chemical thinning is often like a roll of dice, with weather and tree sensitivity variables affecting the outcome. But in the near future, orchardists may
Optimum size for Gala
Cornell University's Dr. Terence Robinson, based on years of apple thinning research, has developed practical suggestions for New York growers to guide them in targeting
Colony collapse crisis
Bees are pushed hard to pollinate multiple crops, and some crops might not provide adequate nutrition. Dr. Zachary Huang, Michigan State University Approximately 130 crops
Thinners of the future?
Though abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the five major classes of plant growth hormones, it has never really been considered as a horticultural crop
Managing crop load and canopy
Grape growers have many tools to help them manage crop load and develop vine "balance," from matching site and variety to using trellis design, pruning,
Central Europe catches up
Eighth-leaf Jonagold trees on Malling 9 rootstocks in the orchard of Werner Sommerbauer at Puch, Austria. The net provides protection from both hail and sun.
Crop load and wine quality
Carrie McDonnell of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines made wine from 20 different treatments for her study of crop load and extended ripening Wines made
Hang time has a cost
Achieving high sugar in wine grapes by letting fruit hang for extended time comes at an economic cost to growers, says a Washington State University
Grapevine cankers
In Washington State, aging vines and winter injury can be a recipe for grapevine trunk diseases. While eutypa cankers are the most common of trunk
Knock, knock. It's ICE
What do you do if U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement comes knocking on your door? Be polite but firm, advises Mike Gempler, executive director of
Economic revival
Orchards at the nursery and fruit-growing operation Plantex are protected from hail. In the distance is a nuclear power plant. The entrepreneurial spirit was stamped
Growing in the green heart
Before Austria joined the European Union in 1995, its apple growers enjoyed a closed, protected market and its apple industry was made up of many
An Austrian farm is growing cherries in a greenhouse heated with biogas.
This 1.25-acre greenhouse in Austria will produce cherries to go on the market in March. A farming operation in Austria has planted cherry trees in
Last Bite – The famous Hy-Land Kids
In the early years of fruit ranching in the Pacific Northwest, most growers worked hard to establish a brand identity for their own fruit. In
Honeycrisp seed numbers
Michigan State University researchers suspect there is something physiologically different about Honeycrisp apples that leads to such variability in return bloom. "We've seen that between
Apple Matters
Now that President Barack Obama is in office and the 111th Congress moves to order on the nation's business, the U.S. Apple Association and other
Apple Lines
A Colombian street vendor displays her colorful fruit. Latin America is a diverse region that encompasses over 25 different countries, united by their use of