News

Scientific Research Specialist job opening

The Scientific Research Assistant, based at the University of Maine’s Highmoor Farm, will be responsible for assisting with research projects in support of the tree fruit program led by Dr. Renae Moran. This is a 4-year, grant-funded (USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative) position to study cold hardiness in apple trees. As time allows, this position […]

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Cucurbit Downy Mildew Alert for Pumpkins and Winter Squash

Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) was confirmed Sunday, August 18 on pumpkin in New Jersey. Pumpkin and winter squash growers should now regularly apply both broad-spectrum and downy mildew-targeted fungicides to their crops. Recommended broad-spectrum materials are chlorothalonil or copper, both of which are effective against both CDM and cucurbit powdery mildew. Recommended CDM-targeted materials include […]

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Late Blight Alert

Late blight has been found in a potato field in Presque Isle, ME this week. This follows reports of this disease being found recently in Michigan and New Brunswick. We have had no reports of late blight on potatoes or tomatoes anywhere else in Maine at this time, but be aware that current weather conditions […]

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Potential for Cucurbit Downey Mildew — August 7, 2024

The remnants of hurricane Debby coming up the coast later this week is passing over areas with reported infections of Downy Mildew and therefore may bring the disease with it. Downy mildew was reported on cantaloupe in western Massachusetts earlier this week. Cucurbit Downey Mildew (CDM) was also reported in PA and eastern NY in […]

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Prune Your Blueberries!

Why? Highbush blueberry bushes should be pruned every year to produce regular crops of good quality fruit. Good pruning opens up the bush to more light and air movement, which will reduce disease problems. It also improves berry flavor and size, and encourages earlier ripening. When? Prune the plants when they are fully dormant, in […]

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Profitability of Using Tarps

Researchers at Highmoor have summarized their tarping research with colleagues from Cornell University in this new research paper. To read the full article, click on the image below.

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Tree Fruit Newsletter — January 2024

Weather Update The expected cold temperatures this weekend are not likely to be cold enough to kill peach or cherry buds in southern Maine. We measured hardiness in peach buds last week and found them to have a few degrees more hardiness than last year at this time, probably hardy to -7 °F for about […]

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Cucurbit Downey Mildew Alert — July 10, 2023

Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) symptoms were identified and the CDM pathogen was isolated from cucumber plants in Cheshire County (southwestern NH) on Friday July 7, 2023. There are few other reports in the region (https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/), and the forecasts you may be used to seeing have been suspended due to lack of funding. With recent rainy […]

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