In case you blinked, we went from green tip to bloom in about three days, and by the time you read this, we will have passed through the blossom blight period. For most of the state, the late spring consisted of cool, dry weather that was not conducive to blight infection in the northern half[Read More…]
Pome Fruits
What a difference a couple of weeks of warm weather makes. Crop development is progressing rapidly with warmer weather. Apples in the south are around 10 mm, and in full bloom here in Lafayette. Peaches in southern areas of the state are still in the shuck, but barely. Folks in southern areas are getting ready[Read More…]
Fruit crops are finally starting to grow in the Lafayette area after a few days of warmer weather. Apples are at 1/2 inch green to tight cluster. Peaches have 1/2 inch vegetative shoots. There are no live flower buds in our planting. Cherries are at swollen bud. Early grapes varieties are at swell. Raspberries have[Read More…]
“Spring” might be too strong a word to describe conditions this year. As we see from Figure 1, we’re now officially the latest spring so far this decade, and about the same as the long-term average. Having said that, a good part of our Growing Degree Day accumulation has come from one warm day on[Read More…]
Maryblyt 7.1 is now available for download at http://grapepathology.org/maryblyt For new growers: Maryblyt is a fire blight prediction model. Fire blight is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora. It is one of the most destructive diseases of apple, pear, and quince worldwide (Fig. 1). There are five distinct phases associated with fire blight, and include[Read More…]
The severe cold weather we experienced in early January had a dramatic effect on the number of surviving fruit buds on crops such as peaches. The impact was highly variable depending on a number of factors, primarily location within the state. If you have less than a full crop of any of your fruit crops,[Read More…]
For organisms that don’t regulate their temperature (such as plants and insects), the rate of development is largely controlled by the temperature of their environment. As we know, fruit trees and vines need a certain amount of “winter chilling” that they use to measure when winter is over. After the chilling period, plant development depends[Read More…]
A new Monsanto-backed company is on the verge of producing the first fruit made with a blockbuster gene-editing tool that could revolutionize agriculture In a move aimed at securing its future, Monsanto has invested $125 million in a gene-editing startup called Pairwise. The alliance could tee up Monsanto, long known for its controversial dealings with[Read More…]
The New York Times reports China has proposed countermeasures to a proposed $60 billion in tariffs from the U.S. on Chinese-made products. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued the threat in an online statement. American goods including nuts, wine, and fresh fruit would be subject to 15% tariffs. The Times reports these proposed tariffs in[Read More…]