Fall Issue 2009
Touching Base...
by Dick Wander, OPGMA President
W
hen harvest season starts in full swing it gets tougher and
tougher to stay in touch with what’s going on in our
industry and with the outside world. I get so focused on
accomplishing the tasks of the day that I put off any long-term
thinking. My desktop gets piled with publications and information
I just don’t have time for that day, hoping to get to them on a
rainy day or sometime after harvest.
After staying tuned out for periods of time I think it is even
more important to get connected again as things slow down.
I look at the OPGMA Congress (January 18-20) at the Kalahari
Convention Center in Sandusky as one of those ways to reconnect.
We think the Kalahari, with its informal atmosphere, makes an
excellent location for getting together with friends and colleagues.
Most people agree that information discussed in the hallways or
trade show make up an important part of any meeting. We strive
to make the OPGMA Congress balanced with sessions and speakers
designed to challenge our thinking, and also valuable time and
places to have one-on-one discussion.
One event I wouldn’t miss during the upcoming conference is the
OPGMA Congress Reception. It provides time to chat with exhibitors
and speakers, all the while enjoying some great food. Our trade
show continues to improve each year. If there are exhibitors that
you feel should be there, invite them to attend this year or contact
us and give us a heads up. In the same thought, invite other growers
who haven’t attended our OPGMA Congress to the upcoming one.
Since the OPGMA Congress falls over the Martin Luther King
holiday weekend, make your room reservations early, especially
if you’re planning on enjoying the water park on Sunday.
You can learn more about the OPGMA Congress by turning
to page 23.
talk of closing one of the specialty crop research
stations in Parma, Idaho. Even in states with
larger produce industries, like Washington, there
have been cuts. Bailout money helped Michigan
get through a temporary crisis, but what we really need is a longterm investment in agriculture. In Ohio budget cuts have affected
everyone. OARDC Research and OSU Extension are working hard
to remain viable and effective despite major reductions in funds.
Our industry is one that requires innovation to remain competitive
and profitable, which makes these new sources of information
a necessity.
Food Safety Initiative
OPGMA is working hard to pull together food safety guidelines.
Our fear is that national orders will put into place standards that
are unattainable and unprofitable for the vast array of producers
in Ohio. Our hope is to develop an Ohio Fresh Produce Marketing
Agreement that puts into place workable standards that make
sense for different sized growers and different commodities. While
these would be strictly voluntary standards, the hope is to make
the agreement so relevant that everyone will want to take part.
We are having listening sessions throughout the state of Ohio
to find out what growers want in a food safety plan. Now is the
time to voice your concerns so that we make it workable for your
operation. We are developing web content at www.opgma.org for
members to find more information. Please take some time to
study this issue. By working together with OSU and OARDC,
growers and marketers throughout the state can help to keep
our industry strong.
Issues Affecting Our Industry
There are many issues out there that need our attention besides
just the expertise to grow and sell our crops. Budget cuts seem to
be the norm for state agencies across the United States. There is
Dick Wander
Lynd Fruit Farm
10991 Reussner Rd
Pataskala, OH 43062
740-927-6620
[email protected]
Inside this Edition...
Touching Base...
1­
Irrigation of Fresh Market Tomatoes
11
OPGMA Congress Information
23
Successful High Density Apple Orchards
2
Sweet Cherry Production in High Tunnels
13
OPGMA Congress Registration Form
31
Marketing With Your Senses
5
Aronia – A New Crop for the United States 17
Basic Math for New Growers
7
Ohio Small Fruit Industry –
Then and Now
21
OPGMA Mission Statement
OPGMA is an organization of Ohio
growers and marketers who have
consumer and processor satisfaction,
environmentally friendly practices,
business success, and the provision
of fulfilling career opportunities
for family and employees as their
primary goals. These goals are
accomplished through premier
innovative educational programs,
a legislative presence, and
cooperation among members.
OPGMA – Ohio Produce Growers
& Marketers Association
2130 Stella Court
Columbus, Ohio
43215-1033 USA
614-487-1117
Fax: 614-487-1216
[email protected]
www.opgma.org
by Terence L. Robinson and Stephen A. Hoying
M
odern high-density orchard systems
such as the Tall Spindle are based on
the following principles:
• High planting densities
(1,000 to 1,500 trees per acre).
• The use of a fully dwarfing rootstock.
• Highly feathered nursery trees
(10 to 15 feathers).
• Minimal pruning at planting.
• Bending feathers and branches
below horizontal.
• No permanent scaffold branches.
• Limb renewal pruning to remove and
renew branches as they get too large.
Fall 2009
Each piece of the puzzle is important,
so fruit growers must successfully integrate
all pieces to be profitable. Ignoring one or
more of the puzzle pieces results in difficulty
managing vigor with this planting system.
A summary of the system is presented in
Table 1.
Editorial Staff
Tree Density
OPGMA Today
Stephen A. Carver, Ph.D.
Laura Kunkle
Editor
Alicia Wells
Contributors
Eldon Everhart
Ron Goldy
Stephen A. Hoying
Gregory Lang
Rob Leeds
Timothy J. Malinich
Terence L. Robinson
Dick Wander
Shawn R. Wright
Published 4 times a year
Copyright© OPGMA 2009.
