Fruit Program News

  • Annual Summer Meeting of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Assoc. - July 11

    July 1, 2017

    Annual Summer Meeting of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ Association

    in cooperation with University of Massachusetts Fruit Program
    TUESDAY, July 11, 2017
    Cider Hill Farm
    45 Fern Avenue, Amesbury, Massachusetts

    10:00 AM Welcome to Cider Hill Farm and the morning tour -- Glenn Cook, President, MFGA

    10:15 AM Orchard Tour

    Blueberry and raspberry plantings
    Primocane blackberry patch
    Seedless grape planting
    Fruit-tree spacings and preferences
    New planting of cider apples
    Renewable energy program (solar, small turbines, and high efficiency wood boilers)
    Tomato greenhouses
    Day neutral strawberry high tunnel trial
    insect and disease control updates/IPM strategies for tree and small fruit (Jon Clements and Sonia Schloemann)

    NOON Lunch by Goody Coles BBQ provided with the registration charge

    1:15 PM Welcome to the afternoon tour -- Glenn Cook, President, MFGA

    1:20 PM Facilities Tour

    Brand new hard cider venture
    CSA, food truck, and fledgling jam factory
    Labor profile

    2:30 PM Adjourn

    Registration for this meeting will be $25 for Mass. Fruit Growers’ Association members ($35 for non-members) per person and will include the tour, educational program, pesticide recertification credits, and lunch.

    To ensure the availability of the meal, please pre-register by adding the appropriate number and type (member or non-member) registrations to your shopping cart and paying with a credit card.

    We must receive pre-registrations by Friday, July 7 to assure availability of the lunch.

    PDF version of this announcement -- print and register via US Mail.

    Register on-line by July 7 using PayPal and a credit card here...
  • SWD ID (from Oregon State Univ.)

    2017 SWD Insecticide Recommendations for Small Fruit and Stone Fruit

    June 21, 2017
    The 2017 insecticide recommendations for controlling Spotted Wing Drosophila can be found here:  
    Read more
  • honey crisp apple flower

    Current bud stages updated

    May 15, 2017

    Current bud stages updated have been updated on 15-May, 2017 http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/resources/bud-stages-photos
  • eco apple logo

    Eco Apple app now available

    May 7, 2017
    An Eco Apple app is now available on both the iOS (Apple) and Android (Play) stores to help apple growers choose crop protectants that are specifically allowed in the Eco Apple protocol.
    Read more

  • May fruit twilight/thinning meetings scheduled

    May 2, 2017

    McIntosh apple in bloom
    May fruit twilight/thinning meetings have been scheduled. These will be important meetings for you to attend after a heavy bloom to see what your apple chemical thinning options will be. Dr. Duane Greene will attend with chemical thinning recommendations. Hope to see you there!

    10-May, 2017 (Wednesday) Fruit Twilight/Thinning meeting, 5:30 PM. Honey Pot Hill Orchards, 138 Sudbury Road, Stow, MA. http://www.honeypothill.com/ 1 pesticide credit will be offered. $20 admission. Light supper will be served. Contact: Jon Clements, 413-478-7219. Pre-registration is not necessary.

    11-May, 2017 (Thursday) Fruit Twilight/Thinning meeting, 5:30 PM. UMass Cold Spring Orchard, 391 Sabin Street, Belchertown, MA. http://coldspringorchard.com/ 1 pesticide credit will be offered. $20 admission. Light supper will be served. Contact: Jon Clements, 413-478-7219. Pre-registration is not necessary.
  • Honeycrisp apple

    Orchard bud stage photos updated...

    May 1, 2017

    Orchard bud stage photos have been updated...taken at the UMass Cold Spring Orchard, Belchertown, MA.

  • NEW Fact Sheet: Crop load guide for young apple trees

    April 26, 2017

    Crop load management on young apple trees is important to balance fruit load with vegetative growth so that "runting out" or biennial bearing does not happen. This is important with varieties such as Honeycrisp (in particular) that are prone to "runt out" and/or go into biennial bearing if over-cropped in the early orchard establishment years. See the NEW Fact Sheet Crop load guide for young apple trees for more information and guidance on cropping young apple trees.

  • Apple Orchard Management Decisions in 2017: Take Advantage of Technology

    March 29, 2017
    jon.clements@umass.eduOnline Decision Support Systems (DSS’s) provide guidance in managing disease and insect pests using weather based forecasting models.  These DSS’s predict pest development and risk of infection/damage. Weather data can be acquired from either on-site weather stations or by virtual gridded data. For 2017, Massachusetts apple growers have a choice of four DSS’s, which are briefly outlined here.
    Read more
  • RIMpro banner

    UMass RIMpro Advisory Service 2017

    March 22, 2017
    In cooperation with the New England Tree Fruit Research Committee (NETFRC), we will be offering a RIMpro advisory service to New England apple growers in 2017.
    Read more
  • "Climate, Weather and Apples." publication cover

    Climate, Weather and Apples publication

    February 15, 2017
    "Climate, Weather and Apples." Published February, 2017. Lois Wright Morton, Daniel Cooley, Jon Clements, Mark Gleason. Available as downloadable PDF here.
    Read more

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