Good Fruit Grower

December 2011

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Morning Mist™ Fuji This apple is an early maturing Fuji sport. Discovered in Brewster, Washington, this is one of the best early Fuji selections available on the market today. Maturity is approximately four weeks ahead of standard Fuji. USPP# 16,270 Aztec Fuji® Aztec Fuji® DT2 variety is a high colored Fuji sport from New Zealand. It has the sweet juicy flavor, crisp texture and harvest maturity of standard Fuji. Aztec is a blush type and observations show it to be one of the highest coloring Fuji sports to date. Aztec Fuji® is a protected trademark of Waimea Variety Management Ltd. Gwen Hoheisel "Of all the spray application technolo- gies in the last decade, the greatest one- time effect of any technology has been the Raven rate control system," Marrs said. "And it's not just a cost factor—there are worker safety and environmental benefits from improving the rate and delivery." Future technologies WSU's Hoheisel, who leads a team of researchers charged with developing a smart targeted spray application technol- ogy roadmap for specialty crops, said that several emerging technologies could be "game changers" when it comes to tree fruit and grape pest management. "The Raven rate control system has been a big step forward, but we need to continue to keep improving application techniques," she said, identifying canopy density sensors as a future spray technol- ogy holding great promise. (See "Spraying with sprinklers" on page 24.) A game changer for pesticide applica- tions would be a fixed or solid-set delivery system that sprays chemicals over the top of tree or vine canopies similar to an over- head evaporative cooling system. Hoheisel notes that an SCRI funded research project is underway to study such a system. (See "Research spinoffs result in smarter sprayers" on page 22.) "Growers never have enough sprayers when timing is crucial," she said, adding that a fixed system would have a huge impact on worker safety by getting the applicator off the tractor. In looking at the crystal ball of spray technology, Marrs predicts that the next round of sprayer improvements will be development of site-specific technology similar to variable rate technology used to apply fertilizer. He envisions technology that will allow the use of multiple prod- ucts injected into the spray fluid as needed. An orchard would be mapped first with Global Positioning Satellite coordinates to identify pest and disease hot spots. Infor- mation would be downloaded into the spray controller, and the sprayer, carrying multiple crop protection chemicals, would apply specific pesticides only where needed. • www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER DECEMBER 2011 21 Buckeye® Buckeye® Gala that we have seen to date. Buckeye® develops well through the summer heat and the fruit finishes with a bright, full red color. USPP# 10,840 Additional Varieties Ambrosia™ Blondee™ Cameo® Gala: Buckeye® brand Chrisolyn™ Jonathan Granny Smith Jonastar™ Jonagold Pink Lady® Brand RubyMac® Snowsweet® Spartan Zestar!® Gala Ultima Gala® Early Fuji: Morning Mist™ Rising Sun® Braeburn: Kumeu Crimson® Mariri Red™ Brookfield® Gala (Baigent CV) From New Zealand we bring you Brookfield,® the ultimate striped Gala.The bold red stripe over its red background is the obvious improvement. The apple's early color permits proper harvest timing for best storage maturity, flavor retention, and customer satisfaction. USPP# 10,016 Willow Drive Nursery, Inc. Call Toll Free: 1-888-548-7337 3539 Road 5 NW, Ephrata, WA 98823, www.willowdrive.com Gala is the highest coloring Gala Gala Honeycrisp Introduced in 1991, Honeycrisp is creating quite an interest with commercial growers. The well- balanced, sub-acid flavor combined with a crisp, juicy texture make for an enjoyable eating experience. Willow Drive Nursery Call Now for Availability

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