Good Fruit Grower

October 2015

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40 OCTOBER 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com USDA develops low-chill peach A new peach variety with extremely low chilling requirements has been developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The new variety, Gulfsnow, requires only 400 hours of chilling to flower and set fruit and should help growers in the southeastern lower coastal plain produce a more reliable supply of early-summer peaches, according to the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. By compari- son, June Gold, a variety commonly grown in that area, requires 650 hours of chilling. Gulfsnow is a round, fresh-market peach with 50 to 60 percent red blush over a cream background. The flesh is creamy-white and firm. It ripens in early June in Attapulgus, Georgia, about 10 days after Gulfcrimson. Dr. Thomas Beckman, horticulturist at the USDA's Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Georgia, developed Gulfsnow to overcome the chilling problem, which has become worse in recent years as winter temperatures have trended warmer and chilling hours have declined. Treat for voles in the fall L iphaTech, manufacturer of the rodenticide Rozol (chlorophacinone), recommends monitoring for orchard voles in the summer and treating twice in the fall or once in the fall and once in the spring. Voles can girdle the trunk and roots, disrupting the flow of nutrients. They can also create air pockets near tree roots, causing stunting and root disease. The most severe vole damage is during the winter. Two Rozol treatments reduce the chances of voles surviving, breed- ing, and feeding under snow cover. Placing T pipe bait stations on the borders helps maintain an uninterrupted supply of bait and reduces migration into the orchard. For more information go to www.liphatech.com. MAP slider bag launched V iew Fresh, a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) system for fresh fruit, is now available as a slider bag. The View Fresh Spectrum-Slider bag closes using a slider fastener, which eliminates the need for a sealing machine, increasing operator efficiency and lowering labor costs. Removing the sealing machines means less potential downtime due to broken equipment and less risk of worker injury, according to Brenda Thomas, president of Orchard View Farms in The Dalles, Oregon, which owns the View Fresh brand. View Fresh has been used for fresh cherries since 1992 and is now available for kiwis, blueberries, and plums. It is popular with Asian importers. For more information contact View Fresh at (541) 298- 4496 or by email at info@viewfresh.com. New lure is specific to SWD S centry Biologicals Inc. is marketing a new lure for spotted wing drosophila, the Scentry SWD Lure v.2, which is reported to perform better than apple cider vinegar or red wine mixtures. The polymer lure con- tains a selective chemical attractant that catches flies earlier than other attrac- tants. Each lure lasts for at least four to six weeks. The lure was developed in cooperation with scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oregon State University, the Oregon State Department of Agriculture, and Washington State University. For more information call Scentry at (800) 735-5323. Control pests with heat A groThermal Systems, based in Walnut Creek, California, is marketing a thermaculture machine, which can be used to apply heat to vineyards with the goal of increasing yields, controlling pests and diseases, and improving crop quality. The propane-powered machine is towed through the vineyard at seven-day intervals. The machine is being used at Shane McKibben's 240- acre vineyard, Les Collines, in Walla Walla, Washington. According to AgroThermal, McKibben reports success controlling early-season pests, such as thrips, mites, and powdery mildew. He also saved time that would have been spent mixing chemical sprays and filling up the tank. Go to www.agrothermalsystems.com for more information. GOOD STUFF A selection of the latest products and services for tree fruit and grape growers Register for cider conference T he United States Association of Cider Makers will hold its annual conference February 2-5, 2016, at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower in Portland, Oregon. As part of CiderCon, an orchard production work- shop will be held February 3 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to provide the latest information to commercial apple farmers interested in growing cider apples for fermen- tation. The workshop will cover site selection, root- stocks, varieties, training systems, irrigation, weed control, pest management, economics, and cost of establishment and production. The workshop cost is $65 and includes lunch. Mike Beck, owner of Uncle John's Cider Mill in St. Johns, Michigan, and president of the association, said growth in the hard cider industry has been explo- sive in the last decade, capturing a 1 percent share of the beer market and having a potential of five times that. Go to www.ciderconference.com for more information. OCTOBER October 23-25: PMA Fresh Summit, Atlanta, Georgia, www.pma.com/events/freshsummit. NOVEMBER November 3-5: Produce Safety Workshop, University of California Davis, postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Education/ Produce-Safety/. November 9-11: Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Conference, San Diego, California, www.mbao.org. November 10-11: Northwest Cherry Research Review, Red Lion, Yakima, Washington, www.treefruitresearch.com. For information call Kathy Coffey at (509) 665-8271 ext. 2 or email kathy @treefruitresearch.com. November 10-11: 35th Annual Food Safety and Sanitation Workshop, Portland, Oregon, ext100.wsu.edu/foodsanitation. For information, call Cathy Blood at 509-335-2845 or email blood@wsu.edu. November 11-12: Irrigation Show, Long Beach, California, www.irrigationshow.org. For information, email info@ irrigationshow.org. November 12-13: Washington State Grape Society Annual Meeting and Trade Show, Grandview, Washington, www. grapesociety.org. November 13-15: Tilth Producers Annual Conference, Spokane, Washington, tilthproducers.org. For information, call (206) 632-7506 or email organic@tilthproducers.org. November 16-17: Sustainable Ag Expo, San Luis Obispo, California, www.sustainableagexpo.org. For information, call (805) 466-2288. November 24: Stone Fruit Research Review, WSU, Prosser, Washington, www.treefruitresearch.com. For information call Kathy Coffey at (509) 665-8271 ext. 2 or email kathy @treefruitresearch.com. DECEMBER December 7-9: Washington State Tree Fruit Association 111th Annual Meeting & Northwest Hort Expo, Yakima, Washington, www.wstfa.org. For information, call (509) 728-0010. December 8-10: Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo, Grand Rapids, Michigan, www.glexpo.com. COURTESY USDA The Gulfsnow peach. COURTESY VIEW FRESH Ryan Durow with View Fresh checks blueberries packed in the new slider bag on arrival in Hong Kong. COURTESY SCENTRY BIOLOGICALS COURTESY AGROTHERMAL SYSTEMS GOOD TO GO For a complete listing of upcoming events, check the Calendar at www.goodfruit.com

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