Good Fruit Grower

February 15

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8 FEBRUARY 15, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com R esearchers continue to examine the best methods to mitigate fire blight damage in an orchard, from pruning and treatment to regular surveys. Resistance levels to streptomycin in the Pacific Northwest have receded a bit, but there still remains some resistance to the antibiotic in the region, Dr. Ken Johnson, Oregon State University plant pathol- ogist, told growers at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association Annual Meeting in December. Certified organic production no longer allows the use of any antibiotic. For conventional use, "we think it could be useful on a limited basis, maybe one application per year," he said. "It was the silver bullet back in the day, but we're getting closer to where we have silver bullets again by mixing materials." FIRE BLIGHT management Mixing materials may bring growers closer to another "silver bullet" in fire blight management. by Shannon Dininny Diseases The Sustainable Soil Program f rom BioSa f e Systems The healthiest crops begin with the best f oundation TerraClean 5.0 bactericide/fungicide and TerraGrow microbial formula are a revolutionary combo for improving plant and soil health. Use them together to improve soil characteristics, plant stress tolerance and vigor. Look forward to reduced transplant shock and increased nutrient absorption with this perfect pair. 1.888.273.3088 | biosafesystems.com ORSat ® PRODUCT REVIEW ORSat™ is a custom designed satellite communication network and service for managing, operation and monitoring of wind machines. ORSat™ allows growers to monitor and control wind machines, fuel tanks, and weather stations with just a few simple steps, via an Internet enabled device, and is the only solution available that integrates with the Orchard-Rite® Auto-Start. The overall goal of the ORSat™ system is to partner with growers to make frost protection more effi cient, economical & eff ective than ever before. We operate 14 wind machines on 325 acres of apples and cherries spread out over 3 miles. In the past it was diffi cult to confi rm that our wind machines started, ran, and shut down appropriately during the course of a cold night. The ORSat System changed all that. Now we have the ability to start and stop our machines remotely, saving us money on fuel, labor and maintenance. ORSat also notifi es us when the machines are starting and stopping via the Auto-Start, and warns us of any problems. The ORSat System gives us yet another layer of protection above and beyond the Auto-Start and the Wind Machines themselves. " It provides us peace of mind on long, cold nights." ORSat ™ -- another innovative product from Orchard-Rite ® "ORSat puts frost protection at our fi ngertips." --Marcus & John Griggs 1611 W Ahtanum Union Gap WA 98903 Phone: (509) 457-9196 3766 Iroquois Wenatchee WA 98801 Phone:(509) 662-2753

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