Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/79982
Controls Voles & Protects Your Orchard IN THE future… introduced several times to a provincial specialty, hard apple cider, and its even-more-special version, ice cider. While the Canadians haven't experienced the T labor issues their U.S. counterparts have, they are intensely interested in mechanization. They are buy- ing mechanical blossom thinners, hedgers, plat- forms, and harvest-assist machines and seem tuned in to European technology. Look to future issues of Good Fruit Grower for more articles by Richard Lehnert on apple production in Quebec. half. The rest is paid for by the federal and provincial governments. Tanguay noted a debt to the International Fruit Tree Association. In 2010, she saw the codling moth areawide mating disruption work at Cornell University during the IFTA visit there, and implemented a program among her growers the following year. Quebec growers look carefully at what goes on in New York and especially the Champlain Valley production area, which is so close to them, said grower Paul Lussier. Provincial support Karine Bergeron, who is with Quebec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, said there are about 6,000 hectares of apples in Quebec, with most of them grown in the Monteregian Hills around Montreal. About 550 growers produced 5.255 million bushels last year, somewhat below the average of 5.8 million. McIntosh still prevails, followed by Cortland, Spartan, and Empire, but Honeycrisp and Gala are on the increase. Last year, the Quebec ministry spent about $5.8 mil- lion of a $12 million overall budget on a replant project to help Quebec growers shift from older varieties on large trees to new varieties in high-density configurations, and165 growers upgraded orchards as part of the pro- gram. Growers can get about $6,000 an acre from the province for planting new trees, and they may also qual- ify for about $2,000 in federal money to take out the old orchard. The program will end next year. Role of IRDA One of the harder agencies to fathom is the private- public partnership called IRDA, which translated from the French is the Institute for Research and Development for the Agri-Environment. It is like a combination of the U.S. land-grant system and the USDA, but is provincial, not national, with a large dose of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency thrown in. It is a nonprofit research corporation that was founded in 1998 by four founding groups representing the inter- ests of the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, the Depart- ment of Sustainable Development of the Environment and Parks, the Department of Economic Development, and the Union of Agricultural Producers. It has researchers and research stations, and its stated mission is to engage in research, development, and transfer activities that foster agricultural innovation in a sustainable manner. The tour visited one of its research facilities, where 20 acres of research orchards were located in a public park at Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville. There, we saw experimental trials on fireblight control and a fixed-in-place spray system used to provide water for frost protection or irrigation, if needed, plus pesticides. The facility plays three roles—research, demonstra- tion, and heritage preservation—targeted to serve both producers and the general public. • www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER SEPTEMBER 2012 11 Outstanding Control BAIT EARLY SAVE BIG Meadow vole. he IFTA summer tour in Quebec was an intense two days, but good food and wine are part of the province's French heritage, and the growers were - Rozol paraffi nized pellets are ideal for wet conditions. - For use after Fall harvest, and before new Spring growth. - Perfect for use during snow melt-offs. Voles gnaw on tree trunks and roots (girdling) causing OxiDate® 2.0 eradicates Fire Blight on contact, providing an effective alternative to traditional treatment. EPA Registered No mutational resistance Spray through bloom period Exempt from pesticide tolerances - No MRLs Can be rotated with biological based bactericides/fungicides OxiDate 2.0 OxiDate 2.0 Fire Blight on Pome FruitsFire Blight on Pome Fruits Controls Contr