www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower OCTOBER 2017 3
Centerpiece:
IFTA Michigan Tour
24 Following the leaders
Michigan's early adopters of high-density
systems share tips for multiple leaders and
cropping techniques.
26 New thinking on thinning
Precision crop management skills help
Michigan's Wittenbach Orchards cut back on
expensive hand thinning.
Apples
8 Crop outlook
U.S. harvest won't set any records, but export
demand may be higher this season.
10 Stop the drop
Canadian growers have high hopes after
gaining access to 1-MCP for apple orchards.
12 "I make it work...
That's my philosophy."
Independent Washington grower not afraid to
try different techniques.
20 Predicting bitter pit
Measuring tree vigor and peel chemistry gives
the best indication which fruit is at risk.
Good Grape Grower
30 Scouting strategies
Your vineyard scouts probably aren't sampling
as randomly as you think they are.
www.goodfruit.com
The essential resource for growers
ROSS COURTNEY/GOOD FRUIT GROWER
Roman Luna, who works for Wittenbach Orchards in Belding, Michigan, thins Galas in July. Last year, the orchard avoided hand thinning Galas the whole season, thanks to a precision
crop load management model used to time the farm's chemical thinning regimen. But this year, a spring frost and unusual weather at bloom threw off the plan. Read more on Page 26.