Permission is hereby given to reprint articles
appearing in this OPGMA Today provided the
following reference statement appears with
the reprinted article: “Reprinted from the
OPGMA Today, (phone: 614-487-1117)
Fall 2009, Issue 10.”
No endorsement is intended for products
mentioned in this OPGMA Today nor is
criticism meant for products not mentioned.
The authors and OPGMA assume no liability
resulting from the use of practices printed in
this OPGMA Today.
2
Successful High Density Apple Orchards
Tree density with Tall Spindle orchards
can vary from a high of 1,452 trees per acre
(3’ by 10’) to a low of 838 trees per acre
(4’ by 13’). The proper density considers the
vigor of the variety, vigor of the rootstock,
and soil strength. With vigorous scion
cultivars, growers should use a more dwarfing
stock and greater planting distances. With
weak scion cultivars, a more vigorous
rootstock or closer planting distances should
be used. Despite some latitude in planting
distances, growers should remember that to
obtain high early yields high tree densities are
essential. For weak and moderate growing
cultivars such as Honeycrisp, Delicious,
Braeburn, Empire, Jonamac, Macoun, Idared,
Gala, NY674, and Golden Delicious we
suggest an in-row spacing of 3 feet. For
vigorous varieties such as McIntosh, Spartan,
Fuji, Jonagold, and Mutsu, and tip bearing
varieties such as Cortland, Rome, Granny
Smith, and Gingergold we suggest an in-row
spacing of 4 feet. Between-row spacing
should be 12 to 13 feet on slopes and 10
to 11 feet on level ground.
Rootstock
Although high tree density is the single
most important factor affecting yield in the
early years of an orchard’s life, dwarfing
rootstocks are the foundation for any
successful Tall Spindle planting system. Most
successful Tall Spindle plantings are planted
with dwarfing rootstocks such as M.9 and B.9.
In recent years the fire blight resistant dwarf
rootstocks from Geneva® (G.16, G.11, and
G.41) have been used successfully in Tall
Spindle plantings. Within the M.9 class of
dwarfing rootstocks there are significant
differences in vigor between clones. The
weaker clones (M.9NAKBT337, M.9Flueren56,
B.9, and G.41) are especially useful with
vigorous scion varieties on virgin soil. The
more vigorous clones (M.9Pajam 2, M.9Nic29,
M.9EMLA, G.16, and G.11) are much better
when orchards are planted on replanted soil or
when weak scion cultivars are used. Although
M.9 is used around the world with great
success in high density plantings, it is highly
susceptible to fire blight and Woolly apple
aphids. The new dwarfing rootstocks that are
resistant to these problems such as the Cornell
Geneva series should improve the worldwide
performance of high density orchards.
Tree Quality
An essential component of the Tall Spindle
system is high branched (feathered) nursery
trees. Several studies have shown that the
greater the number of lateral branches or
feathers the greater the yield in the second
and third year. For the economic success of
the system, the Tall Spindle system depends
on significant second and third year yield. If
growers use whips or small caliper trees which
do not produce significant quantities of fruit
until year four or five, often the carrying costs
from the extremely high investment of the Tall
Spindle orchard overwhelms the potential
returns and negates the benefit of the high tree
density on profitability. We recommend that the
caliper of trees used in Tall Spindle plantings be
a minimum of 5/8 inch (16mm) and that they
have 10 to 15 well positioned feathers with a
maximum length of 1 foot (30cm) and starting
at a minimum height to 30 inches (80cm) on
the tree. Generally nursery trees do not have
this number of feathers until the last two years.
Many nursery trees have 3 to 5 long feathers
instead of 10 short feathers. The tree with few
long feathers requires more branch management
than the tree with more short feathers.
OPGMA Today
Tree Fruit Grower
Table 1. Simplified pruning and training plan for the Tall Spindle system.
First Leaf
At Planting
Plant highly feathered trees (10 to 15 feathers) at a spacing of 3-4’ X 11-12’ (90cm-1.2m X 3.3m-3.6m).
Adjust graft union to 6” (15 cm) above soil level. Remove all feathers below 24” (60 cm) using a flush cut.
Do not head leader or feathers. Remove any feathers that are larger than 2/3 the diameter of the leader.
3-4” Growth
Rub off second and third buds below the new leader bud to eliminate competitors to the leader shoot.
May
Install a 3-4 wire tree support system that will allow tree to be supported to 3 m. Attach trees to support
system with a permanent tree tie above first tier of scaffolds leaving a 2-inch diameter loop to allow for
trunk grow.
Early June
Tie down each feather that is longer than 10” (25 cm) to a pendant position below horizontal.
Second Leaf
Dormant
Do not head leader or prune trees.
10-15 cm growth
Pinch lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last year’s leader growth removing about 5 cm of growth (the terminal bud
and 4 to 5 young leaves).
Early June
Hand thin crop to single fruit four inches apart. (Target 15-20 fruits/tree)
Mid June
Re-pinch all lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last year’s growth. Tie developing leader to support system with
permanent tie.
Third Leaf
Dormant
Do not head leader. Remove overly vigorous limbs that are more than 2/3 the diameter of the leader using
a bevel cut.
