Tree Fruit Newsletter — April 4, 2024
Peach Flower Bud Survival — update by Dr. Renae Moran
Peach flower bud survival at Highmoor Farm is less than expected considering the mild winter temperatures. It could be that some of the varieties in my collection started bud growth too soon this winter, a problem that is common when temperatures stay above freezing most of the winter.
Survival ranges from a low of 16% in Veteran to a high of 92% in BuenOs2. Overall average is 44% which is good enough for a crop of peaches unless there aren’t many flower buds to begin with. Some varieties have only a few flower buds, a low of five per shoot, but others have more than 30.
Upcoming Meetings, Workshops and Webinars
April 9, 2024 — 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
$10 to cover cost of materials
Willows Awake Winery
10 Leeds Junction Rd, Leeds, ME 04263
Join UMaine Extension and Willows Awake Winery for this interactive demonstration on calibrating airblast sprayers. Resources for calibrating boom and backpack sprayers will be discussed and available, however the focus of the program will be on airblast sprayers for tree fruits, grapes and other small fruits. At this program we will cover nozzle selection, calibration tools and worksheets, and the calibration process for improving spray coverage, reducing pesticide amounts, and optimizing your pest management. We’ll demonstrate the use of new nozzle clamps for calibrating airblast sprayers that can be loaned out to farmers for use at their own operations. This program is eligible for 2 pesticide credits.
For more information and to register for this event, visit the Sprayer Calibration Workshop website.
Cornell Statewide Frost Protection Webinar
April 12, 2024 — 12:00 to1:30 p.m.
Spring started earlier than usual in some parts of New York’s fruit production regions, and CCE is taking a proactive approach to get information on frost protection and its science out to NY fruit growers. There have been some advances in frost protection in recent years, along with promising ongoing research.
- Introductions – Mike Basedow and Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE
- Climate Monitoring of Apple Bud Development and Freeze Risk – Jessica Spaccio, Department of Earth & Atmospheric Science (EAS), Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC), Cornell University CALS
- The Physiology of Frost Damage, and the Practical Challenges of Testing Mitigation Tools – Dr. Jason Londo, Cornell AgriTech
- Practical Tips for Using Promalin as A Frost Mitigation Tool – Dr. Terence Robinson, Cornell AgriTech
- Research on Sprayable Frost Protectants – Dr. Brent Arnoldussen, University of Kentucky
Growers will have plenty of time to ask questions during this very informative webinar as apple trees continue advancing their bud phenology.
For more information and to register for this event, visit the Sprayer Calibration Workshop website.