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Volume 13-- 2001 Berry Notes is written by Sonia Schloemann except where other contributors are noted. Publication is funded in part by the UMass Extension Agroecology Program and grower subscriptions. A text version can be e-mailed to you if you contact Sonia Schloemann. Please cite this source if reprinting information. |
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January 2001, Vol. 13, No. 1 In This Issue Message from the Editor
Blueberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Currants and Gooseberries
Grapes
Food Safety Begins on the Farm White Grub Identification Guide Online Meetings Message from the Editor
Subscription Renewals: Pesticide Applicator Licenses: New Research: BLUEBERRIES Blueberry Information on the Web Michigan Blueberry Web Resources can be found at nburen/bluebweb.htm http://www.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/bluebweb.htm Topics to be found at this site include:
Pest Fact Sheets:
Other MSUE Information posted elsewhere. Blueberry Citation Database by Cindy Cook Articles Below are from the MSU Fruit CAT Alert
Proper Pruning to Reduce Blueberry Fruit Rot Eric Hanson, Annemiek Schilder, Michigan State University Many blueberry growers have difficulty achieving adequate control of fruit rots. Levels of anthracnose rot, in particular, are often a problem even when appropriate fungicide spray programs are followed. Growers should not neglect the importance of proper pruning in anthracnose management. Important sources of inoculum for anthracnose are twigs and stems, especially old fruiting twigs that were infected the previous year. The fungus overwinters in these twigs, and in the spring and summer, produces spores that can infect the fruit. Pruning out old canes helps to remove some of this inoculum. Pruning also opens up the canopy of the bush to air and light. This may reduce rots by decreasing humidity within the bush and allowing plant surfaces to dry more quickly. A more open canopy also improves fungicide spray penetration and distribution within the bush. Fruit rot reductions due to pruning were demonstrated in a recent study in an older Jersey field in Muskegon, Michigan. Over four years, moderate to heavy pruning reduced anthracnose levels by 0 to 80 percent, depending on the year and harvest. Averaged across all years and harvests, moderate pruning reduced anthracnose levels by about 15 percent compared to light pruning. Heavy pruning usually did not reduce anthracnose levels over moderate pruning and was also associated with yield reductions. Alternaria and Botrytis fruit rot levels were not affected by pruning. Regular, moderate pruning of blueberry bushes is recommended to help reduce anthracnose fruit rot. (Source: Michigan State University's Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert Vol. 15, No. 1, March 28, 2000) Got Grass? David Yarborough, Univ. of Maine October is the time to make an assessment of the grasses in you r field. Most of these grasses are withchgrass (Panicum capillare) or fall panicum (P. dichotomiflorum) which has a smoky-gray appearance to the seed-head. There is also a bent grass or fools-hay (Agrostis capillaris), which is finer in texture and has a light tan appearance, that has been increasing in fields. These grasses invade the bare spots among the blueberry clones and then spread into the blueberry plant, so that much of the field can be covered. Since these grasses have an annual life-cycle, chemical control once they have gone to seed will not be effective. If you have these grasses, then your weed control strategy is not working. The continued use of Velpar¨ or Pronone¨ has resulted in this increase, since the grasses germinate close to the surface once the chemical has broken down or moved to deeper soil layers. At this time you should try to remove as many seed heads as possible and remove them from the field, since these will break off and distribute more seeds throughout your field. Cultural management such as reducing the pH to 4.5 with sulfur and mulching over bare spots with bark will promote blueberry growth and reduce the grasses. Be sure to test you soil and leaf tissue next year and only use fertilizer when it is needed, excess fertilizer will promote weed growth. Rotating to alternative herbicides such as Sinbar¨ and Karmex¨ will provide preemergence control of these grasses. Refer to Wild Blueberry Fact Sheet No. 239 for treatment rates and timing. Next year, you should visit your fields in June and July to scout for grasses. When the grasses are 2" to 4" in height, you should treat the grass with Poast¨, Fusilade¨ or Select¨ with crop oil concentrate. If timed properly, this treatment will provide good control and will prevent the grass from going to seed. Refer to Wild