Horticulture Notes

Summer Tour

Karen Gallott
VTFGA Program Chair

This year the VTFGA Summer Tour was held on Tuesday, July 28. It was a good tour with approximately 30 growers present. The tour began at Chapin Orchard in Essex, VT. This orchard, owned and operated by Nick and Bridget Myers, is a small orchard of 15 acres which is set up as a U-pick operation. Nick gave us an overview of the orchard and indicated that with the use of apple maggot trapouts and codling moth disruption methods he is able to operate an ecological orchard by implementing IPM practices. Bridget talked about their harvest and retail sales and how they will do up to 6 school tours on any given day. Each tour is designed specifically for the age group that is coming so no tour is the same. The best method of education to the public is through the children that come for the tours and in turn bring their families back in the future.
We then moved on to Adams' Apple Orchard in Williston, VT. John Adams, our host, toured us through his farm market, mentioning how they set up for sale the different produce and how it is labeled for the public as to where is originally came from, i.e. California, Chile, Mexico, Local, etc. The market is open from May to December, with November the biggest season for pies, especially around Thanksgiving. Delicious samples of Bumble Berry Pie and Cherry Pie were given out. We then toured around his orchard of 7 acres which is geared toward U-pick and sales in his farm market.

Moving on to UVM's Horticultural Farm we had lunch and participated in a "NAME THAT BUG/DISEASE" contest. Ten samples of leaves and apples were laid out and everyone was given the opportunity to identify them. 2 winners that got them all right were: Terry Bradshaw and Jim Gallot. We had a wonderful tour of the farm which included the organic vegetable garden, lilics, hops, and crabapple trees. We also toured the block of new cultivars which are being evaluated for future selections. Updates where given on the T. Pyri project taken place here and other commercial orchards. There was a discussion on research being conducted to determine the effect of reduced fungicide on tree vigor and productivity.

My thanks to all of the participants and hosts that made our Summer Tour so successful

The VTFGA is still seeking volunteers to organize and run future summer tours for the group. Please contact President Reed Miller @802-254-9158 or Karen Gallott, Program Chair @ 802-545-2338.

Leaf Samples

The next two weeks will be the best time to collect your leaves for mineral nutrient analysis. Leaf tissue analyses indicate the amounts of the various elements that have been taken by the tree and translocated to the foliage. The time for collection is between July 20th and August 20th. Leaf testing is available through UVM Agricultural and Environmental Testing Laboratory (phone: 802-656-3030 or 1-800-244-6402). Instructions for leaf sampling collections are included in this letter. Please follow the instructions carefully to avoid any mistakes in the analysis. The fall is a good time to do the soil analysis. It is important to do both test because these test compliment each other. The soil analysis tests will give you an assessment of the acidity and the fertility of the soil before the growing season, whereas leaf analysis gives you the nutritional status of the plant during the growing season. I will send a reminder in the fall for your soil analysis

Apple Harvest

As you already know by your orchard observations, and as stated in last month's newsletter, the estimated harvest dates for McIntosh for long-term CA storage are will be approximately 10 days ahead of the 1997 season. Extended periods of rain, cloud cover, and cooler temperatures following bloom appear to have slowed the season. Projected CA harvest dates for McIntosh are September 16 in the Burlington area and September 15 in the Shoreham area (according to the Cornell model). Keep in mind that these dates are only predictions, and other maturity tests such as color, firmness and starch index , should be used to determine the best time to begin your harvest. Fruit continues to size well with an average diameter for McIntosh at the HRC in South Burlington at 2.4 inches in diameter

Avoiding storage disorders

According to Drs. Bramlage and Watkins (UMass and Cornell, receptively) from a workshop I recently attended on postharvest disorders, there are five steps that need to be implemented in order to avoid postharvest disorders and maintain fruit firmness. These steps should be followed whether you want to store your fruit for long or short term. One thing you must keep in mind, the longer the storage time, the less margin of error that you have in any of the five steps.

1. Harvest at the right time
2. Cool fruit as quickly as possible
3. Get fruit under desired storage conditions as soon as possible
4. Maintain storage conditions as required
5. Do not store fruit too long

Of the five steps, steps 1 and 2 will be discussed in greatest detail because these are aspects of fruit harvest that every grower needs to be able to determine according to his/her market options. If you have specific questions on CA storage, please contact me.

