When fruit trees are stressed, so are the growers. Getting to the root of the issues, investigating what went wrong and taking measures to correct the situation can be a lot like solving a crime. There are the usual suspects, but things can get complicated when further insult is added to initial injury. (more…)
by Carl Cantaluppi
As the vegetable growing season continues, we know that diseases will start to appear on vegetables, so we must practice constant vigilance to assure that we can control them when they are first noticed. (more…)
A quick definition of ambience relates to the character or atmosphere of a place — the quality it seems to have. Ambience is one of five major factors identified with customer satisfaction as noted by Miguel Gomez, a Cornell University researcher, and mentioned by Penn State wine bloggers. (more…)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing effort to make the oversight of food safety stronger and more efficient, USDA and FDA announced the alignment of the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (USDA H-GAP) with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA’s) Produce Safety Rule. (more…)
A 24-hour hackathon on Friday, June 1 at research location Bleiswijk of Wageningen University & Research, featuring 14 international teams, has determined which five teams will continue in this year’s Autonomous Greenhouses Challenge, organized by Wageningen University & Research. (more…)
Toxic Chemical Chlorpyrifos was Banned from Household Use Nearly 20 Years Ago, But is Still Widely Used as a Pesticide on Fruits and Vegetables (more…)
by Sally Colby
When Tim and Katherine Clymer constructed a gothic arch high tunnel, they had a unique purpose in mind: to grow figs under cover. (more…)
by Sally Colby
When Tim and Katherine Clymer purchased their central Pennsylvania farm in 2014, the edges of the property were overgrown and full of weeds. The Clymers’ plan is to eventually work toward organic certification, so they needed to manage the weeds that came with the property as well as limit future weed growth. (more…)
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Staying diverse has helped Gro-Moore Farms in Rush, NY stay profitable and pass down the family farm to subsequent generations. Jack and Kathy Moore, Jacks’ brother George and his wife Brenda run the circa 1917, 800-acre operation. (more…)
by Sanne Kure-Jensen
There are three main causes of root crop diseases: fungi, nematodes and bacteria. Professor Rob Wick of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture offered tips on preventing, diagnosing and mitigating root crops diseases in his workshop “Root Crop Diseases: from top to bottom” at the 2017 New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Christopher Currey, assistant professor of horticulture at Iowa State University, says that with the right strategies, growers can manage light throughout greenhouse production. (more…)
by Carl Cantaluppi
Being a good fruit or vegetable grower means becoming a good observer of plants and knowing how the culture, insects, diseases and weather all interact in producing the final outcome as to why the plant doesn’t look or function in a certain way. (more…)