Blueberry Fact Sheet No. 235 for more details on posstemergence grass control. Detecting and treating these grasses early will mean you can control the problem with fewer resources. (Source: Univ. of Maine Wild Blueberry Newsletter, Oct. 2000) Insect Growth and How Growing Degree-Days Help Predict Optimal Spray Timing Rufus Isaacs, Michigan State Univ. Insects are cold blooded, so temperature plays a major role in their growth and development. The speed of this insect growth is largely driven by temperature, and so this warm spring heralds the early appearance of insect pests in Michigan fruit crops. Anyone involved in pest management needs to understand how temperature affects insect growth, so they can predict when insect pests will emerge and become active. Getting prepared early is the key - Even though we are at the end of March, it's time for growers, consultants and scouts to start thinking about monitoring for the earliest pests (for example cutworms and flea beetles in grapes). The unusually warm days and nights of March 2000 mean not only earlier bud break in fruit crops, but earlier pest activity too. Most insects, diseases, and weeds spend the winter in dormant states, waiting for warmer weather before they start growing again. Insects such as the grape berry moth survive the cold weather as pupae in the leaf litter, while others such as aphids may survive as an egg inside a crevice of the bark. Diseases are often on the soil surface or on plant tissues, while the weeds may be seeds or dormant roots. Whatever the target of a pest management program during spring 2000 in Michigan, the times for management inputs should be adjusted to take into account this early spring. According to climate experts, we are a week ahead of even last year's early spring. A cool spell now will mean that growth stops, but then it will start again as soon as the temperatures rise. How temperature drives insect growth So why do pests appear earlier in warm springs? Insect development is almost completely driven by temperature, whereas moisture has a large impact in disease and weed growth. Because insects are cold-blooded, the growth of adults, larvae, and eggs is driven by the temperature of their surroundings. The dormant overwintering stages require a certain amount of heat before they reach the stage for emergence. During this development, there is a lower limit below which no growth happens, and as temperature increases above that, the insects grow faster and faster, up to a maximum limit. These values can be used in predicting insect activity and appearance of symptoms during the growing season. With the accumulation of temperature varying between years, accurate pest management is difficult if control measures are based on set calendar dates rather than at a time when the insects will be susceptible to controls. It is far better, if possible, to plan insecticide applications based on the stage of development of the pest. Often this can be tied to the development of the crop, such as applications at "pink" or "bud break" or 6-inch shoot growth, because plant growth is also driven by temperature. In contrast, because humans are warm-blooded, we keep our body temperature constant and so children grow at a fairly constant rate. (Just think what would happen if people in Florida grew faster than those in Michigan!) With insect growth driven so closely by temperature, researchers have developed a way to predict the appearance of insects, egg-laying activity, and other important events based on the amount of heat accumulated in the vineyard, bog or orchard. This tool for predicting insect growth is a degree day model, and is used to predict when sprays are best applied. Calculating growing degree days - One degree day is accumulated when the average temperature for a day is one degree over the lower limit for development. Growing degree days (GDD) are the total number of degrees for insect growth that are accumulated during one day. At the end of every day these numbers are added to the previous daily total to create a cumulative number of GDD. This running total can be calculated very easily using a maximum and minimum thermometer, preferably placed in or near the crop where pest problems may exist. For example, if the insect to be tracked starts growing at 42oC and the daily temperature reaches 80oC, then 80-42 = 38 growing degree days were accumulated that day. You would add 38 to the previous total and continue daily until the total for the control timing is reached. If however, the insect has an upper limit of 70oC, then only 28 GDD would be added. The start point for accumulating degree days is decided one of two ways. Either GDD are counted from a set date, such as January 1, or they are counted from a specific biological event, called a biofix. This is often the first