From laying down the crops to even selling the produce, there’s a lot that crosses a farmer’s mind. Food safety and preventing diseases should be high on the priority list. Food Safety Read about: Pollinator Health Update Taking the appropriate precautions to lessening the risk of contamination is sometimes overlooked and in turn, it can be risky. … Read more
Most apple buyers visit farms and purchase the tasty fruit at the farms’ markets or even pull them straight off the trees. Yet, most people probably never consider that growers must keep orchards clear of weeds so the trees can bear those beautiful apple varieties. This article focuses on the weeds most prevalent in the … Read more
Greenhouse growers nationwide are well versed in thrips, aphids and spider mites. These three pests are the most persistent greenhouse pests across the country. Thrips, Aphids and Spider Mites “Mealybugs and scale, whiteflies and leafminers are also important,” said Frank A. Hale, Ph.D., professor of Horticultural Crops Entomology, Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of … Read more
Fungicides differ from other pesticides. Most insecticides and some herbicides ‘knock down’ pests, but fungicides work best when applied before pests appear. Almost all fungicides are developed to protect healthy plants from a pest pathogen before infections occur. Most fungicides are classified as protectants. Strength of Your Fungicides Read about: BelleWood Acres’ Holistic Approach to Apple Management … Read more
It isn’t just the insects that’ll get you. While orchard growers deal extensively with plum curculio, apple maggot fly and codling moth – just a few of the common insect pests responsible for crop losses – birds, large mammals and rodents can also do damage. Damage to fruit is a concern, but it is the … Read more