To understand the principles that John and Dorie Belisle have devised and applied over 20-plus years of apple farming, consider a phrase familiar to many agriculturalists: integrated pest management (IPM). Apple Management Read about: 3 Lingering Issues with Produce Safety Rule IPM refers to a holistic approach to pest management – an information-based strategy of constant monitoring, … Read more
As summer morphs into fall, plenty of tree fruit is harvested. In some regions, the last of the peaches, the first apples, and pears and plums all come to fruition now, ripe for harvest. But what is ripe? How do orchardists know when it’s the perfect time to pick? Orchard management Read about: 4 Things to … Read more
Often, commercial tree fruit growers manage the orchard floor with herbicide strips in the tree row, and grass or dirt strips between rows. While herbicides can bear a weed management technique, there are other options for controlling in-row orchard weeds. Orchard Floor Care Read about: 5 Tips to Becoming a Successful First-Time Farmer Controlling unwanted orchard vegetation, … Read more
Without strawberries, life would be sad: No strawberry shortcake, no strawberry parfaits, no strawberry ice cream. Sorrow has been averted, however, with producers growing 3 billion pounds of strawberries in 2014. The total value of the crop was $2.9 billion, according to Agricultural Resource Marketing Center (AGMRC). No doubt: strawberries are a prized crop in … Read more
Insects can be so cute and colorful or dark and creepy. No matter which category they fall into, growers would rather not see most of them unless they are beneficial. For growers, pests are pests, and it’s the grower’s job to control them. Following are a few of concern: Strawberry Insects Read about: Winners Announced for the … Read more