sustained capture of an adult in a pheromone or other trap. Using a biofix is usually more accurate and means that the numbers have to be counted for a shorter period. For many of the apple and cherry pest insects, the number of GDD from first sustained moth catch to egg-hatch is well known. This is not the case for small fruit pests, and we are working to see how these tools would work for the grape berry moth and cranberry fruitworm. Typically, optimal timing for a spray application to control a moth pest is timed to an egg-hatching event because this is the best time to get maximum effect. At a set number of GDD after biofix, sprays aimed at the pest can be applied and be sure to target the appropriate stage of the insect. It is therefore important to check traps often near the start of adult emergence. This allows accurate decisions on the biofix, and good timing of the spray application. All pest management decision makers should be aware that temperature conditions can vary greatly within one farm depending on the direction of the ground's slope and if there are cold-air traps. It is not unusual for some insects to appear a week apart in different fields on the same farm. Monitoring traps should therefore be in different parts of the farm so that different timings can be followed. Variation in insect growth patterns across Michigan can also be variable, with distance from the lakes and latitude playing a part. Your nearest MSU experiment station should be keeping a running total of GDD at both the 42oC and 50 oC thresholds, and the MSU Agricultural Meteorology program has weather stations placed around the state, with their weather data accessible online. However, these sites may not be close to your farm, and so there is no substitute for temperature measurements in your crop. All you need is a min-max thermometer, and daily checking of the values to calculate GDD for your pest management. The easiest way to calculate degree days for a specific day is to add the daily high and low temperatures and divide by two. Then subtract the lower limit for growth of that insect. By making this calculation each day, you will become more accurate in your pest management, which should lead to better control through more accurate timing of applications. For a step-by-step guide to calculating GDD by Agricultural Meteorologist Jeff Andresen, see last year's May 18 fruit CAT Alert. Good luck! (Source: Michigan State University's Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert Vol. 15, No. 1, March 28, 2000) STRAWBERRIES On-Farm Strawberry Variety Trial Results 2000 By Pam Fisher, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs Variety trials were planted at 5 strawberry farms in SW Ontario 1999. We planted 25-50 plants of each variety plants in un-replicated plots. OMAFRA students harvested the plots at three of these farms, located near London, Woodstock, and Vineland. They collected data on average berry size and yield and made notes on leaf diseases and comments on berry quality. We hope to harvest these plots again in 2001, providing a better picture of variety performance in southwestern Ontario. 2000 was certainly a strange year, and it is too early to draw conclusions about any of these varieties so far. Figure #1 shows the results from 2000 harvest with respect to 25% harvest dates. This information was fairly consistent for each location. Figure # 2 shows the relative berry yield and berry weights averaged for the three farms. Use this information to get a general idea about these new varieties. There was actually little difference statistically between them. These trials are just part of a larger on-farm system of trials across Ontario, organized by the Ontario Coordinated Trials Committee. In 2000, variety trials were planted at 19 locations across Ontario, from Kemptville to Cedar Springs to Thunder Bay. I will be working closely with these growers in 2001 to help them collect information on yield and berry size. Figure 1. On-farm strawberry trials: average from 3 locations in SW Ontario. 2000 harvest - days to 24% harvest. Figure 2. On-farm strawberry trials: 2000 harvest average from 3 locations in SW Ontario. Sorry, graphics not available for email version. Go to OMAFRA website. (Source: The All Ontario Berry Grower, Volume #00.1 - January/2001) Bacterial Angular Leaf Spot Kathy Demchak, PennState University Q. Why did the caps on my 'Allstar' strawberries turn brown and dry out? The fruit otherwise seemed not to be affected. This has happened for the last couple of years. A. This is an especially good question because the same disease that usually causes this cap problem, angular leaf spot, also usually causes leaf symptoms that can easily be mistaken for fungal leaf spots or leaf scorch. Symptoms of angular leaf spot have been present in nearly every field of 'Allstar' that I've been in. Angular leaf spot is caused by a bacteria (not fungi, which are the cause of other common leaf spots) and so is not controlled by common fungicides. Meaning, all the captan sprays in the world won't help. 