Project Reports - 2008

Sustainable Tree Fruit Production and Marketing

Project Leader: Jon Clements

Collaborating Faculty:

• Wes Autio, Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences
• Dan Cooley, Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences
• Duane Greene, Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences

This project addressed the following UMass Extension Critical Issues

• Food Production
• Natural Resource-based Economic Development

Description

For fruit farms in Massachusetts to maintain their economic viability and environmental sustainability, farmers must continually strive to improve production efficiency, expand species diversity, explore marketing opportunities, understand farm ecology, and evaluate profitability. The UMass Extension Sustainable Tree Fruit Production and Marketing Project provides ready access to current research information on new and alternative species and varieties, advanced horticultural management techniques, marketing and business management strategies, pest-ecology, and pest-management procedures. Research programs in the physiological management of vegetative growth, fruit growth, and post-harvest changes can give farmers important tools necessary to increase production efficiency while enhancing fruit quality. Important studies of pest ecology and control techniques provide approaches to pest management that optimize pest control, reduce chemical use and increase fruit quality. A successful partnership between Massachusetts fruit producers and UMass Extension will foster a more secure, diverse and healthful food supply for the Commonwealth.

Activity Summary

Collaborating UMass faculty and staff generate the research and resources that comprise the Sustainable Tree Fruit Production and Marketing Project.  Information is disseminated through various publications, meetings, web resources and individual consultations that all contribute to the overall objective of helping to sustain tree fruit production in Massachusetts and the region.  The primary mechanisms for disseminating information include:

• New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference
• Coordinate Massachusetts Orchard Upgrade Program (MOPUP)
• Create, edit, produce educational videos on various tree fruit production topics for distribution via Internet (Fruit Advisor, iTunes, YouTube, etc…)
• Grower visits/consultations
• Growing season twilight meetings
• Maintain and update UMass Fruit Advisor website
• Publish 2008 and 2008 New England Tree Fruit Pest Management Guide in collaboration with other New England states
• Tree fruit research/demonstration projects at UMass Cold Spring Orchard
• Write, edit, and publish 'Healthy Fruit' Newsletter
• Write, edit, and publish Fruit Notes

Results Summary

Tree fruit growers in Massachusetts have adopted integrated pest management (IPM) and horticultural practices that have allowed them to better protect their orchards from pests, reduce environmental and human health impacts, and be more profitable. Specific impacts from this project include:

• As a result of attending twilight meetings and reading Healthy Fruit newsletters, growers were able to better understand and respond to a fire blight disease epidemic in 2007 that threatened apple orchards and could have resulted in significant tree losses
• In 2008, six selected growers replaced one acre each of old orchard with the new tall-spindle apple orchard system, including new varieties, This will allow these growers to be more efficient in use of pesticides and labor.
• A consumer preference survey of new and unique apple varieties conducted in Fall 2007 at the UMass Cold Spring Orchard resulted in a publication detailing survey results and identifying apple varieties that growers should plant to expand their market and provide customers with an expanded array of choices.
• A cooperative research and extension project with Cornell University is developing appropriate, advanced IPM tools (including horticultural) for key apple pests in the Northeast that will reduce pesticide use and allow the use of less toxic materials where pesticides are necessary. A group of apple growers in Massachusetts and New England are already moving towards using advanced IPM to better market their apples using the "Ecoapple, IPM-certified," label.

Planned outcomes and observed or measured progress

• 100 Fruit-growers used more reduced-risk pesticides and pest control tactics
• 50 Growers adopted new technology to improve production efficiency and minimize environmental impact
• 10 Growers expanded or improved orchard size
• 25 Tree fruit growers planted new varieties and diversified production

Activities, delivery mode and participants reached 

Coordinate Massachusetts Orchard Upgrade Program (MOPUP)
6 completed, 100 adult participants

Create, edit and produce educational videos on various tree fruit production topics for distribution via Internet (Fruit Advisor, iTunes, YouTube, etc…)
13 completed, 1000 adult participants

Develop, coordinate, and teach 2007-08 MassAggie Seminars
5 completed, 200 adult participants

Grower visits/consultations
60 completed, 60 adult participants

Growing season twilight meetings
9 completed, 210 adult participants

Maintain and update UMass Fruit Advisor website
1 completed, 600 adult participants

Publish 2007 and 2008 New England Tree Fruit Pest Management Guide in collaboration with other New England states
1 completed, 100 adult participants

Teach tree fruit sessions for Berkshire Botanic Garden/Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts certificate series, winter 2008
4 completed, 20 adult participants

Tree fruit research/demonstration projects at UMass Cold Spring Orchard
1 completed, 100 adult participants

Write, edit, and publish “Healthy Fruit” newsletter
20 completed, 100 adult participants

Write, edit, and publish “Fruit Notes”
6 completed, 100 adult participants

This project is a part of the Agriculture & Landscape program