April 15, 2016

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Soils and Weed Management

Featured stories covering soil and weed management in this issue.

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Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are ready for harvest at Cold Creek Vineyard in 2015. The vineyard has 132 acres in Cabernet clones. “We know clones bring different attributes that can contribute to different wines,” says vineyard manager Joe Cotta. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)

Wine grape growers weigh in on Cabernet Sauvignon clones

Apples from the 2015 harvest are washed and sanitized at Washington Fruit and Produce company in Yakima, Washington on September 9, 2015. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)

Monitoring the dump tank

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) research microbiologist Michael Lehman takes a soil-core sample on David Gillen’s South Dakota farm. Among other things, such samples can be tested for the diversity and activity of soil bacteria, fungi, algae and other microorganisms. (Photos courtesy of USDA-ARS.)

The microbes beneath

Each Enviro-weather station has a standard set of 12 sensors to make a variety of measurements, including maximum, minimum and current air temperature; soil temperature at 2-inch depth, total precipitation, relative humidity, wind, solar intensity and leaf wetness. (Courtesy of Enviro-weather)

Not your grandpa’s weather vane

Growers and researchers attend the third orchard field day from the 2013 WSU Fruit School series on "The Honeycrisp Experience" on June 13, 2013 at Chiawana Orchards in Gleed, Washington. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)

Honeycrisp from Chile coming to U.S.

Woolly surge

Making the most of mulch

CLICK TO ENLARGE (PDF) The longer a herbicide is on the market, the longer the list of resistant species. There are 35 known Roundup-resistant weed species in the world. Source: Ian Heap, WeedScience.org (Jared Johnson/Good Fruit Grower illustration)

Herbicide resistance a growing concern

Yellow nutsedge (Courtesy Cornell University)

Pre-emergents can help control yellow nutsedge

Soil-mapping tools available to growers

Soil tests tell growers what they need to know

After giving two tubes of soil and water a gentle shake, Michigan State University professor and researcher George Bird compares how particles dissolve and how quickly the water begins to clear. This is a measure of water-stable aggregates, which he says is an especially good indicator of soil health. (Leslie Mertz/ for Good Fruit Grower)

Is my soil healthy?

Eladio Gonzales, a young grower from Selah, Washington

Stan Klabenes operates a large bulldozer on March 3, 2016, across the slope of a new cooling and frost control pond at a future orchard owned by Washington Fruit and Produce Co. near Kittitas, Washington. Klabenes works for Selland Construction, Inc., based in Wenatchee.(TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)

Planting frenzy

USA apples

Wade: Free trade should include fair trade

The top Cabernet Sauvignon leaves are healthy, the bottom leaves show phosphorus (Courtesy Joan Davenport)

Hansen: Test for nutrients before spending big money