'Allstar' seems to be an especially susceptible cultivar. How do you tell whether the leaf spots you have are caused by this bacteria? Pluck off a leaf, hold it up to the sky, and look upward through the leaf. If the problem is angular leaf spot (the bacterial one), you'll see translucent light green or yellowish areas (which can range from 1/16" or smaller to 1/4" across), confined by the veins in the leaf. This results in the discolored spots being 'boxed in', and so they appear angular, hence the name. If you look down on the leaf, these areas appear dark. Fungal leaf spots are round, and look about the same color no matter how you look at them. Once either type of leaf spot (fungal vs. bacterial) becomes severe, it can be more difficult to tell them apart, as injured areas die and spots coalesce. If you have brown caps, fruit that otherwise looks OK, and angular leaf spots, you can be fairly certain this is the cause of the brown caps. Also, if another disease had been the cause of the caps turning brown, there probably would have been some fruit rot near the caps. As always, it never hurts to submit a sample to the Plant Disease Clinic for diagnosis. This is especially true if control measures seem not to be working, as is what happens when bacterial leaf spot is present but fungicides are being used for control. Treating a misdiagnosed disease can be costly, and the unnecessary use of fungicides may result in resistance development in other diseases that should have been controllable. (Source: PennState VEGETABLE AND SMALL FRUIT GAZETTE, December, 2000, Volume 4, No. 12) RASPBERRIES Fall Bearing Raspberry Varieties Pam Fisher, OMAFRA Acknowledgements: Much of this information was condensed from variety trial reports by University of Guelph researchers, Adam Dale (Simcoe), Alan Sullivan and Sue Couling (Guelph) and John Zandstra (Ridgetown). Eight fall-bearing varieties, (Autumn Britten, Autumn Bliss, Polana, Anne, Caroline, Heritage, Goldie and Kiwi Gold) were planted at Cambridge, Simcoe and Cedar Springs in 1998. Plots were replicated at both Simcoe and Cambridge, but the varieties at Cedar Springs were planted in single 5-plant plots. Kiwigold, and Goldie are amber-yellow coloured sports of Heritage. Fruit is about the same size for all three cultivars. Heritage and Heritage sports begin fruiting too late in most of Ontario and full yield potential is seldom harvested. Anne (from the cooperative breeding program at New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin) is a greeny-gold berry with a somewhat dry texture. It is earlier and larger fruited than Heritage. Caroline is another new release from the New Jersey et al cooperative breeding program. It appears to have large fruit of good quality. It is earlier than Heritage but not as early as Autumn Bliss, Autumn Britten and Polana. Polana is an early fall-bearing variety from Poland. Fruit is glossy medium red and quality is good. Polana harvest begins around the same time as Autumn Britten and Autumn Bliss. Ontario growers are planting Autumn Britten because of its remarkable fruit quality. Autumn Britten is a shy cane produce however, and yields are often reported to be low. This problem can be overcome by planting Autumn Britten at higher densities than most other fall bearing varieties. Autumn Bliss, a sister to Autumn Britten, has larger druplets and a more irregular shape than Autumn Britten does, but some growers prefer its flavour. Table 1. Fruit and harvest characteristics of 8 primocane raspberry cultivars grown in Ontario. Variety Harvest Season 5% harvest dates: Berry Size Average berry size (Simcoe, 2000) (Simcoe, Cambridge, Cedar Springs) Autumn Britten Early August 22 Large 2.1 - 2.8 g Autumn Bliss Early August 16 Large 2.1 - 2.3 g Polana Early August 20 Med-large 1.9 - 2.5 g Caroline Mid Variable Large 2.1 - 2.4 g Anne Med August 28 Med-large 1.9 - 2.4 g Heritage Late September 8 Small 1.7 g Kiwigold Late September 9 Small 1.6 - 1.7 g Goldie Late September 9 Small 1.7 g (Source: The All Ontario Berry Grower, Volume #00.1 - January/2001) CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES Growing Ribes in Finland Dr. Pauliina Palonen, University of Helsinki, Finland Finland is located between 60û and 70û Northern latitude and is very well suitable for berry farming. The nights of the midnight sun and long sunny days together with relatively cool temperatures during the growing season contribute to rich and full flavor of our berries. Cold winters and isolated farmlands make it possible to grow berries with a negligible