INTRODUCTION Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be defined as those farming operations which provide efficient use of resource, optimized economic returns to the farm, provide the greatest possible safety for workers and consumers, and reduce adverse effects on the environment surrounding and within the farming operation. Many considerations, however, enter into a decision regarding the use of one farming practice over another, and what is defined as “best” is different for different people and different situations. Therefore, everyone should view BMPs as a collection of possible choices, the selection of which is made for the best net effect on all stakeholders of the farm. Over time, utilizing “best management practices” results in greater agricultural sustainability. The activities covered in this guide range from soil management through pesticide application. The New England Tree Fruit Management Guide forms the primary background material detailing the many possible choices which can be classified as BMPs during the crop production phase. The BMP checklist provides some evaluation of where choices fall within the spectrum of best management practices, but please realize that this is a value judgment. It is important to note that the checklist does not include all possible activities in an orchard and is not intended to say that one orchard is a “BMP orchard” and another is not. For more detail regarding choices presented in the checklist, please refer to the New England Fruit Management Guide section of this handbook. Good agricultural practices (GAPs) are a subset of BMPs which deal primarily with food safety. We chose to adopt the GAPs detailed by the National GAPs Program led by Cornell University. Their publication, 'Food Safety Begins on the Farm,' provides an excellent checklist of GAPs and background information about the choices available. This publication is included in its entirety in this handbook. It is very important to be in contact with fruit buyers regarding GAPs, and it is certain that some farmers may find it necessary to become GAPs certified. Certification training sessions are being provided by a few private companies, and likely will be conducted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the near future.

It is important to note that this guide is the product of a significant cooperative effort. First, the producers of the two manual (New England Tree Fruit Management Guide and Food Safety Begins on the Farm) included in the guide deserve credit for excellent work. The final BMP Handbook resulted from a cooperative effort among the University of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, and a group of tree‐fruit growers (Glenn Cook, Alex Dowse, Ken Nicewicz, Mo Tougas, and Steve Ware), with funding from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

We encourage all tree‐fruit growers to study this handbook and strive to utilize the best possible BMPs for your farm and to adopt GAPs at the highest level. In the long run, the future of Massachusetts farming will be enhanced by utilizing the most environmentally, economically profitable, and safest farming operations possible.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Massachusetts Tree‐fruit Production Best Management Practices Checklist

Management Considerations for Sites with High Leaching or Runoff Potential
Additional Preplant Considerations
Site and Soil Considerations for Established Orchard Blocks
Nutrient Management for Established Orchard Blocks
Plant Culture and Irrigation Practices
Pesticide Handling
Pest Control Practices
Plant Growth Regulators
On‐farm Energy Conservation and Production

New England Tree Fruit Management Guide (2009)

Integrated Crop and Pest Management
Organic Tree Fruit Production in New England
Pesticide Information
Sprayer Information
Characteristics of Crop Protectants Used on Tree Fruits
Disease Management
Insect and Mite Management
Weed Management
Wildlife Management
Nutrient Management of Apple Orchards
General Pest Management Considerations – Apples
General Pest Management Considerations – Pears
General Pest Management Considerations – Cherries
General Pest Management Considerations – Peaches and Nectarines
General Pest Management Considerations – Apricots
General Pest Management Considerations – Plums and Prunes
Weed Control Guidelines
Appendices

National GAPs Educational Material‐‐ Food Safety Begins on the Farm

Good Agricultural Practices
Introduction
Instructions
My Farm Assessment
Glossary of Terms
Record Keeping
Worker Hygiene
Toilets and Handwashing
Water Use
Pesticide Use
Manure Use
Compost Use
Heard Health
Wild Animals
Harvest Sanitation
Postharvest Handling
Juice and Cider
Direct Marketing
U‐Pick Operations
Petting Zoos
Farm Biosecurity
Crisis Management
References

Return to the UMass Fruit Advisor