Fruit Program News

  • May Fruit Twilight Meetings Scheduled

    April 30, 2018
    May Fruit Twilight Meetings Scheduled: Tuesday, May 8 at Apex Orchards, Shelburne, MA and Thursday, May 10 at Foppema's Hilltop Orchard, Wilkinsonville (Sutton), MA.
    Read more
  • Pear psylla

    Pear psylla active in Massachusetts Orchards

    April 18, 2018

    Pear psylla adults have become active egg layers with warm temperatures in Massachusetts pear orchards. These pictures of adults and eggs on pear buds were taken last week by Jaime Pinero in eastern Massachusetts. Early season psylla control beginning with oil sprays is essential for season-long management. For more information see:

    Pear psylla in New England Tree Fruit Management Guide

    2-Swollen bud spray table for pears in New England Tree Fruit Management Guide

     

     
  • mcintosh apple bud 17-April, 2018

    Current bud stages updated 17-April, 2018

    April 17, 2018

    Current bud stages updated 17-April, 2018, UMass Cold Spring Orchard, Belchertown, MA

    http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/bud-stages/current-bud-stages-april-17-2018

     

  • April Extension Fruit Twilight Meetings

    April 2, 2018
    April Extension Fruit Twilight Meetings, April 10, 11, and 12, 2018. For commercial fruit growers. Pesticide re-certification credits will be offered.
    Read more

  • Respirator Train-the-Trainer Course for Farmers, Beekeepers

    March 23, 2018
    Respirator Train-the-Trainer Course for Farmers, Beekeepers, and other employees who need to use respirators UMass Extension is offering a series of Respirator Train-the-Trainer workshops in 2018. Farmers, beekeepers and other who need to wear respirators, required by pesticide labels, can benefit from the workshop. Participants will learn how the fit test a respirator and select, use, clean, maintain and replace respirators. All handlers must be trained under the EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Respirator Requirement if they apply any pesticide that requires a respirator. Several organic approved (OMRI) pesticides and some miticides used by beekeepers require respirators.
    Read more

  • Apple Crop Insurance Plan Information Collection Listening Sessions for Growers, Insurance Co. Staff & Agents

    March 23, 2018

    Agralytica of Alexandria, Virginia is conducting a review of the apple insurance plan on behalf of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). As part of the review, Agralytica staff will hold listening sessions with growers, insurance staff and other interested parties in several states. For New England, the principal session will be on March 30 in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Anyone in western Connecticut and Massachusetts is also welcome to attend a session in Highland, New York if it is more convenient.

    The aim is to get feedback on how the program is working and how it can be improved. A central focus of the research is experience with and alternatives to the Fresh Fruit Quality Option, but Agralytica is also charged with reviewing current production and marketing practices in New England and identifying other issues that growers face with the current apple program. This is an opportunity for producers, insurance staff and agents alike to communicate concerns and possible improvements for consideration in the development of future apple crop insurance policy. 

    The date, venue, and timing of the two listening sessions is as follows:

    Friday March 30, 2018

    Hillsborough County

    New Hampshire

    UNH Cooperative Extension -

    Hillsborough County

    329 Mast Road Goffstown, NH 03045 Tel: 603-641-6060

    Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm

    Friday March 23

    Ulster County

    New York

    Hudson Valley Research Lab

    3357 US Hwy 9W

    Highland, NY 12528

    Tel: 845-691-7151

    Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am

     

  • UMass Fruit Team Seeks Undergraduate Summer Intern(s) with Pay!

    February 13, 2018
    The UMass Fruit Team (umassfruit.com) is looking for one (or two) full-time, spring- summer undergraduate student Integrated Pest Management assistants/interns. These are PAID hourly positions! Main responsibilities to include (but are not limited to): install and maintain orchard pest monitoring equipment and other orchard fieldwork tasks as required. Mostly, this is a learning/mentoring position for the right individual(s). Therefore, we might expect you to also draft content for newsletters and other publications based on monitoring information and relevant field observations.
    Read more
  • New video on High Density Apple Orchards

    New video on High Density Apple Orchards

    January 23, 2018

    Fruit production specialist Jon Clements of UMass Extension demonstrates more efficient growing methods to produce greater yields and higher-quality fruit from Massachusetts apple orchards. This new technology is the future for the next generation of apple growers in Massachusetts and beyond.

    View video of High Density Apple Orchards

  • Get SMART: New Solar Incentive Program Coming to Massachusetts

    January 12, 2018
    The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is in the process of finalizing a new solar PV incentive program, the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. The regulations for SMART include an option for dual-use solar arrays on continually farmed agricultural land, namely an Agricultural Solar Tariff Generation Unit.
    Read more
  • myipm logo

    MyIPM App Update

    January 4, 2018

    The MyIPM smartphone app has undergone a major update! Previous to now, separate MyIPM apps were available for different crops and disease/insect scenarios. (See previous news item here.) NOW, these have been rolled into one major upgrade of the MyIPM app, and it is available on both the Play and Apple Stores on your Android or iOS device respectively. MyIPM now includes Apple, Blackberry, Pear, Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach, Bunch (grape), and Cranberry fruit crops, with both Disease and Insect pest and management information. MyIPM's main intent is to help with chemical control selection to avoid developing chemical pest resistance by rotating fungicides/insecticides/miticides. There is also a wealth of practical information on pest biology, alternative control methods, and chemical control options. In addition this update to MyIPM includes information on pesticide (by trade name) application risk for many environmental factors such as pollinator, human, avian, aquatic, earthworm, and small mammal. (As provided by the Pesticide Risk Tool.) There is also a handy app-wide "Search for pesticide" function. Speaking of search, SEARCH for "MyIPM" in your respective smartphone app store to download and begin using MyIPM to help with pest identification, management, and resistance avoidance.

     

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