amount of chemicals. Finnish Production Facts Black currant is grown in Finland on 1630 hectares, red currant on 226 and white currant on 121 hectares (year 1999). Additionally, there are smaller areas of green currant in culture. The areas are increasing, since the price paid by the industry and also on the fresh market has been good for a couple of years now. The main production areas are Southern and Northern Savo, Central Finland and Northern Carelia (for those of you familiar with Finnish geographyÉ). Certified plant material is used for new plantings. Harvesting is done mechanically the Finnish Joonas harvester being the most commonly used equipment for harvesting. The main black currant cultivar is the Swedish '…jebyn'. It has been popular for a long time already, because it is very winter-hardy and resistant to mildew. Also the aroma is typical of black currant. There has been a search for new cultivars but no success in replacing '…jebyn'. The main red currant cultivar is the good old 'Red Dutch'. It is winter-hardy but not perfectly suitable for machine harvesting, as its thick branches bruise easily. That is why red currant yields have lowered as machine harvesting has become predominant. But as for '…jebyn', it has been difficult to find a replacement for 'Red Dutch'. Practically the only white currant cultivar grown is 'White Dutch'. White currants are perfectly suited for wine making. Green currant 'Vertti' is a domestic cultivar, originally a self-pollinated seedling of '…jebyn'. Bushes are smaller than those of '…jebyn' and the berries are green even when ripe. The taste is reminiscent of black currant but sweeter and milder (my personal favorite!). Green currant is also excellent raw material for wine. The Current Currant Season The harvest season is whole August, peak being in mid-August. This year, red and white currant yields are expected to be very good. Black currant suffered from cold weather in early spring which lowered fruit numbers. However, and exceptionally rainy summer has improved berry size, and black currant yield is also going to be proper. The amount of white and red currants harvested this year will be approximately 1 million kg, and that of black currant about 3 million kg. (By the way, there are 5 million inhabitants in Finland.) Abundant rain has softened field which somewhat hampers mechanical harvesting. About one third of the yield is used by the industry to produce juice and berry wines. The rest is going to be consumed by private households. Vineyards in Finland? As a result of Finland joining the European Union in 1995, our laws concerning alcohol politics have changed and made it possible to produce country wine on farms. However, grapes can not be used, since all the raw material has to be Finnish produce! This has been a very welcome reform for berry growers, since the prices paid by the industry for currants have been quite low during the 90's. Currently, there are more than 40 berry wineries in Finland and they use mainly currants to produce their country wines. Research Activities On research site, it is relatively quiet at the moment (right now, strawberry is the big thingÉ). The on-going research is concentrated on breeding new currant cultivars better suited for machine harvesting and on screening the imported ones. Organic production of currants is also being developed. (Source: The Ribes Reported, Volume 12, Issue 1, September 2000) GRAPES Gibberellic Acid Sprays Increase Berry Size and Reduce Shot Berry of 'Vanessa' Grapevines Thomas Zabadal and Thomas Dittmer, Michigan State Univ. 'Vanessa', a red seedless table grape, is often recommended for planting in cool climates because berries have excellent color, crisp texture, and flavor. However, in its natural condition 'Vanessa' clusters tend to be loose with small berries and frequent shot berries. The application of gibberellic acid (GA) to correct these deficiencies was evaluated for four growing seasons at concentrations of 25 and 50 ppm when berry diameters averaged 3, 5, 7, and 9 mm. BA increased yield, cluster weight, berry weight, fruits soluble solids and juice pH and decreased the number of shot berries per cluster and cluster compactness. Applications of GA at 50 ppm when berries averaged 5 mm in diameter were most effective for increasing berry weight and fruit soluble solids while reducing the occurrence of shot berry. Cane pruning weights recorded for vines over the 4-year period indicate no reduction in vine size as a result of GA applications made directly to clusters. (Source: the Journal of the American Pomological Society, Volume 54, No. 3, July 2000) White grub identification guide online Rufus Isaacs, Michigan State University There have been some recent questions about white grubs and their identification. A good resource that is