Late May
Chemically thin according to crop load, tree strength, and weather conditions, then follow up with hand
thinning to appropriate levels to ensure regular annual cropping and adequate fruit size.
(Target 50 to 60 fruits per tree)
June
Tie developing leader to support system with a permanent tie.
August
Lightly summer prune to encourage good light penetration and fruit color.
Fourth Leaf
Dormant
Do not head leader. Remove overly vigorous limbs that are more than 2/3 the diameter of the leader using
a bevel cut.
Late May
Chemically thin then follow up with hand thinning to appropriate levels to ensure regular annual cropping
and adequate fruit size. (Target 100 fruits per tree)
June
Tie developing leader to support system with a permanent tie at the top of the pole.
August
Lightly summer prune to encourage light penetration and fruit color.
Mature Tree Pruning
(Fifth-Twentieth Leaf)
Dormant
Limit tree height to 10’ (3m) by cutting leader back to a fruitful side branch. Annually, remove at least two
limbs including lower tier scaffolds that are more than 2/3 the diameter of the leader using a bevel cut.
Shorten bottom tier scaffolds where needed back to side branch to facilitate movement of equipment and
preserve fruit quality on lower limbs. Remove any limbs larger than 1-inch in diameter in the upper
2 feet (60cm) of the tree.
Late May
Chemically thin then follow up with hand thinning to appropriate levels to ensure regular annual cropping
and adequate fruit size. (Target 100-120 fruits/tree)
August
Lightly summer prune to encourage light penetration and maintain pyramidal shape.
Continued on page 4
Fall 2009
3
Successful High Density Apple Orchards
Continued from page 3
Branch Angle Manipulation
The most important method of inducing cropping and reducing
induced juvenility is tying down of the scaffold branches below
horizontal to induce cropping. One of the most significant
differences between the Tall Spindle and the more traditional
Vertical Axis and Slender Spindle is that the tall spindle tree
typically has no permanent lower tier of branches. With the
Tall Spindle all of the feathers are tied or weighted below the
horizontal at planting to induce cropping and to prevent them
from developing into substantial lower scaffolds. The pendant
position results in a weak fruiting branch instead of a scaffold
branch. With the Vertical Axis and Slender Spindle systems the
feathers are allowed to be brought down to horizontal with fruit
load in the third year or are tied down a little above horizontal
which allows them to grow into scaffolds over the first four years.
Growers who attempt to plant feathered trees at the Tall Spindle
spacing but do not tie the feathers down often end up with limbs
in the lower part of the tree that are too strong, requiring severe
limb removal pruning at an early age which invigorates the tree
and makes long term canopy containment problematic. This simple
change in tree management allows for long-term cropping of
many feathers and little invasive pruning for the first five to
eight years at the very close spacing of the Tall Spindle system.
After the initial tying or weighting down of feathers at planting,
new lateral branches that arise along the leader do not need to be
tied down. In most climates, if moderate vigor lateral shoots
arising along the leader are not pruned, often cropload in the
third year will bend branches down below horizontal and a natural
balance between vigor and cropping will be established without
additional limb positioning. Thus with the Tall Spindle, no
additional limb tying is needed after the initial tying or weighting
down of the feathers at planting. However, in vigorous and/or
warmer climates where winter chilling is insufficient, often limbs
become too large before they set sufficient crop loads to bend the
branches down. In these climates, tying down of all vigorous limbs
must be done annually for the first three to five years until the
tree settles down and begins to crop heavily. However, in most
traditional apple growing areas, growers often invest too much
money in limb tying which should be limited to only the feathers
at planting. Thereafter, the precocity of the rootstock induces
heavy cropping and a natural balance is established.
Cropload Management
Management of cropping with the Tall Spindle during the first
four years to avoid biennial bearing is critical to maintaining a
proper balance between vegetative growth and cropping as the
trees begin to bear. With precocious dwarfing rootstocks, young
apple trees can often overset in the second or third year resulting
in biennial bearing as early as the fourth year. This then results in
increased vigor in the fourth year just when the trees have filled
their allotted space and when reduced vigor is needed. Varieties
differ in their biennial bearing tendency and this must be
4
incorporated into the croploads allowed on young trees. For
annual cropping varieties like Gala, we recommend croploads of
15 to 20 apples/tree in the second year, 50 to 60 apples/tree in the
third year, and 100 apples per tree in the fourth year. For slow
growing and biennial bearing varieties like Honeycrisp croploads
should be half that used with Gala.
Mature Canopy Shape
The Tall Spindle is essentially a 10-foot (3m) trunk with small
fruiting branches inserted all along its length. To achieve this tree
in only three years the central leader is not cut (headed) at planting.
This results in a 5- to 6-foot tall tree at planting which is already
50 percent of its final height. This relatively tall thin tree needs
support before the fully leafed out canopy acts as a sail resulting in
tree breakage in strong wind storms. Thus a 3-4 wire trellis must be
installed by the time the tree leafs out. A 3-4 wire trellis is preferred
to an individual tree stake and a single wire trellis since the tree
density is so high that the cost of an individual tree stake (conduit
pipe) becomes prohibitive. Some growers of Tall Spindle tree use an
inexpensive bamboo tree stake at each tree tied between a lower
and higher wire.