Harvest at the right time

Harvesting at the right time is important because if you harvest too early, the fruit is more susceptible to scald, low temperature breakdown, and shrivel due to loss of water. If you harvest too late, the fruit looses firmness, which is an irreversible process, and is more susceptible to senescent breakdown and rots. So, how does the grower decide when it is the right time to harvest?

Ways to determine harvest time:

The following are five fruit factors used to determine harvest time.

1. Days from bloom. Used with other indices of fruit maturity, this is a simple and convenient method for predicting when fruit will be ready to be harvested. Apple cultivars have different maturity periods, the time from bloom to harvest. Listed below are some common cultivars and their days after full bloom dates (DAFB).

Cultivar                   DAFB
Cortland                 125-135
Empire                 124-140
Fuji                         170-185
Gala                 110-120
Golden Delicious 135-150
Liberty                 140-150
McIntosh                 130-140
Macoum                 135-145
Paulared                  95-100

DAFB index is influenced by environmental conditions and cultural practices thus, it is not a precise index to use. It should be used as an estimate to determine the initial and final harvest dates.

2. Fruit color. This is the leading factor in determining picking dates, especially for McIntosh. Cooler temperatures increase color development in cultivars such as McIntosh and Empire. If all criteria for developing a good crop are in order, then, good color development in McIntosh should be achieved with 3 or 4 night temperatures in the lower 40's. Light penetration into the canopy is very important for color development thus, summer pruning should be a good practice to follow, especially on those trees on the larger semidwarf and seedling rootstocks where water sprouts are often a problem.
3. Fruit size. There must be a range of sizes to market successfully. The main factor in determining fruit size is genetics, i.e. the cultivar, but within cultivar, other factors influence fruit size. Some of these factors include climate, seed number, fruit distribution and position, and crop load.
4. Fruit drop. Fruit drop tends to be more severe when (a) hot weather prevails; (b) trees have a large crop; (c) trees have high levels of nitrogen; and (d) trees are deficient in boron, magnesium, and potassium. It is mostly caused by ethylene, a gaseous hormone, diffusing from the fruit to the spur. Ethylene levels rise with increases in temperature.
5. Fruit maturity. The marketing program to which a particular cultivar is intended determines the desired level of fruit maturity. For example, the desired maturity of apples for immediate post-harvest sale may be much more advanced than for regular or CA storage. Important factors in determining fruit maturity include:

                    Firmness. Related to cultivar (Around 15 LB).

Starch Iodine Index. This is considered one of the best field tests for the determination of fruit maturity. Information related to sampling procedures, a recipe for the starch iodine solution, sampling procedure, and a chart for evaluation of McIntosh was included in the September 1997 issue of this letter. You should contact your local pharmacist as to a source for potassium iodide and iodine crystals. Please contact us if you have any questions or are unable to find a source for the potassium iodine).

Cooling fruit as quickly as possible

Physiological activities of the fruit such as respiration and enzymatic activities continue after the fruit is harvested, and temperature is a very important factor affecting these activities which increase fruit senescence. Leaving the fruit for one day at 70 F can cost one week of storage. Therefore, cooling the fruit as soon as possible after it is harvested is extremely important in maintaining fruit quality. Ways to cool your fruit include water dips (may want to add CaCl₂ to the drench to increase the calcium content of the fruit and decrease reduce the incidence of storage disorders) or forced air through the bins.

Get fruit under desired storage conditions as soon as possible

The goal should be to put the fruit into CA storage 7 to 10 days after it was harvested.

The storage conditions will depend on the cultivar and the type of storage.

Maintaining storage conditions as required.

It is important to monitor the equipment in the storage rooms to make sure that the proper conditions for storage are kept. The fewer the fluctuations in the CA conditions the better the fruit quality.

Do not store fruit too long.

There is a limit to how long fruit can be kept no matter how ideal the storage conditions are. The longer the fruit is stored, the more stresses it encounters, eventually the fruit will die. According to the Pennsylvania Tree Fruit Production Guide , the following fruit should not be stored for more than five months because of their potential to break down or develop bitter pit.