available on the Internet can help with identification of these insects and their immature stages. The immature stages are called grubs, which are soil-dwelling larvae that pupate to become adults during the summer. Common adult forms of these grubs are scarab beetles such as Japanese beetle, June beetles, European chafer, and Oriental beetle. If you have access to the Internet, Ohio State University has a fact sheet entitled, Identification of White Grubs in Turfgrass, available at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/hyg-fact/2000/2510.html Although this guide was written for the turfgrass industry, it is useful for fruit growers who suspect that white grubs are causing root damage in their crop. Digging under the soil and collecting grubs is the best way to determine if you have them in your orchard, bog or vineyard. If you do not have Internet access, your local MSU Extension office might be able to print a copy of this for you. The MSU Diagnostic Services is also available to help identify grubs, which may look very similar to the untrained eye. (Source: Michigan State University's Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert Vol. 15, No. 8, May 30, 2000) Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Growers Guide Dr. Marvin Pritts, Cornell Univ. We have just produced a full-color 28 page bulletin on food safety guidelines for fruit and vegetable growers and marketers. It is particularly relevant for berry growers, containing sections on manure management, irrigation water quality, and hygiene (including pick-your-own operations). Your can request a free copy from Betsy at eab38@cornell.edu. or by calling (607)254-5383. MEETINGS NEW ENGLAND STRAWBERRY SCHOOL FIRESIDE INN WEST LEBANNON, NH - MARCH 6, 2001, 8:30 - 4:00 Optimizing Nutrient Management in Strawberries - Marvin Pritts, Cornell University Advances in Annual Strawberry Plasticulture - Bill Lord, University of New Hampshire Overview of Strawberry Cultivar Strengths and Weaknesses - David Handley, University of Maine Biology and Management of Root Weevils - Rich Cowles, Connecticut Ag. Experiment Station New Approaches to Weed Control in Strawberries - Marvin Pritts, Cornell University Use of Insect Pathogenic Nematodes to Control Soil Dwelling Pests - Rich Cowles, Connecticut Ag. Experiment Station Conventional and Alternative Management of Tarnished Plant Bug - David Handley, University of Maine Renovation and Rotation for Crop and Soil Health - Bill Lord, University of New Hampshire REGISTRATION: $20.00 by February 26, 2001 (includes lunch), $25.00 at the door. Checks should be made out to UVM Extension and sent to: Ann Hazelrigg Plant and Soil Science Department Hills Building University of Vermont Burlington, VT 05405 802 656-0493 (If staying over, make arrangements with the Inn for the Meeting Room Rate of $79.00) DIRECTIONS: Fireside Inn and Suites (signs are visible from I-89) West Lebanon, NH 603 298-5906 From I 89 going north, take exit 20. Take left off the ramp. At second set of lights, turn left. From I-89 going south, take right off exit ramp and turn left. For more information or to request special accommodations please contact: Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont Extension (802) 257-7967 or vernon.grubinger@uvm.edu or Ann Hazelrigg, Plant and Soil Science Department (802) 656-0493 or ann.hazelrigg@uvm.edu Pesticide Recertification Credits will be offered. VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY GROWERS ASSN. ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE SHOW: FEBRUARY 13, 2001, 8:00 - 4:00, Holiday Inn, Rutland, VT (just north of the intersection of Route 7 and Route 4 west) The Rebirth of Vegetable Crops Teaching and Research at UVM - Buddy Tignor, Plant and Soil Science Dept, UVM The Latest on Worker Protection Standards - Doug Johnstone, Vermont Department of Agriculture Getting and Managing Jamaican Labor through the H2A program - Laurie Bombard, Sam Mazza Farm, Colchester AND Bob and Jane Pomykala, Pomykala Farm, Grand Isle Food Safety Nightmare Prevention for Vegetable and Berry Growers - Karen Schneider, UVM Extension Vegetable Production and Pest Management in Nepal - Ann Hazelrigg, UVM Plant Diagnostic Lab Pros and Cons of Farm Businesses: Corporations, Trusts, Sole Proprietorships - Marge Randles EA CFP, owner, Randles Advisory Services LLC Managing Crops, Pests and Labor at Norris Berry Farm - Norma and Rick Norris, Monkton 2 recertification credits will be available for pesticide applicators. PRE-REGISTRATIONS - MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 9 $20 for Members, $30 for Non-Members, including lunch; $10 for Members, $20 for Non-Members, without lunch. Add $5 for at-the-door registrations. Membership dues for calendar year 2001 are $32. Benefits include: A 2000-2001 