There is a slight schedule change in the last few Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium webinars. Register for any/all at: https://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/northeast-extension-fruit-consortium
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 – 12:00pm (new date)
Plum Curculio Research- Update and Management
Online
Free
Speaker(s) / Instructor(s): Dr. Jaime Piñero, Extension Professor, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMass Extension Fruit Team and Mr. Jeremy Delisle, UNH Cooperative Extension, Merrimack County
Dr. Piñero and Mr. Delisle will present recent findings from regional plum curculio research and management practices for the coming growing season.
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 – 12:00pm (same date)
Online
Free
Speaker(s) / Instructor(s): Dr. Terence Bradshaw, Assistant Professor, University of Vermont
Dr. Bradshaw and colleagues will provide updates on the Northeast Cider Apple Project.
-Precision crop load management (spur pruning) to prevent biennialism in Honeycrisp can be tedious and time consuming. Dr. Renae Moran will describe her method for counting buds, how to tell if they are fruit buds or leaf buds, and whether or not this pruning technique works.
-Dr. Terence Bradshaw will discuss the present market for cider apples and considerations for maintaining profitability while growing cider fruit.
-Elizabeth Garofalo and Dr. Jaime Piñero will share IPM insights from cider apple observations.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 – 12:00pm (new date)
Herbicides: Materials, Timing and Rates
Online
Free
Speaker(s) / Instructor(s): Dr. Thierry Besançon, Assistant Extension Specialist in Weed Science Department of Plant Biology School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Dr. Thierry Besançon will be discussing the various aspects of an Integrated Weed Management program for tree fruit production. The webinar will focus on scouting methodology for detecting weeds, the identification of the most common annual and perennial weeds, the influence of cultural practices on weed spread or suppression, and weed control management tactics based on non-chemical as well as chemical methods. Dr. Besançon will also discuss the herbicide and rate selection process with regard to weed identification and development, and provide information on herbicide symptomology as well as methods for protecting trees from herbicide injury