Fruit Program News
The 2016 Mass Aggie Workshop Series has been unveiled. See the full slate of workshops here.
A Nutrient Management page has been added to umassfruit.com. Both tree and small fruit nutrient management recommendations and guidelines have been added to assist fruit growers in meeting the requirements of the Massachusetts Plant Nutrient Management Regulations, which for Agriculture, goes into effect December 5, 2015.
Perennial Crops - Sales Closing Date for Crop Insurance
November 20th, 2015 is the last day to purchase a new, change or cancel an existing crop insurance or Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy. Growers are encouraged to read the fact sheet for apples and peaches as they consider their 2016 risk management needs. All other perennial crops are covered byNAP which is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Growers can also contact the UMass Extension Risk Management Education team for assistance understanding these programs.
2015 apple maturity reports have begun, last update October 8, 2015 click here...
As of Friday morning, May 8, 2015, the risk of getting fire blight as we move into the weekend is very high to extreme across most of Massachusetts. Depending on your state of apple or pear bloom, the application of streptomycin to open bloom is highly recommended, maybe even essential. We have numerous resources available for helping you manage fire blight in 2015:
- An Annual Fire Blight Management Program for Apples: an Update
- May 5, 2015 Healthy Fruit
- Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA)
- AgRadar
- New England Apple Decision Support System Maps
Please take this situation seriously so we can minimize the amount of fire blight we have in 2015. By the middle of next week, the fire blight risk should be less severe. If you do get fire blight symptoms, please let us know -- jon.clements@umass.edu, 413-478-7219, or Daniel Cooley, 413-531-3383 -- as we are surveying for fire blight resistance to streptomycin in 2015.
Healthy Fruit is a timely newsletter that includes information on tree-fruit horticulture, pest management, and related topics. The primary reader is the commercial grower, but anyone growing fruit trees will benefit.
2015 New England Tree Fruit Management Guide
A collaboration of tree fruit specialists in all six New England states, and with Cornell University, the 2015 New England Tree Fruit Management Guide (NETFMG) is a must-have for all commercial orchardists. The 2015 NETFMG is 283 pages and includes chapters on: Integrated Crop & Pest Management; Organic Tree Fruit Production in New England; Pesticide and Sprayer Information; Characteristics of Crop Protectants Used on Tree Fruits; Disease, Insect, Weed, Wildlife, and Nutrient Management; and specific spray management recommendations for Apples, Pears, Cherries, Peaches and Nectarines, Apricots, and Plums and Prunes. The 2015 NETFMG is available for purchase for $25 on the UMass Extension Bookstore. (Or you can also use this mail-in form to order Healthy Fruit and other UMass fruit publications.) The 2015 NETFMG will also be available for sale at Fruit Twilight Meetings.
The 2015 lineup for the Mass Aggie workshop series is now available.
This year's workshops include:
- Invasive Plants
- 100' Fruiting Wall!
- Fruit Tree Pest Management
- Healthy Soils
- Native Pollinators
Check it out at this link.
jmcextman: Out and about in the UMass Cold Spring Orchard...
My Baker's Dozen Apple and Pear Pruning Tips
As it approaches time to begin pruning your apple or pear orchard, here is "My Baker's Dozen Apple and Pear Dormant Pruning Tips."