• Large crop from lightly cropped trees
• Fruit from excessively vigorous trees
• Fruit from young trees just coming into bearing
• Fruit from interior portion of trees that are heavily shaded
• Early-picked fruit high in starch
• Fruit with a low number of seeds (less than five per fruit)

Stop-drop Application

If you are using ReTain as stop drop and maturity management tool, it should be applied four weeks before harvest, and according to our calculations on predicted harvest dates, next week is the time to apply it to McIntosh.

It should only be applied to healthy trees free from significant stress due to excessive heat or water imbalances. Additionally is very important that ReTain be applied only during the cooler times of the day (evening, night, and early morning) to maximize product absorption and performance (from Harvest potential report, Abbott).

New definitions concerning fresh fruits and vegetables

The Vermont Attorney General' s office for Consumer Affairs has written new definitions concerning fresh fruit and vegetables that may affect how you advertise fresh fruits and vegetables in your business.

• 'Local' or 'locally grown' means the product must have originated within 30 miles of where it is sold, unless the term is used in conjunction with a specific geographic location, such as 'local to New England'.
• 'Native' means the produce came from within Vermont, unless the word id used in connection with a specific location.
• 'Farm fresh' means the produce was delivered directly from the farm where it originated to the place of sale, and was offered for sale within a reasonable short period of harvesting, taking into account the nature of the produce.
• 'Our own' means the produce was grown and harvested by the seller or by the business owned and operated by the seller.

Fair time

The Champlain Valley fair invites you to participate in the fruit exhibit contest. This is an excellent way to show off your fruit as well as having a chance to win.

There are three categories you might enter:

• Class - Home gardener

• Class 1 Commercial grower

• Class 2 Market gardener

Please contact Todd Whiteaker at 802 /482-4279 or me for information and rules on the exhibits.

Jon Clements moves west

As of mid-August,  I will be regretfully leaving the UVM Apple Team. I have accepted a new position with Michigan State University Extension as Berrien County Horticulture Agent. Berrien Co. is Michigan¹s Southwest-most County and produces one-third of the state¹s fruit. Apples predominate, however, peaches, cherries and grapes are important fruit crops too. Feel free to stay in touch with me by e-mail at clementj@msue.msu.edu.

Although I will truly miss the interaction I have had with the UVM Apple Team and you, the Vermont apple growers, I am excited about the new opportunities awaiting me in Michigan. I sincerely wish you many good growing seasons ahead, and with the help of the UVM Apple Team, hope that you will always continue to grow the world¹s finest McIntosh apples!

Jon Clements
Berrien County Extension
5060 St. Joseph Ave.
Stevensville. MI 49127-1046

Jon has been an extremely valuable member of the UVM Apple Team and we will miss him --- but, this is an excellent opportunity for him. Our loss is definitely Michigan's gain.

We aish you the best, Jon !!

From the Center for Sustainable Agriculture:

MAKING MATCHES AND LINKING LAND

MAKING MATCHES AND LINKING LAND: NEW PROGRAM CONNECTS FARMERS

June 1 marked the official kick off of a new program designed to transfer farm land to new generations of Vermont farmers. "Land Link Vermont," organized by the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Vermont & State Agricultural College, connects beginning and relocating farmers with retiring farmers and non-farming land owners to support successful transfer and utilization of farm land in Vermont.
Based on successful programs in other states, Land Link Vermont addresses the obstacles farmers face in securing and transferring land: finding an appropriate site, exploring land acquisition options, and learning the steps of a land and asset transfer.

Contact Information

A Commitment to Excellence and Service:

We a committed to excellence and service to you. If you have any questions, problems or want to arrange for an orchard visit regarding your concerns, please call or write.

For horticulture questions contact:

M. Elena Garcia
Tree Fruit Specialist
Plant and Soil Science Dept.
306 Hills Bldg.
University of Vermont
Burlington VT 05405-0082
Phone: 802/656-2824
Fax: 802/656-4656

E-mail: elena.garcia@uvm.edu

For IPM questions contact: 

Lorraine P. Berkett
Plant Pathologist and IPM Specialist
Chair, Dept. of Plant & Soil Science
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
Phone: 802/656-0972
Fax: 802/656-4656

E-mail: lorraine.berkett@uvm.edu

Where trade names or commercial products are used for identification, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied. Always read the label before using any pesticide. The label is the legal document for theproduct use. Disregard any information in this newsletter if it is in conflict with the label.