The feathers or lateral branches are tied below horizontal either
at planting or early during the first summer to induce cropping
and to limit the width of the canopy. The leaders shoot is
supported with the trellis and is not headed in succeeding years
until year four or five when mature tree height has been achieved
and heavy cropping has begun. The upper part of the tree is
composed of small fruitful branches which bend with crop below
horizontal. The narrow, slender shape of the Tall Spindle canopy
helps ensure that most of the canopy is well exposed resulting
in excellent fruit quality.
Renewal Pruning
Good light distribution and good fruit quality can be
maintained as trees age if the top of the tree is kept more narrow
than the bottom of the tree and if there is a good balance between
vegetative growth and cropping. For the Tall Spindle system,
maintaining a conic shape as the trees age is critical to
maintaining good light exposure, fruiting, and fruit quality in the
bottom of the tree. In our experience, the best way to maintain
good light distribution within the canopy as the tree ages is to
remove whole limbs in the top of the tree once they grow too long
rather than shortening back permanent scaffold branches in the
tops of trees. A successful approach to managing the tops of trees
has been to annually remove one or two upper branches
completely. To assure the development of a replacement branch,
the large branch should be removed with an angled or beveled cut
so that a small stub of the lower portion of the branch remains.
From this stub a flat weak replacement branch often grows. If
these are left unheaded they will naturally bend down with crop.
When this style of pruning is repeated annually, the top of the
tree can be composed completely of young fruitful branches.
The younger branches do not cause as much shade as larger older
OPGMA Today
branches and are naturally shorter than the bottom branches, thus
maintaining the conic shape of the tree. When this strategy, which
is termed “limb renewal pruning,” is employed with the Tall
Spindle system, good light distribution can be maintained over
the life of the tree.
Conclusions
The key objectives for a new orchard are to maximize yield in
the early years and still effectively produce large yields of high
quality fruit after the trees are mature. The Tall Spindle system
accomplishes these objectives by combining high tree planting
densities, highly feathered trees that have many small branches
instead of a few large branches, minimal pruning at planting or
during the first three years, branch angle management by tying
down all of the feathers at planting to induce cropping, preventing
the development of strong scaffold branches that cause difficulty
in tree management in later years, and branch caliper management
by the systematic removal of large branches to keep the tree
manageable. Since large branches contribute to the development of
large trees, the Tall Spindle trees, which have no large scaffold
branches, remain small. Our most recent economic analysis shows
the optimum economic density for New York is the 1,000 to 1,100
trees per acre of the Tall Spindle system. It appears to be an
excellent system for New York apple growers.
Terence Robinson
Cornell University
Roberts Hall, Room Box 15
Geneva, NY 14456
315-787-2227
[email protected]
Steve Hoying
Cornell University
Box 727, 3357 Rt 9W
Highland, NY 1252
845-691-6787
[email protected]
Ag Marketing
Marketing With Your Senses
by Rob Leeds
T
his is an interesting time for agri-tourism in the realm of the
sense of touch. We live in a time where kids enjoy experiences
provided by the computer. These experiences do not exist in three
dimensions and do not stimulate all of the senses. Agri-toursits need
something that they cannot get on their computer, iPod, or gaming
system – an experience that strongly stimulates their senses.
To deliver an experience that immerses your customers and
pulls at their emotions you need to develop an agri-tourism
operation that uses all five of their senses. This requires going
beyond u-pick berries, a goat walk, and a corn maze. This means
that the design and construction materials of your attractions and
the farm become extremely important in how they stimulate the
senses and the messages they convey.
Customers need to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel their way
around your operation. A good example of this is buying a new car.
We like to think that buying a new car is about getting a nice new
machine in the driveway, but car dealers know that the experience
goes much deeper. Research has shown that many customers rate
the “new car smell” as one of the reasons for buying a new car.
With this bit of information the new car smell is sprayed into
cars before they leave the assembly line. Smell is such a powerful
influence on buyers that many used car dealers freshen up cars with
the new car scent. The good news is, you can buy a 32 ounce bottle
of Lane’s Car Products New Car Scent on Amazon for $17.50.
Harley-Davidson also realized that the senses can be used to
pull potential customers. Harley riders claim the rumble of their
Fall 2009
bikes is instantly recognizable and different from any other
motorcycle on the road. In 1994 Harley-Davidson sought to
trademark the exhaust sound of their motorcycle.
These are two very specific products in which the manufacturers
are using senses to increase consumer excitement. They know that
products that deliver a sensory experience stand out from the
crowd of products not stimulating the senses. If these kinds of
products can capitalize on using the five senses, just think of the
possibilities for agri-tourism, an industry based on the experience.
Smell
Smell is one of our strongest senses. We often associate smells
with memories. Research has shown that if you associate a list of
words with smells, you will better remember the words.
When you go to the movies what do you expect? Most of us
expect rows of seats and a movie screen, but we also expect the
unique aroma of popcorn. In fact, popcorn has become so strongly
linked with movies that if you entered a movie theater and it
wasn’t there you would feel the experience wasn’t quite complete.
At the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World popcorn carts are
in position at the entrance tunnels and start popping corn at
8:30 a.m. They don’t sell much popcorn that early in the day, but
the smell communicates the movie message as you enter the park.
