Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/459886
40 FEBRUARY 15, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com FEBRUARY February 18-19: Northwest Pear Research Review, Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hood River, Oregon. Contact Kathy Coffey at kathy@treefruitresearch.com, (509) 665-8271, ext. 2. February 18-19: Food Processing Expo, Sacramento, California, www.foodprocessingexpo.net February 19-20: USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum, "Smart Agriculture in the 21st Century," Arlington, Virginia, www.usda.gov/oce/forum February 21: Women in Agriculture Conference, multiple locations across Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska, www.WomenInAg.wsu.edu. Contact Donna Rolen at (509) 745-8531 or email donna.rolen @wsu.edu. February 21-25: International Fruit Tree Association Annual Conference, Nova Scotia, Canada, www.ifruit-tree.org February 25: Agriculture Safety Day: Production to Processing, Wenatchee, Washington, www.wagovconf.org. Call 1-888-451-2004 or email GovSafetyConf @Lni.wa.gov MARCH March 3-5: Biocontrols Conference & Tradeshow, Fresno, California. www.biocontrolsconference.com March 7-10: California Small Farm Conference, San Diego, California, www.californiafarmconference.com March 10-11: B.C. Tree Fruit Horticultural Symposium 2015, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Email cleaming @bctree.com for information. March 10-12: Midwest Grape & Wine + Craft Brew Conference, St. Charles, Missouri, (888)-273-4533, www.midwestgrape.com March 13: WSDA Hands-On Pesticide Handler Training, Okanogan, Washington. Email nicole @ wahort.org or call (509) 665-9641. March 17-18: Fruit Ripening and Retail Handling Workshop, University of California Davis, postharvest. ucdavis.edu/Education/fruitripening/ GOOD TO GO For a complete listing of upcoming events, check the Calendar at www.goodfruit.com Stark Bro's testing new apple Scarlet Star S tark Bro's Nurseries and Orchards Company is testing a new apple, named Scarlet Star, that was discovered as a whole-tree mutation in an orchard in Howard City, Michigan. It was found about six years ago by Wayne Watts, who owns the orchard and farm market where it was dis- covered. He's been observing the tree since then. Stark is putting trees in its scion block and making some trees, many of them for Watts, who wants to increase the tree in his own orchards. He will make a planting this spring. Stark, based in Louisiana, Missouri, will list the variety in next year's catalog, according to Shawn Bixby, who works in commercial sales for Stark. Bixby and Watts were showing off the new apple at the Stark booth at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market Expo in December 2014. Neither Watts nor Bixby can figure out why the tree appeared in a planting of Northern Spy, but the tree some- how began gradually changing into a very un-Spy-like tree, now retaining just one Northern Spy limb. "It's kind of a different apple," Bixby said. A lot of testing still needs to be done, he said, but it appears to have several good attributes. The bright red, shiny apple has a sweet and tart flavor with high juice content, and good firmness and storability. It is productive and produces annually, unlike its par- ent Northern Spy, which has a biennial bearing tendency. It has a good stem connection and hangs well, Watts said. Harvest maturity is late September to mid-October, and picking can be done once or several times, Watts said. It may have potential for slicing. The tree survived the hard Michigan winter of 2014, when temperatures in that orchard fell to -30˚F, and it pro- duced a full crop in 2014. Watts says it appears not to be susceptible to scab and has been, so far, free of bitter pit. The skin color does not bleed in. Bixby has arranged for 25 trees to be sent to Phil Schwallier, the extension tree fruit educator on Fruit Ridge, north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Schwallier says he knows very little about the apple but will plant some at the Clarksville Horticultural Experiment Station and perhaps two other locations. —R. Lehnert Early testing shows promise in using lasers to scare birds A test conducted by a consulting company in The Netherlands shows that laser beams are an effective way to scare birds away from orchards. The company, CLM Research and Advice, tested the Agrilaser Autonomic last summer in an apple and pear orchard that had experienced major fruit damage from birds. Orchardist Arnold Gosgoed said that after the auto- mated laser was introduced the birds disappeared. The system makes no sound, and the birds do not seem to get used to the laser beam. It is easy to install and requires no maintenance. The Bird Control Group, based in Delft, The Netherlands, which developed the Agrilaser, plans to test the system on a larger scale. Birds perceive the laser beam, which makes random sweeps across the orchard, as an imminent physical dan- ger. A trajectory is programmed via a laptop computer or tablet to cover a designated area. Depending on the weather, an area of 100 to 1,200 hectares (250 to 3,000 acres) can be kept bird-free around the clock. Bird Control Group is part of Yes!Delft, an incuba- tor program of the Delft University of Technology. Its scientists have spent three years developing the laser technology. Check the website www.birdcontrolgroup.com for more information. GOOD STUFF A selection of the latest products and services for tree fruit and grape growers PHOTOS BY RICHARD LEHNERT/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Scarlet Star is being offered to growers by Stark Bro's, which will add it to its catalog this year. Valent to market Asana insecticide in U.S. S umitomo Chemical Company has acquired DuPont's Asana insecticide business in the United States. Asana (esfenvalerate) will be distributed through Valent U.S.A., a subsidiary of Sumitomo. The active ingredient, esfenvalerate, a resolved pyrethroid, was invented by Sumitomo Chemical. Dupont developed and commercialized the Asana formulation. Wayne Watts found Scarlet Star in his Northern Spy orchard six years ago.