UVM Fruit Blog

RIMpro, A Useful Apple Scab Model for 2016

January 21, 2016

I am forwarding this message on from Cornell Emeritus Plant Pathologist David Rosenberger. There is a relatively new decision support system tool available (for a fee, please see the link for details) that alloo0ws growers to import weather data into an apple scab model that has potentially greater usefulness than the traditional Mills table models we presently include. For more details, see Dave’s blog post at: http://blogs.cornell.edu/plantpathhvl/2016/01/21/rimpro-a-useful-apple-scab-risk-model-for-2016/

There will be a meeting for researcher, extension personnel, and growers in the Hudson Valley on March 14 to describe the system as well as other new technologies to help manage apple scab and fire blight. Attendees will receive complimentary access to RIMpro for the 2016 season. Details on the meeting specifically are available at: http://www.redtomato.org/summit

Webinar Series: “Clean Plants for the future of the Eastern Wine and Grape Industry

Apologies for cross-posting.

Here’s an announcement for a webinar series on nursery stock and the National Clean Plant Network. Its aimed especially at producers in the East, but may be of interest also to others. A one-page PDF flier is also attached. One-time online registration is required.

Thursdays at Noon (Eastern Time). March 10, 17, 24, and 31.

Clean Plants for the Future of the Eastern Wine and Grape Industry

How the National Clean Plant Network, new testing protocols and a revitalized NY certification program will reduce the risk of nursery-transmitted viral pathogens.

Since 2008, National Clean Plant Network Centers have joined together to efficiently produce, maintain, and distribute healthy grapevine budwood to the industry. These materials are starting to make their way to nurseries, and ultimately, to end-users. This four-part webinar series will cover the process of producing and distributing virus-tested plant material, graft-transmissible diseases and their impact, New York State’s new testing and certification program, and New York nurseries’ investment in new motherblocks and propagation procedures.

March 10: The Pipeline: From tissue culture to your vineyard.

Joshua Puckett, FPS, UC Davis and Tim Martinson, Cornell University

March 17: Viral diseases transmitted through nursery stock in the East: Grapevine Leafroll Disease, Tomato Ringspot, and Grapevine Red Blotch

Marc Fuchs, Cornell University; Annemiek Schilder, Michigan State University; and Mizuho Nita, Virginia Tech

March 24: Crown gall biology and management; Value of virus-tested plant material.

Tom Burr, Cornell University and Shadi Atallah, University of New Hampshire

March 31: New York’s revitalized grapevine certification program, and New York nurseries’ plans for the future

Marc Fuchs, Cornell University; Margaret Kelly, NYS Department of Ag and Markets; Dennis Rak, Double A Vineyards; Eric Amberg, Grafted Grape Nursery; Fred Merwarth, Hermann Weimer Nursery

Preregistration is required. Register online at: http://tinyurl.com/NCPNgrapes

For more information and list of speakers:

https://grapesandwine.cals.cornell.edu/extension/ncpn-webinar-series-clean-plants-future

Timothy E. Martinson, Ph.D

Senior Extension Associate

Section of Horticulture,School of Integrative Plant Science

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station

Cornell University

PH 315-787-2448

FAX: 315-787-2216

Cell: 607-592-2616

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

Clean Plants for the Future Webinar Series.pdf

February 9th Northern Grapes Project Webinar Announcement and Registration

Apologies for cross-posting.

Here is information about the upcoming NGP webinar.

The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

“Branding and Best Management Practices for Cold Hardy Wines and Wineries”

Bill Gartner Dan McCole

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

12:00 Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)

7:00 pm Eastern (6:00 pm Central)

Branding is a marketing activity that aims to establish an image in the consumer’s mind in order to attract and keep customers. Because of dramatic recent growth, branding is especially important in cold-climate wine regions where consumers (and potential consumers) are less familiar with cold-hardy wines and the areas where they are produced. The key to a successful and sustainable cold-hardy wine industry relies on creating a positive images in consumers’ minds of cold-hardy wines, emerging wine regions and the individual wineries. In this webinar, Bill Gartner of the University of Minnesota and Dan McCole of Michigan State University will share best practices for branding cold-hardy wines based on several branding-related studies conducted recently as part of the Northern Grapes Project.