Food on the farm can also be used to add to the sensory
experience. The smell of quality food cooking adds to the farm
Continued on page 6
5
Marketing With Your Senses
Continued from page 5
experience and the memories. For years markets have found ways
to distribute the smell of freshly baked pie or melting caramel
throughout the market. Not only does it draw you to the bakery
but it gives the market a certain country, homey feel.
Food is not the only way to add sense of smell to your agritourism operation. The sense of smell is often used by retailers to
set the tone for a sales area. This spring when retailers bring out
the swim suits for 2010 take careful note of smells around the area.
Many retailers will use a tropical smell like coconut, pineapple, or
palm oil to set the feeling of being on a tropical beach.
Keep in mind that it is not only the pleasant smells that set the
tone for an experience. Foul smells can also set a tone. Manure
smell may be fine to use in the barn, but think how your
customers will experience the smell if it turns up in the sales
or food area. I was in an old shop that had been renovated into
a market, and there was a slight odor of old oil and grease. It was
not an overpowering scent but the slight wiff took my attention
away from the nice market set up and took me back to thinking
about the prior use of the building. In all cases make sure the
smell of the environment matches the experience you want
your customer to have.
When considering how to set the stage for your customers’
experience, do not overlook the cleanliness of your operation.
In the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World you never see trash
being picked up. It is all handled under ground, so trash doesn’t
affect the experience.
The way your employees dress is also an important visual clue
to the experience on the farm. At Vollmer Farm all the employees
are dressed in bibbed overalls, creating the visual experience of
being “down home on the farm.” At Saunders Farm in Munster,
Ontario the parking attendants wear traffic cones as hats and the
imprints of car tires across their uniforms. Now that screams this
is a fun place.
It all comes down to you knowing what type of visual clues
you want to convey to your guests. Then keep those visual clues
consistent with the brand you want to market.
Taste
Sound
There is nothing like spending an evening at the local county
fair. The smells are vibrant the sights exciting, but we can’t wait
for a taste. When going to the county fair most people like to eat
their way through the experience. The food choices are plentiful
and unique. Some people even refer to the type of food they find
there as “fair food.” Diets are thrown by the wayside because food
is a great part of the fair experience.
Research shows that sound has a great influence on our mood.
Sounds create feelings and emotions for an experience. Movies
were the first to really integrate music to create a mood for an
experience. Try watching a comedy or love story with no sound
track. The sound in any situation can inspire many emotions.
The same can be true of your agri-tourism operation. We like to
think of food as profit centers for our operation, but it can greatly
enhance the farm experience. Operations should strive to deliver
unique food that will be identified with your operation. Many
operations have developed a following for their food. Apple
Annie’s in Arizona has its special apple bread, North Carolina’s
Vollmer’s Farm has organic strawberry ice cream, or you can visit
Bishops Pumpkin Farm’s PigaDeli Square where you can find Mrs.
B’s Country Bakery for pies, cakes, breads, muffins, and cookies.
All of these farms do a nice job creating a taste of the farm, but
one farm really goes for taste variety. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch of
Omaha, Nebraska has 13 different food locations on the farm.
They serve caramel apples, turkey legs, kettle corn, funnel cakes,
apple pie, caramel apple ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and
fudge. As you walk through the farm you will notice that the food
product changes as the settings change. All of these products have
a very distinctive Vala twist. Be sure to take advantage of the
comforting feeling food adds to an experience.
Sight
There is no place better than the farm to capitalize in the sense
of sight. When considering the sense of sight on the farm, remember
6
that what you see and what you don’t see are both very important.
A lot of color and texture on the farm will likely ensure that a
customer will be drawn in. The lush countryside in the spring and
summer, the fall colors of mid-October, and the snow covered hills
of winter. All of this can be moved to the background if the colors
are presented amid trash and marginally manicured grounds.
Disney does a great job using music to set the tone for an
experience and to create a memory. As you move around the park
the music fits the area. If you ever had any doubt that music is a
major part of an experience, just visit Disney’s “It’s a Small World”
ride. I have no doubt that song will stick with you the rest of the
day. Disney also uses other sounds to set an emotional tone. In the
campground you will always hear crickets and other insects. Many
of these sounds are piped in through sound systems. Even knowing
this did not reduce the impact of the experience.
Keep in mind that bad sounds can also set a tone. Unnecessary
use or an inappropriate statement made on a PA system can take
away from an experience. Songs that do not connect with people
can take away from an experience. A couple of years ago, John
Roba, a friend and farm marketer from Pennsylvania, said that
a good song can make up for bad animation but great animation
can never make up for a bad song. He is exactly right; good
sounds can really enhance an experience. Design a setting that
will increase your guest’s ability to hear the good sounds; it will
change the whole experience.
Touch
I always thought one the best marketing creations was Mr.
Whipple squeezing the Charmin. By Mr. Whipple not squeezing
the Charmin, they were conveying the sense of touch for softness
OPGMA Today
through the advertisement. That is what we need to do. No matter
if our customers are reading an advertisement or crunching on
kettle corn, they need to be able to feel the experience.
Great physical activities feel good in the hand. For example,
why do kids like to pet or feed animals? They love the feel of the
hair, the roughness of a calf’s tongue, or the softness of the goat’s
mouth as it nibbles feed. The corn box is another good example.
