The Northeast IPM Center has awarded support to Dr. Terence Bradshaw from the University of Vermont Fruit Program, in collaboration with colleagues from Universities of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Cornell University, for their project, “Next Generation Support for Northeast Tree Fruit IPM Working Group.” IPM is short for Integrated Pest Management, a crop management and protection system that integrates economic, biologic, physical, and chemical practices to minimize pesticide use by farmers. In this project, Dr. Bradshaw will work with Dr. Anna Wallingford, Dr. Jaime Piñero, and Janet van Zoeren to support early-career IPM specialists in Universities, government agencies, and private consulting firms to transfer the deep well of knowledge from veteran specialists as they retire from their long careers. Key outputs will include assuming management of NETFIPMWG from retiring chair Dr. Arthur Agnello (Cornell University); maintaining the regional IPM priorities and annual state/project reports from cooperating states and provinces; supporting Dr. Wallingford’s “Stupid Question Sessions” podcast, in which younger faculty interview veteran specialists on IPM topics; and continuing to host an annual gathering of IPM specialists in Vermont each year to facilitate knowledge exchange and network-building.

More information on the UVM Fruit Program can be found at: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/horticulture/tree-fruit and https://blog.uvm.edu/fruit/.

More information on Northeast IPM Center may be found at: https://www.northeastipm.org/

My former boss and longtime mentor Dr. Lorraine Berkett, familiar to many on this list, used to always say to be ready for the growing season by April 1. Climate change may push that up- I remember starting our spray season in March in 2012, but that was an unusually warm spring. This spring weather looks like it will hold us into the pattern that Lorraine ingrained into me. But a growing season starting April 1 means preparing for it now.

A few items that I’d like to remind growers about include:

1. Get you sprayer ready. This probably means cleaning it up, checking the mechanics, and, once the threat of really cold weather is out (or when you can make room in the shop), going through the plumbing. If you haven’t replaced nozzle tips for a couple of years, do so now. While you’re in there, clean out all of the gunk in nozzle bodies and other nooks and crannies. This is your time to get the machine in tip-top shape heading into the season. Don’t forget to replace you tractor cab filter, too!
2. Attend our Tree Row Volume and Crop Adapted Spraying webinar next Tuesday, March 23, noon-1:30. Register ahead of time to get the link and to apply for pesticide application credits. I will be presenting with Ontario spray expert Jason Deveau. Dr. Deveau will also be holding a two-day webinar that will go into fine detail how best to optimize your sprayer on March 29 and 30.
3. Figure out which NEWA station you will use for your weather monitoring. We have 20 stations and airports that feed data around Vermont to the system. This web-based application helps growers to integrate field- and weather-based information into biological models to help determine the need for and time spray applications for key pests.
   1. If you don’t have a station near you and wish to have one, please contact me. Stations are about $2000 and last for about 5 years before they need replacement or upgrades. Trust me, for $400 per year, this tool pays for itself many times over.
   2. Please plan to attend our webinar on March 30 to learn about the new NEWA system, upgrades for 2021!!
4. Get your monitoring supplies in gear and plan your orchard scouting. Your first stop should be to download our IPM Quick Summary for Monitoring Apple Arthropod Pests. Print off and put on your spray shed wall. This covers the primary insect pests to monitor, and their timing and thresholds, during the season. Next, order you traps, likely from Great Lakes IPM or Gemplers. As a start, for each monitored block (orchard management unit 10 acres or smaller in size) you’ll want:
   1. Six white visual traps for European apple sawfly and tarnished plant bug.
   2. Three ‘wing’ traps for monitoring moths. You can choose the red or white traps, I prefer red delta traps as they are easy to replace the trap cards and find in the orchard. For each trap, you will need three codling moth, oriental fruit moth, and obliquebanded leafroller pheromone lures. You’ll also need three or more trap liners per trap.
   3. You’ll need four apple maggot fly traps per block. Traps come in disposable (requires hanger) or reusable models. We’ve moved to the disposable because the reusable ones require some pretty gross cleaning regime. You’ll also need appropriate adhesive to coat the traps.
   4. I like to carry rolls of flagging and some kind of magnifying lens to mark trees and make field identification easier.
   5. A good field guide is essential. We recommend NRAES 169: Tree Fruit Field Guide to Insect, Mite, and Disease Pests and Natural Enemies of Eastern North America (pdf, hard copy).
5. Set up whatever data sheet system works for you. Some prefer a clipboard and paper, others a spreadsheet on the phone. A sample, printable spreadsheet can be found here. Note there are some extra trapped insects (e.g., Lesser apple worm, etc., that we are less concerned with in most orchards) and some pests that we assess with visual leaf or fruit observations- we’ll get to those as we go through the season.
6. A good, general Orchard IPM Guide is the Cornell Apple IPM for Beginners booklet, available here.
7. As we get into the growing season, you may want to consider mating disruption of codling moth or dogwood borer, the latter especially on young or dwarf trees. Mating disruption pheromones dispensers are typically hung in the orchard around bloom, so be ready to order ahead of time.

