Good Fruit Grower

April 15

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6 APRIL 15, 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Dear Good Fruit Grower: I am a University of California pomology farm advisor and have worked in the pear industry for going on 26 years. I read the article on WSU mating disruption research in the March 1 Good Fruit Grower and noted that it stated that mating disruption began in walnuts in California. Actually, puffer mating disruption that is currently being used in tree fruit began in 1996 by Dr. Harry Shorey, who developed the strategy and was funded by the California pear industry to test the dispensers in an areawide project in Lake County. I was his local collaborator, and we began using puffers on 160 acres (5 orchards). The project expanded yearly (we were the first USDA areawide puffer project grant and also received multiple CalDPR grants and industry funds, winning a Pest Management Alliance award) to 1,300 acres, and to this day is the main commercial strategy employed for codling moth on the North Coast and in much of the California pear acreage. Dr. Steve Welter began studying puffers following the death of Dr. Shorey and after the puffers had been employed commercially for some years. His research helped further elucidate the mechanisms, or reasons, the puffers were effective. The walnut puffer proj- ect led by Dr. Welter was designed based on the Lake County project design, and is credited as such by Dr. Welter. Indeed, the rate (1 per acre) determined as effective in pome fruits in Michigan and WSU studies is the same as those originally determined to be effective by Dr. Shorey many years ago, and that is the standard rate employed today. I would be happy to refer you to local industry members who have been intimately familiar with the use of puffers in California. Thank you. Rachel Elkins University of California Cooperative Extension Lakeport, California Frame it! Dear Good Fruit Grower: I just received the March 15 Good Fruit Grower today at work (Rothrock Farms, Inc.). I just have to tell you that I am tearing off the front page and framing it for our farm office before the foreman gets to read it! Just love the picture! Luanne Durfey Rothrock Farms, Inc. Prosser, Washington IN THE BOX Want to share your opinion? Write us at 105 S. 18th St., #217 Yakima, WA 98901 or e-mail growing@ goodfruit.com Puffer research CORRECTION A photo caption with "Options for codling moth control" in the March 1 issue was incorrect. While pheromone canisters last all season, the Isomate CM Mist cabinet, made by Pacific Biocontrol, is designed to be used for only one season, not several seasons as was incorrectly stated. Suterra created a "return and reuse" program for puffers this season that inspects canisters for quality control and returns them to growers for redeployment in the orchard. g r o w i n g w i t h g r o w e r s s i n c e 1 9 4 6 Managing Editor Casey Corr casey.corr@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3512 Editor Geraldine Warner gwarner@goodfruit.com • 509-665-3330 Associate Editors Melissa Hansen mhansen@goodfruit.com • 509-968-3922 Richard Lehnert lehnert@goodfruit.com • 616-984-6001 Advertising Manager Doug Button dbutton@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3514 Advertising Sales Rick Larsen rick@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3517 Theresa Currell theresa@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3516 Production Manager Nancy Jo Born nancyb@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3513 Digital Producer TJ Mullinax tj@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3519 Page Designer Aurora Lee aurora@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3518 Circulation Maria Fernandez maria@goodfruit.com • 509-853-3515 Advisory Board Lindsay Hainstock, Denny Hayden, Steve Hoying, Jim Kelley, Desmond Layne, Jim McFerson, Ian Merwin, Don Olmstead, Mercy Olmstead, Marvin Owings, Mark Roy, Vicky Scharlau, Mark Tudor, Chris Van Well, Mike Wittenbach U.S. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35.00 per year, 3 years $75.00. CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS: $55.00 per year (U.S. funds, Canadian G.S.T. included: G.S.T. Registration #135100949). SUBSCRIPTIONS OUTSIDE U.S.A. & CANADA: $100.00 per year (payment by credit card only). WASHINGTON STATE GROWER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $2.00 per year to deciduous tree fruit growers in the state of Washington who pay assessments on commercially shipped fruit, either to the Washington State Fruit Commission or to the Washington Apple Commission. Back issues are not available. Single copies of current issues are $5.00. To subscribe, call 1-800-487-9946. Good Fruit Grower (ISSN 0046-6174) is published semi-monthly January through May, and monthly June through December, by the Washington State Fruit Commission, 105 South 18th Street, Suite 205, Yakima, WA 98901-2149. Periodical postage paid at Yakima, WA, and additional offices. Publications Mail Agreement No. 1795279. The publication of any advertisement is not to be construed as an endorsement by the Washington State Fruit Commission or Good Fruit Grower magazine of the product or service offered, unless it is specifically stated in the advertisement that there is such approval or endorsement. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Good Fruit Grower, 105 South 18th Street, Suite 217, Yakima, WA 98901-2177. © 2014 by Good Fruit Grower Printed in U.S.A. 105 S. 18th St., #217, Yakima, WA 98901 509 ⁄ 853-3520, 1-800-487-9946, Fax 509 ⁄853-3521 E-mail: growing@goodfruit.com www.goodfruit.com

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