Preseason Tree Fruit Meeting
Tuesday, March 19, 2025
8:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Room 170, University of Southern Maine / Lewiston Auburn College, 51 Westminster Street, Lewiston ME
Preregistration is NOT required. The $30 registration fee is due at the door, but is waived for two people per member farm of the Maine State Pomological Society if dues are paid prior to the meeting.
Membership dues will be accepted at the meeting but will not qualify for the registration fee waiver.
In case of bad weather, we will follow the University of Southern Maine weather hotline announcement at 207.780.4800.
Attendance qualifies for 3 pesticide applicator recertification credits.
Tentative Agenda
8:00 a.m. — Registration, Meet & Greet
8:50 a.m. — Introduction, Glen Koehler, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
9:00 a.m. — Fungicide retention, redistribution, and effective timing against apple scab
Vincent Philion, Res. and Dev. Institute for the Agri-Environment, Quebec, CAN
9:45 a.m. — Peach cultivar and hardiness trial at Highmoor Farm
Renae Moran, University of Maine
10:15 a.m. — Apple cultivar maturity and disease susceptibility database
Glen Koehler, University of Maine
10:30 a.m. — Apple cultivar DNA identification update
John Bunker, Super Chilly Farm
10:45 a.m. — Break
11:00 a.m. — Apple scab fungicide effective vs. label dose
Vincent Philion, Res. and Dev. Institute for the Agri-Environment, Quebec, CAN
11:30 a.m. — New tools for orchard management
Trevor Hardy, Brookdale Fruit Farm & Brookdale Farm Supply
12:00 p.m. — Lunch. Pizza and salad from Sam’s Italian Foods, beverages.
12:30 p.m. — Reflections on 50 years of change in apple pest management & future challenges
Dr. David Rosenberger, Plant Pathologist and Professor Emeritus, Cornell University’s Hudson Valley Lab, Highland, NY
1:15 p.m. — Alternative materials for fire blight blossom and shoot blight suppression
Vincent Philion, Res. and Dev. Institute for the Agri-Environment, Quebec, CAN
1:45 p.m. — Break
2:00 p.m. — Ag-Radar apple crop and pest monitoring tools
Glen Koehler, University of Maine
2:30 p.m. — Novel shallow wells and increasing Maine farm resilience against extreme weather
Dr. Rachel Schattman, University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture
3:00 p.m. — Legislative update
Dr./Rep. James Dill, and Sen. Jeff Timberlake, Maine State Legislature
3:15 p.m. — Board of Pesticides Control Update
John Pietroski and/or Alexander Peacock; Board of Pesticides Control, Maine Dept. Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
3:45 p.m. — Adjourn
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