The smooth, slick feeling makes you what to run your hands into
the corn and enjoy the physical sensation. These activities almost
demand that you touch them.
In this virtual age kids and adults really value an experience
that utilizes the senses. Agri-tourism is in a unique position to give
consumers something that they cannot get on their computer. This
position gives our industry an opportunity and gives our guests an
experience that strongly stimulates the senses. This type of experience
will create memories that your guests just can’t get online.
Rob Leeds
Ohio State University – Extension
149 N Sandusky St
Delaware, OH 43015
740-833-2030
[email protected]
General Production
Basic Math for New Growers
by Timothy J. Malinich
M
ost people’s eyes begin to glaze over when talking about
math. Middle school and high school students constantly
question if they will ever need to use math after high school.
However, it is not uncommon to work with growers on fertility
and pest control programs only to discover that accurate areas
and rates have not been used in calculations. This is not due to an
inability to make the calculations, but rather a misunderstanding
on their importance and how simply they can be completed.
Simply stated, mistakes in calculations can lead to over or
under application of fertilizers and pesticides. Cost of inputs
always rise. Over application results in putting down materials
that are not needed, wasting money on product, labor, and
overhead. Problems with under application are a bit more elusive.
Poor pest control might be blamed on resistance. Poor growth
might be blamed on weather. Both might be related to errors
in calculating areas and rates.
The good news is that maintaining adequate records will
mean that many of the calculations only need to be done once,
recalculating only as field layout changes. Growers can create
custom charts for fertilizer applications so rates don’t need to be
constantly recalculated. Hardware and software for GPS mapping is
readily available but can still be cost prohibitive, and the learning
curve can be steep unless the grower is already comfortable with
computers and GPS. However, if software and hardware are
unavailable, with basic math it is quick and easy to calculate
field measurements for application of fertilizers and pesticides.
Basic Geometry
All of the following calculations are basic geometry. Most every
field can be broken down into squares, rectangles, triangles and
circles. Errors in application creep in when fields or planting blocks
are assumed to be square for the sake of making the calculations
Fall 2009
simple. For instance, the area of a square is calculated as length
times width. The area of a rectangle is also length times width. So,
a 200’ by 200’ block is 200 x 200 = 40,000 square feet, just short
of one acre (one acre=43,560 square feet). Rectangles that are
leaning in one direction are called parallelograms and their area
can be calculated with a similar formula, length times height. The
reason this similar formula works for parallelograms is that the
triangles that form the ends can be used to square off the end to
form a rectangle (Figure 1). More errors happen when planting
blocks take on more odd shapes. Assuming the block is square to
simplify calculations will result in the application being incorrect.
width
width
length
length
height
base
Figure 1. Areas of squares, rectangles, and parallelograms can all be
calculated with the same formula of width (or base) times height.
Continued on page 8
7
Basic Math for New Growers
Continued from page 7
The easiest way to handle odd shapes is to break them into
simple components. This usually means squares, rectangles, and
circles. To keep the calculations simple try to make sure each
triangle is a “right triangle” which means there is a 90-degree
angle at one corner. Since the area of squares is easy to calculate,
looking at a right triangle as one-half the area of a square is just
as simple (Figure 2). So, the area of a triangle is (base times height)
divided by 2. This formula applies to all triangles.
base 2
base 1
base 2
height
base 1
height
base
base
base 1
Figure 2. The area of each triangle is actually one half the area of a
square or rectangle with the same width and length. This is most easily
seen with right triangles but applies to all triangles.
With the formula for rectangles and squares, areas of oddshaped fields are easily calculated (Figure 3). For example, if the
extended area on the end of a field is 40 additional feet, then the
area of the triangular extension is: ½ (40 x 200) or 4,000 square
feet. If the field were mistakenly assumed to be square then it
would have been measured as 40,000 square feet rather than
44,000 square feet, an error of 10 percent.
40
200
200
200
Figure 3. To accurately calculate the area of this field, one should add the
area of the rectangle to the area of the triangle.
Trapezoids would be fields that are the same height but different
lengths for the bases. There are two ways to calculate the area of
trapezoids. The area can be figured by converting the shape into
a rectangle plus two triangles and calculating it as in the previous
example. However, similar to the triangles, one can look at the
trapezoid as one-half of a parallelogram (Figure 4). Once the
trapezoid is viewed this way, the formula becomes:
height x (base 1 + base 2) divided by 2. For figure 4, the
calculation is: 200 x (200 + 300) / 2 = 50,000 square feet.
With these basic formulas one can accurately calculate the area
of most angular fields. On some occasions, however, circular areas
need to be measured as well – areas around ponds or roads, for
8
base 2
Figure 4. The area of a trapezoid can be calculated by viewing it as
one-half of a larger parallelogram made from two identical trapezoids.
instance. Also, calculations for circles will be needed when
determining pond area and volume.
For all circles, there is a mathematical relationship between their
circumference and diameter which is called pi (pronounced pie). In
formulas pi is written as a letter of the Greek alphabet, “π” and
always represents the same number, 3.14.