That should do it for now. See you soon.

New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference Postponed to December 2022

We have made the difficult decision not to hold an in-person New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference this coming December, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we will hold an in-person meeting when we feel more confident that we can do so safely and cost-effectively, and have reserved dates for December 13-15th, 2022 to gather again in Manchester for a full Conference and Trade Show. While we would all prefer to be in person this year, we feel it is unwise to take on the financial risk of attempting an in-person meeting that may not be well-attended due to COVID-19 safety limitations and travel restrictions.

In the meantime, we will plan a simple online conference for this coming December 13-17th, 2021, in order to provide education, professional development, and pesticide credits to growers and service providers across New England and New York. We are hopeful that this coordinated regional effort will be a fun, effective, and safe way to keep up to date with the latest and greatest vegetable and fruit news! Stay tuned for details as we develop our plan for the December 2021 meeting by checking our conference website or by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Sue Scheufele

General Chair, NEVFC 2021

Announcement_rgs.pdf

A reminder about the remainder of the upcoming New England Winter Fruit Seminar Series:

March 3 (Wednesday): Managing Apple Maggot Fly
March 10 (Wednesday): Managing Early Season Apple Insect pests
March 17 (Wednesday): Honeycrisp Bitter Pit and Soft Scald Management, & Ag-Radar; Weather Tools for Orchard Decisions
March 23 (Tuesday): Tree Row Volume – What it is, why it matters, and how to use it
March 30 (Tuesday): NEWA 2.0 – Project upgrades for 2021

All start at noon and run to 1:30 app.
1 pesticide recertification credit for each
Pre-registration for each Zoom meeting/seminar required.

Each attendee who wants to receive pesticide credits must register separately and view from a separate device.

Pre-register here: https://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/new-england-winter-fruit-seminar-series

Subject: Crop Ins & Disaster Coverage deadlines

Hello all,

The deadline for producers to enroll in federal crop insurance or disaster assistance coverage programs for most spring-planted crops is March 15. Please see the attached information and share with Vermont producers and others who may have an interest.

Thank you.

Jake

—

Ms. Jake Jacobs

UVM Agricultural Risk Management and Crop Insurance Education

208 Morrill Hall, 146 University Place

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT 05405

Email: jake.jacobs

Message phone line: 802-656-7356

Website: http://go.uvm.edu/ag-risk

Announcement-news rel.Mar15deadlines.2021Feb.pdf

To attend today’s meeting, you need to register at this link:

https://uvmextension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z40mdZl_RHW9DJkZFlEfQA

This is separate from the VTFGA membership. If you did not register at the UVM Extension Zoom link, you will not receive the link to attend the meeting.

When you register at the above link, you will be emailed the link to join the meeting.

When you register, you will be asked to enter your pesticide license # to receive credits. If you do not have a license or do not need credits, just enter “na”.

Thanks, sorry for any confusion, and we’ll see everyone today at noon.

In order to ‘attend’ Thursday’s 125th Annual VT Tree Fruit Growers Association annual meeting, you will need to pre-register: https://uvmextension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z40mdZl_RHW9DJkZFlEfQA

After registering, you will receive a unique link to log into the Zoom webinar.

Agenda:

12:00 Registration

12:05 News from UVM Fruit Team
Dr. Terence Bradshaw, UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist

12:20 Vendor spotlight
Eric Boire, VTFGA President

12:25 Vermont Pesticide Program
Annie MacMillan, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets

12:35 Invasive insects on our doorstep
Judy Rosovsky, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets

1:05 VTFGA Business meeting
Eric Boire, VTFGA President

1:15 Vendor Spotlight
Jake Jacobs, UVM Risk Management Agency

1:25 SCBGP Wrap up and future directions of VTFGA
Rose Wilson, Rose Wilson Consulting LLC

2:00 Adjourn

The meeting is approved for two (2) pesticide recertification credits. In order to receive credits, you must log in individually, with your pesticide applicator’s license number (entered at registration). You will also have to log in by 12:00, stay logged in for the duration of the meeting (2:00), and answer the poll questions that come up during and at the end of the meeting. If you are watching with someone else and both want credit, you will need to each have a device logged in and answer the poll questions.

The Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association is the membership-supported industry organization that provides support services fruit growers. Membership information is available at: https://vt-tree-fruit-growers-association-annual-dues.cheddarup.com/. The last session of this meeting will outline the important work that VTFGA does for the industry.

See you on Thursday,

Terry

Passing along some important information from my colleague Mary Concklin at UCONN. -TB

From: Concklin, Mary
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2021 3:51 PM
Subject: Fruit Update

Good afternoon,

The USDA has published a booklet titled Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities. A guide to federal programs. This 101 page publication has an exhaustive list of grant and assistance programs available for agriculture. It is well worth looking through to see if there are programs that can help your business. There may be additional programs you were unaware of. This booklet can be accessed here.

Airblast 101- Your Guide to Effective and Efficient Spraying, 2nd Edition is available. This 306 page guide is available for download free or order a hard copy on-demand, and can be found at

www.sprayers101.com/airblast101/ . E-books are expected to be forthcoming shortly.

TB note: I spoke with one of the authors of this, Dr. Jason Deveau, today. He has agreed to co-present the March 23 webinar, Tree Row Volume: What it is, why it matters, and how to use it. More details at: https://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/new-england-winter-fruit-seminar-series

EPA Finalizes Improvements to Pesticide Application Exclusion Zone Requirements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized important improvements to requirements for the pesticide application exclusion zone (AEZ)—the area surrounding pesticide application equipment that exists only during outdoor production pesticide applications. EPA’s targeted changes improve the enforceability and workability of the AEZ requirements, decrease regulatory burdens for farmers, and maintain critical worker protections. These revisions are consistent with the 2018 Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). The AEZ requirements are part of EPA’s agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) regulations.

These targeted changes include:

· AEZ requirements only apply within the boundaries of the agricultural establishment, removing off-farm responsibilities that were difficult for state regulators to enforce.

· Immediate family members of farm owners are now exempted from all aspects of the AEZ requirements. Farm owners and their immediate family are now able to shelter in place inside closed buildings, giving farm owners and immediate family members flexibility to decide whether to stay on-site during pesticide applications, rather than compelling them to leave even when they feel safe remaining.

· New clarifying language has been added so that pesticide applications that are suspended due to individuals entering an AEZ may be resumed after those individuals have left the AEZ.

· Simplified criteria to determine whether pesticide applications are subject to the 25- or 100-foot AEZ.



No changes were made to the “Do Not Contact” provision that prohibits a handler/applicator and the handler’s employer from applying a pesticide in such a way that it contacts workers or other persons directly or through drift.

To read the rule in full, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/worker-protection-standard-application-exclusion-zone

Reprinted from the Cornell Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Newsletter, November 3, 2020

In case you didn’t know, Sunday January 24 is National Belly Laugh Day. Enjoy! (picture from Pinterest)

Have a great weekend.

Mary

Mary Concklin

Visiting Extension Educator – Fruit Production and IPM

IPM Program Coordinator

Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

1376 Storrs Road, U-4067

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT 06269-4067

Telephone: (860) 486-6449

Email: mary.concklin

www.ipm.uconn.edu

Funded in part by USDA-NIFA

Here’s a great opportunity for local winemakers. -TB

What Science has Taught Winemakers

How 30 years of industry/university collaboration has changed winemaking practice

Speakers:Thomas Henick-Kling, Director, Viticulture & Enology , Wine Science Center, Washington State University, Richland WA and Peter Bell, winemaker, Fox Run Vineyards, Geneva NY

When: Wednesday, February 3, 3:00 Eastern Time

Topics to be covered: Since startup wineries emerged in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, informal winemaking techniques and winemaker training have given way to increasing science-driven technical sophistication and data-informed practices. Industry and University collaboration have played a big role in this transformation. Peter Bell (industry) and Thomas Henick-Kling (university) have both been instrumental in driving this evolution – and worked together in the Finger Lakes for several years. They will share their perspectives on how technical advances resulting from industry/university collaborations have shaped winemaking practices in the East and West.

To Register: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrdu6gqzgqHNWyX_uUlo01Mh6w7QwmTcFK

Webinars are offered at no charge, but registration is required.

Timothy E. Martinson, Ph. D.

Senior Extension Associate

Statewide Viticulture Extension Program

Section of Horticulture, School of Integrative Plant Science

Cornell AgriTech

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

106 Hedrick Hall

635 West North Street

Geneva, NY

tem2

Cornell University

office: 315-787-2448

mobile: 607-592-2616

https://hort.cals.cornell.edu/people/timothy-martinson