If you have received this email from someone other than Chrislyn Particka, you need to register via the link below:

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9npPU5gPibzoTLn

Registering for one Northern Grapes Webinar will place you on the mailing list, and you will receive announcements and connection instruction for all further Northern Grapes Webinars.

Registration will close at 8 am (Eastern) on Friday, February 5th.

Registration is NOT required if you received this email directly from Chrislyn Particka, as it means that you are a member of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

All members of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list will receive an email the Friday before the webinar containing the web address (URL) for both webinar sessions as well as connection instructions.

There is no charge for this webinar. If you cannot attend one of the live sessions, recordings of all webinars are posted on our website (http://northerngrapesproject.org/?page_id=257) within one week of the webinar date.

Feel free to email Chrislyn Particka (cap297) with any questions, if you want to check your registration status, or if you’d like to be removed from the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

Please note: WebEx will no longer be supporting the following operating systems:
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows XP
• Mac OS X 10.6
This means that WebEx users will be unable to join or start WebEx meetings, or use any other WebEx application from computers that use these operating systems. Please upgrade computers to a supported operating system so you can continue to use WebEx without interruption.

Further Northern Grapes Project information is available on-line at

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850.

Chrislyn A. Particka, PhD

Extension Support Specialist

Cornell University

School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY 14456

cap297

315-787-2449 (desk)

315-787-2216 (fax)

www.northerngrapesproject.org

Please help: USDA New England Grape Survey

I am forwarding this request to participate in a grape survey with USDA from Gary Keogh in the Concord, NH office. This survey is critically important to maintain an accurate count of the scope of the grape industry in New England. Results are used to apply for research and outreach funds, develop crop insurance opportunities, and advocate for the grape and wine industry. Participation is encouraged regardless of the scale/size of your operation.

Thanks,

Terry

From: Keough, Gary – NASS [mailto:Gary.Keough@nass.usda.gov]
Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2016 11:22 PM
Subject: New England Grape Survey, press release

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, New England Field Office is about to conduct the 2015 New England Grape Production and Value Survey. Last year the survey results indicated the value of New England grown grapes sold in 2014 to be $4.2 million. We were able to publish some State estimates but limited response for some States didn’t allow us to do so. The results were published in the 2014 New England End of Season Fruit and Vegetable Yield and Price Report, http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/Special_Reports/eos2015v2.pdf

I’m asking for your help to encourage grape producers to respond. We will be mailing questionnaires in late January and phoning those that do not respond around mid-February. Below is a press release we will be sending out to press release email subscribers. If you are not already receiving our press releases or survey results you can do so at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England/Subscribe_to_New_England_Reports/index.php.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Gary R. Keough, State Statistician

U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service

Field Operations | New England Field Office

53 Pleasant St. Room 3450

Concord, NH 03301

T: 603-227-3129 | F: 603-225-1434 | M: 603-568-6535

Gary_Keough | www.nass.usda.gov

NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE

New England Field OFFICE

53 Pleasant St. Rm 3450, Concord, NH 03301

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Gary Keough
January 18, 2016	(603) 227-3129

USDA TO MEASURE NEW ENGLAND GRAPE PRODUCTION AND VALUE

Concord, New Hampshire – According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the number of New England grape growers and the acres planted to grapes continued to show substantial growth over the last few years. To learn more about the trends of New England grape production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now conducting the 2015 New England Grape Production and Processing Survey.

“The New England Grape Industry has been asking for more data on the types of grapes grown and the value of production,” said Gary Keough, State Statistician of the NASS New England Field Office. “This is an opportunity for New England grape growers and processors to provide more detailed data to that shows the economic importance of their industry.”

NASS will mail the survey in late-January to all grape growers and processors in New England. The survey will look at the acreage, production, value of production, and utilization of the 2015 grape crop.