With a single measurement and pi, one can calculate the area
and circumference of circles. The measurement needed is the
radius of the circle. The radius is the distance from the outside
to the center of the circle. To calculate the circumference (area
around the outside) of the circle, double the radius and multiply
times pi. For instance, if the radius is 100 feet, then the area
around the circle is 2 x 100 x 3.14 = 628 feet around that circle.
The area of that same circle can be calculated as π times the
radius squared (to square a number is to multiply it by itself). The
circle with the 100-foot radius would have an area of π times the
radius times the radius: 3.14 x 100 x 100 = 31,400 square feet,
or about three-quarters of an acre.
With all of these formulas, areas can be easily and accurately
calculated for most fields. Figure 5 could be an odd field that has
an L-shaped pond at one end. It would not be uncommon for a
grower to simplify the measurement by considering the field a
rectangle and using the long side for the calculation. This would
be: 200 x 440 = 88,000 square feet. However, if it is broken down
into its component parts of a rectangle, a triangle, and one-half of
a circle, then the more accurate calculation becomes:
rectangle 400 x 200 = 80,000
triangle ½ x 40 x 200 = 4000
circle 3.14 x 100 x 100 = 31,400; one-half circle then equals 15,700
Total field = 80,000 + 4000 +15,700 or 99,700 square feet
OPGMA Today
400
200
40
Figure 5. Odd shaped fields can be broken down into their basic
components; in this case a rectangle, a triangle and one half of a circle.
In this example, the error is 11,000 square feet, about one-quarter
of an acre. If this error were responsible for poor pest control or
under-application of fertilizer, the grower might never know.
Basic Fertilizer Math
Every good fertilizer program begins with a soil test.
Applications of nutrients in years between soil tests should be
based on the most recent tests and recommendations, as well
as grower experience. Working with consultants, other growers,
Extension staff, or labs will require converting recommendations
into actual quantities of fertilizer to apply to a given area.
The analysis listed on fertilizer bags are given as a percentage
of the total weight of the bag. Percentage always refers to a
portion of the whole amount, so 50 percent always means half
of the entire amount, whether that quantity is 100 pounds or
100 tons. In mathematical calculations, the “%” is rarely used.
Instead, the percentage is listed as its decimal equivalent.
Therefore, 19% = 0.19, 46% = 0.46, 12% = 0.12. Converting
the percentages listed on the bags to a decimal makes it easier
to calculate fertilizer quantities.
Most fertilizer application problems can be handled with either
multiplication or division of the fertilizer analysis expressed as a
Fall 2009
decimal. To find the amount of fertilizer needed for an application,
division is used. For example, if 60 pounds of nitrogen are needed
per acre and the fertilizer is 24 percent nitrogen, the calculation is
to divide nutrient needed by the decimal equivalent of the fertilizer
analysis: 60 divided by 0.24 = 60 / 0.24 = 250 pounds of 24%
nitrogen fertilizer to deliver 60 pounds nitrogen per acre.
The opposite is also true, so multiplication can be used to either
check the math or to calculate how much nutrient was applied to a
field. So, for 100 pounds fertilizer applied, times 24% N fertilizer =
100 x 0.24 = 24 pounds of N applied. For another example, if 500
pounds of a 12-12-12 fertilizer was applied to 2 acres then:
500 x 0.12 = 60 pound of nitrogen applied to two acres. The same
calculations apply to the phosphorous, potassium, or other nutrient
given as a percent of content.
One final note, make sure all equipment is in good operating
condition and calibrated. The accuracy gained by proper
measurement and calculation of field area is rapidly lost if
the spreaders and sprayers are not working properly. Follow
manufacturer directions for setting up and operating. Calibrate on
a regular basis and cross check the actual amount applied with the
calculated amount.
Environmental concerns are causing growers to pay closer
attention to nutrient applications. Additionally, accurate field
measurements can save money and improve the use of production
inputs. Math may not be the most exciting thing to read about,
but in these cases it may save you money.
Timothy J. Malinich
Ohio State University Extension, Lorain County
42110 Russia Rd
Elyria OH 44035
440-326-5851
[email protected]
9
10
OPGMA Today
Vegetable Grower
Irrigation of Fresh Market Tomatoes
by Ron Goldy
D
espite high natural rainfall, irrigation is a necessity for many
high-value vegetable crops in the Midwest. The 30-plus inches
of rain experienced is not spread throughout the growing season,
so extended periods of dry weather require irrigation to reduce
economic risk. Current production practices for fresh market
tomatoes, where they are planted on raised, plastic mulched beds,
also makes irrigation essential. Fortunately, the raised bed system
lends itself to drip irrigation, so many growers have taken advantage
of the reduced water use and the ability to inject fertilizer.
Tomatoes are generally planted in sand-based soils which allow
for water drainage and ease in bed shaping, but this presents
irrigation challenges. Course, sandy soils have little water-holding
capacity and require short but frequent watering periods. Water
also moves nutrients, especially nitrogen, quickly through these
soils, so over watering may lead to excessive nutrient leaching,
economic loss, and potential pollution. A consistent moisture
supply is also required to prevent certain physiological fruit
defects, primarily blossom end rot.