Extension Vegetable or Small Fruit Management Guide, a subscription to the Agriview newsletter which contains the Vermont Vegetable and Berry News and a subscription to American Vegetable or American Fruit Grower magazine. Mail your check to: VV&BGA, c/o Doug Johnstone, 677 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156 (Source: VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY NEWS, January 1, 2001) 2001 WINTER FLOWER GROWERS' MEETING - Tuesday, January 30, (King Farm, Inc., Townsend, MA) Co-sponsored by University of Massachusetts Extension and the Massachusetts Flower Growers' Association. Beat the winter blues by joining us in the greenhouse at this annual program. All commercial flower growers are welcome. There will be open houses at Gilson Farms (Herb grower) and Cupp & Sons (cut flowers) from 7:30 AM-10:00 AM. An educational program will follow at King Farm, Inc. beginning at 10:00 AM and ending at 3:30 PM. Featured topics will include potted herb production, managing root diseases on greenhouse crops and a tour of King Farm's new greenhouse addition. A catered lunch will be available. For a program flier and preregistration form, contact Tina Smith 413-545-5306 or Paul Lopes 508-295-2212, UMass Extension, or Bob Luczai 978-952-0116, Massachusetts Flower Growers Association. FARMING FOR THE FUTURE CONFERENCE - FEBRUARY 9-10, 2001. State College, PA. The conference will feature 50 workshops on topics ranging from pastured poultry to composting, seasonal dairy production to biotech issues, high tunnel production to cover cropping, farm training of interns and apprentices to organic grain production. The keynote speaker is Jim Hightower, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, the author of "Hard Times, Hard Tomatoes," "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos," and most recently "If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote, They Would Have Given Us Candidates." The conference includes meals featuring locally produced foods, a youth program and trade show. For more information contact at Kate Francis kjf11@psu.edu or at (814)349-9856 ext. 2, check out the PASA website at asafarming.org www.pasafarming.org. (Source: VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY NEWS, December 15, 2000) 552nd NEW ENGLAND VEGETABLE AND BERRY WINTER MEETING - Saturday, February 3, 2001, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, at the Eastern MA Extension Center, 240 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA *To register or for more information call Dominic Marini at 508 378-2546. Registration is $10 for non-members of NEV&BGA. Lunch (not included) is $12.00 Walk-in registrations are accepted. Presentations include: Pesticide Update: Insects, Diseases, Weeds - Ruth Hazzard, Robert Wick, Richard Bonanno, University of Massachusetts. Butternut Squash Spray Schedule - Anne Carter, University of Massachusetts. Trickle Irrigation - John Howell, University of Massachusetts. Strawberry Variety Update - William Lord, University of New Hampshire. Strawberry Black Vine Weevil - Richard Cowles, University of Connecticut. Strawberry Renovation - David Handley, University of Maine. Strawberry Plasticulture - William Lord, University of New Hampshire. Strawberry Weed Control - Richard Bonanno, University of Massachusetts NOTE: Two hours of recertification credit for certified pesticide applicators will be given for attending this meeting. (Source: NEVBGA Dec. Newsletter) NEW YORK BERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION MEETING AND TRADE SHOW- Tuesday, February 6, 2001 at the Treadway Inn and Conference Center in Owego NY (halfway between Binghamton and Elmira) in conjunction with the New York State Direct Marketing Conference. This is a terrific program and includes: GMO Berry Crops: Are we ready for 'Roundup Ready'? - Dr. Marvin Pritts, Cornell Univ. The Many Uses of Mulches in Berry Production - Ms. Kathy Demchak, PennState Univ. How We Grow and Market Blueberries in Michingan - Mr. Dave Trinka, Michigan Blueberry Growers Association Grower Profile - Maurice Tougas, Tougas Family Farm, Northboro, Massachusetts Sap Beetles: Who They Are and How to Kill Them - Dr. Greg English-Loeb, New York State Ag. Experiment Station, Geneva, NY Using Sampling for Strawberry Disease Management - Dr. William Turecheck, , New York State Ag. Experiment Station, Geneva, NY Post Harvest Handling of Strawberries: Can we Ship Flavorful New York Berries to California? - Dr. Rik van Gorsel, Cornell Univ. Greenhouse Raspberry Production at Our Farm - Skip Jackson, Iron Kettle Farms, Candor, NY Labor Laws: A Summary of What's Required to Hire Someone - Ms. Alison DeMarree, Cornell Cooperative Extension (Source: The New York Berry Grower, Fall 2000) |
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