“The results of the survey will help show the importance of grape production in New England,” Keough noted. “In addition, the information can help producers make informed decisions about the future of their own farming operations.”

Recipients are requested to respond by mail by February 29, 2016. NASS will publish the results in April 2016. For more information about the New England Grape Production and Value Survey, call (603) 227-3129.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Gary R. Keough, State Statistician

U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service

Field Operations | New England Field Office

53 Pleasant St. Room 3450

Concord, NH 03301

T: 603-227-3129 | F: 603-225-1434 | M: 603-568-6535

Gary_Keough | www.nass.usda.gov

Registration and program for 2016 UVM Apple Program & VT Tree Fruit Growers Association 120th Annual Meeting

January 14, 2016

by Terence Bradshaw

If you are on our physical UVM Apple Grower mailing list, expect to soon receive registration information for the 120th Annual UVM Apple Program and VT Tree Fruit Growers Association Annual Meeting to be held at the American Legion in Middlebury, VT on February 18, 2016. This is typically the only hard copy mailing we send out each year, so if you don’t receive one, you are not on our list, but you’re not likely missing much information.

There are a few changes with the program as mailed, and with registration in general this year. The attached program includes an additional presentation by Dominique Golliot from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets on changes in the Federal Worker Protection Standard and how they will impact your farm.

The main change in registration this year is that it will be handled by VTFGA instead of UVM as in previous years. Please that the registration form and payment should be mailed to VTFGA Treasurer Ginny Brees at the address at the bottom of the form. Another change is in the fee structure for VTFGA membership. Collection of ‘base operating dues’ from orchards to cover VTFGA expenses including membership in US Apple Association has lagged behind projections. Therefore, US Apple membership contributions have been broken out into a separate line, and VTFGA encourages participating orchards to cover their share of state dues. VTFGA membership dues have been simplified to an acreage-based assessment. If you have questions about VTFGA membership, please contact Executive Director Steve Justis at: steve.justis.

Thanks and I hope to see you in Middlebury on February 18.

VTFGA120th2016Brochure.pdf
VTFGA 2016 Member Registration Form.pdf

2015-2016 Cider Apple Production Survey

We are collecting acreage and production information on apple cultivars grown specifically for hard cider production in Vermont and surrounding areas in order to best assess capacity for meeting cidery needs and to guide further research. All information is anonymous when entered through the web template at:

http://go.uvm.edu/cidersurvey

Your participation will greatly assist in our research efforts, and should only take a few minutes. Information collected includes cultivars, acreage, planting system, management, crop yield, and price received.

We are interested in both large and small plantings.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Terence Bradshaw, Ph.D.

Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist

University of Vermont Plant and Soil Science

MAIL ADDRESS:

210 Jeffords Hall

63 Carrigan Drive

Burlington, VT 05405

Information for commercial orchard and vineyard managers in Vermont and beyond:

http://www.uvm.edu/~fruit

http://blog.uvm.edu/fruit/

Director

UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center

Catamount Educational Farm

65 Green Mountain Drive

South Burlington, VT

(No Mail Service)

http://www.uvm.edu/~hortfarm

(802)656-0972 (office)

(802)922-2591 (cell)

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

2015-2016 Cider Apple Production Survey

http://go.uvm.edu/cidersurvey

We are interested in both large and small plantings.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Terence Bradshaw, Ph.D.

Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist

University of Vermont Plant and Soil Science

MAIL ADDRESS:

210 Jeffords Hall

63 Carrigan Drive

Burlington, VT 05405

Information for commercial orchard and vineyard managers in Vermont and beyond:

http://www.uvm.edu/~fruit

http://blog.uvm.edu/fruit/

Director

UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center

Catamount Educational Farm

65 Green Mountain Drive

South Burlington, VT

(No Mail Service)

http://www.uvm.edu/~hortfarm

(802)656-0972 (office)

(802)922-2591 (cell)

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Warm temperatures and pruning

by Terence Bradshaw

I’ve had some growers inquire and there has been general chatter lately about the risk of pruning apples and grapes now, given the warm weather we’ve been having. My advice will apply equally to apple and grape growers, with lessening degrees of caution: hold off as long as you can.

