Peter M Hirst

Facts for Fancy Fruit Editor & Professor of Horticulture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Area(s) of Interest: Commercial Tree Fruit Production

198 articles by this author

Article List

Registration is now open for Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation’s 2019 Estate and Succession Planning for the Family Farm event in Indianapolis. Family farmers and attorneys are encouraged to attend on Tuesday, July 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Indiana Farm Bureau headquarters to learn about estate and succession planning as it pertains…Read more about Family Farm Estate, Succession Planning Training[Read More]



Indiana Horticultural Society Summer Meeting Co-sponsored by Indiana Vegetable Growers’ Association June 25, 2019 Huber Orchard and Winery, Starlight, IN You are warmly welcomed to join us for the summer meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society, held in conjunction with the Indiana Vegetable Growers’ Association. It will be held Tuesday June 25 at Huber Orchard…Read more about Indiana Horticultural Society Summer Meeting[Read More]


News Release- WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that organic producers and handlers can apply for federal funds to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Applications for fiscal 2019 funding are due Oct. 31, 2019. “Producers can visit…Read more about News Release- USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Producers’ Costs for Organic Certification[Read More]


USDA Announces Buy-Up Coverage Availability and New Service Fees for Noninsured Crop Coverage Policies Changes apply Beginning April 8, 2019 WASHINGTON, April 8, 2019 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced that higher levels of coverage will be offered through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), a popular safety net program, beginning April…Read more about USDA News Release[Read More]


Apple harvest has begun with early varieties still being harvested. A lack of cool nights has delayed red color development but many varieties are still developing acceptable red color. Quality generally looks good.  


Although PristineTM was selected in 1982, its history goes back to the early days of the PRI breeding program. From an original cross of Rome Beauty with Malus floribunda 821, selections and hybridizations were made incorporating Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Starking Delicious  and Cazumat along the way. The cross that resulted in PristineTM was Coop 10…Read more about PristineTM Apple[Read More]


ReTain (AVG) is a plant growth regulator that blocks the production of ethylene. When ReTain is applied to apple, several ripening processes are slowed, including preharvest drop, fruit flesh softening, starch disappearance, and red color formation. In order for ReTain to be effective it must be applied well in advance of the climacteric rise in…Read more about Timing Retain Sprays[Read More]


Preharvest drop refers to the process where fruit fall from the tree prior to harvest. Not all apple varieties are affected, but with some, such as McIntosh and Pristine, pre-harvest drop can be extreme. Several growth regulator materials are available to growers to help reduce pre-harvest drop. These materials are often referred to as “stop-drop”…Read more about Control Of Preharvest Drop with NAA[Read More]


Early grapes are just beginning to soften and color (veraison). Summer raspberry harvest if winding down and fall bearing types are flowering. Blueberry harvest continues. Japanese beetle numbers continue to be relatively high in the Lafayette area. Peach harvest (for those fortunate to have a crop) has begun. Early apple cultivars are approaching harvest.