The danger is two-fold. Plants may begin growth if warm weather continues, since most some (i.e., grapes, but not necessarily apples) may have seen the required chill hours needed to break dormancy. Continued, extended warm weather could cause buds to swell or break which would be very susceptible to winter cold. Even if buds stay closed, cold hardiness acclimation is a two-step process initiated by shortening day length (beginning back around August) and gradually decreasing temperatures. It is that last part that likely has perennial plants like apples and grapes in a less than fully acclimated state right now. Past research on pruning apples, grapes, and peaches in fall, and meteorologically, we’re still in late fall, are less hardy to deep cold in mid-winter. I know many growers are going to be ready to get out in the field after the holiday, but if at all possible, wait as long as possible, or at least after a (hopefully gentle) cold snap. Gradually decreasing temperatures will allow plants to harden off better to withstand any cold that may come. Fresh pruning wounds not only are more cold-tender, but also may stimulate bud break if conditions are right.

Thankfully the 10-14 day forecast is calling for just what we need: daytime temperatures (after the Christmas eve warmup) dropping from the 40’s through the 20s and 30s and nighttime temperatures in the teens and twenties. It’s best to leave your trees and vines be until at least the first week in January. I wouldn’t touch a grapevine right now. On apples, the usual advise is worth following: start on your largest semi-dwarf trees and trees with lighter crop load and good nutrition/management in the past season, then move on to smaller, younger, ad more crop-stressed trees.

Enjoy the holidays. We’ll get through this.

Terry

January 12 NGP Webinar Announcement and Registration – Terroir and Typicity in Cold Hardy Grapes

The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

“Terroir and Typicity in Cold Hardy Grapes”

Anna Katharine Mansfield

Cornell University

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

12:00 Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)

7:00 pm Eastern (6:00 pm Central)

The marketing power of varietal typicity and wine terroir is undeniable, but can be hard for producers (and consumers!) to fully grasp. There’s no simple way to measure typicity, and it’s hard to tease cultivar effects from those of terroir with only a few decades of vintage data from a limited geographical area. Despite that, cold-climate winemakers can be proactive in defining their own terroir and typicity if they understand both the parameters that influence wine character and the way consumers interact with these parameters. This webinar, led by Anna Katharine Mansfield of Cornell University, will mix enology, consumer research and marketing in an effort to further the discussion of Cold-Climate wines and regions.

If you have received this email from someone other than Chrislyn Particka, you need to register via the link below:

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qPnfNOA5YB2hO5

Registering for one Northern Grapes Webinar will place you on the mailing list, and you will receive announcements and connection instruction for all further Northern Grapes Webinars.

Registration will close at 8 am (Eastern) on Friday, January 8th.

Registration is NOT required if you received this email directly from Chrislyn Particka, as it means that you are a member of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

Feel free to email Chrislyn Particka (cap297) with any questions, if you want to check your registration status, or if you’d like to be removed from the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list. (Please note that I will be out of the office on vacation from December 24 – January 4. I will be checking email periodically during this time, and will do my best to respond to urgent matters promptly.)

Further Northern Grapes Project information is available on-line at

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850.

Chrislyn A. Particka, PhD

Extension Support Specialist

Cornell University

School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY 14456

cap297

315-787-2449 (desk)

315-787-2216 (fax)

www.northerngrapesproject.org

Feb 18, 2016: UVM Apple Pgm & VFTGA Ann Mtg

by Terence Bradshaw

Please save the date for Thursday, February 18 for the 120th Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association and UVM Apple Program annual meeting. The meeting will be held at the American Legion in Middlebury, VT. registration details will come early in the New Year.

This meeting will include: basics for running an IPM program in your orchard; orchard tree nutrition 101; new insect pests on the horizon and how to manage them; tile drainage in your orchard, and more.

I hope to see everyone there, and best wishes during this holiday season.

-Terry