Tomato irrigation strategy starts before planting. If using raised
beds, the soil needs to be moist at shaping for good soil-to-plastic
contact, but moisture also helps transplant establishment. If the soil
is moist, general irrigation can be delayed for two or more weeks
depending on weather conditions. Roots only grow where there is
water, and delaying irrigation encourages roots to explore more
soil area and increase root volume so when irrigation and fertilizer
are applied there are more roots to support the plant and utilize
nutrients. This can lead to a 10 percent to 15 percent yield increase.
After planting, the challenge for many growers is to determine
when to water, how often, and with how much. This is not always
easy, and growers often over irrigate just to be sure their plants
have enough water. This may have been a suitable method in the
past, but economics and environmental stewardship dictate a more
thoughtful approach. Drip systems are an improvement from
overhead since drip greatly increases water use efficiency, but even
these systems can be operated improperly.
How much to water has several variables including plant
growth stage, wind, temperature, and light level. Determinate
tomatoes go through five growth phases: establishment, vegetative,
flowering, fruiting, and fruit ripening. There is some overlap
between stages but water requirements gradually increase until
maximum use occurs while the plant and fruit are still developing
and into early fruit maturity. These phases generally correspond to
periods of high temperature and light. Crop coefficient values to
help estimate daily water use have been given to each growth
phase. Establishment has a coefficient of 0.4 – 0.5, vegetative is
0.7 – 0.8, flowering is 1.05 – 1.25, fruiting is 0.8 - 0.9, and
ripening is 0.6 to 0.65.
Crop coefficients are combined with daily evapotranspiration
(Et) rates to determine how much water the plant uses on a daily
basis and how much will need to be replaced through natural
rainfall or irrigation. Daily Et rates are hard to obtain for Ohio
putting growers at a disadvantage. The best suggestion is to use
Et values from a Michigan site that best reflects your climate.
Michigan sites can be accessed at: http://www.enviroweather.msu.
edu/home_map.asp. Sites most similar to Ohio will be those in the
southern tier of Michigan counties.
Once you have the Et rate (say 0.25 inches, a typical value for
a sunny, July day) and the crop coefficient (1.05 for a flowering,
growing plant) you simply multiply the two values (0.25 x 1.05 =
0.26 inches of water used). The resulting value indicates how much
estimated water the plant used that day that needs to be replaced.
How quickly and how long to water depends on soil type.
Clay-based soils should be watered slowly and for longer periods.
Quickly watering clay soils may lead to surface runoff, and slow
applications allow for water to be absorbed. Sand-based soils may
be watered quickly but for short periods since long periods lead to
water going beyond the root zone. How fast water moves through
soil can be determined using half-inch PVC pipe, two No. 10
copper wires and an ohm meter. Cut the PVC 2 inches longer then
how deep you want water to go (18 to 24 inches should be deep
enough since 90 percent or more of the roots will be in this area).
Cut the two wires 1 inch longer than the pipe. Remove one-half
inch of the insulation from the ends of the wires and tape them to
opposite sides of the PVC with the bare areas extending beyond
the pipe ends. Using half-inch re-bar, make a pilot hole for the
PVC-wired pipe and then insert the pipe down the hole leaving
2 inches above the soil line (tape the top of the pipe so water
cannot travel down inside the pipe). Attach the ohm meter to the
two wires, obtain an initial reading, and then turn your irrigation
on – noting the time you started. Check the ohm meter
periodically; when the water front reaches the bottom of the wires
the number will change dramatically. Note the time difference.
This indicates how long you need to run your system to have the
water front reach that deep. This works off the principle that dry
soil has greater resistance than wet soil. Growers using this method
have decreased water use and irrigation times by up to 25 percent.
What time of day to irrigate is another concern. Is it better to
have water already in the soil from early morning watering, or
is it better to apply water during the day? To decrease disease
problems, overhead irrigation is best applied early in the morning.
This is not a big concern with drip irrigation since plants do not
get wet and water is generally applied under the soil. Plants use
water during times of growth which occurs when light and
Continued on page 12
Fall 2009
11
Irrigation of Fresh Market Tomatoes
Continued from page 11
temperatures are high enough for photosynthesis to occur. Soil
moisture research indicates moisture has a diurnal curve with
water levels going down during the day as plants draw it out and
then going up during the night. Approaches to have a more
consistent moisture level might be to add water at night to help
the recovery phase and have more water present when the plant
needs it or to add water during the day to keep moisture from
dropping too low. It is difficult to “bank” water in sandy soils so
watering extended periods when the plant is not actively drawing
water from the soil is a waste – water simply keeps going down
and out of reach of the roots. Research on moisture levels in sandy
soils finds irrigating between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. tended to show a
better yield response in fresh market tomatoes. This makes sense
given the natural soil moisture holding potential of sandy soil and
the plant’s daily growth cycle. Unfortunately growers are often
busy at other activities during this time, especially during
harvesting and packing season.
Some means of monitoring soil moisture should be utilized by
growers to help make irrigation decisions. This can be as simple
as the “check book” method of keeping track of moisture losses
through Et and moisture additions through rain and irrigation.
Other methods include tensiometers. To monitor moisture
throughout the root zone tensiometes are often used in pairs –
one at 12 inches and another at 18 or 24 inches. If using
tensiometers irrigation should begin at 10 to 15 centibars for
tomatoes. Tensiometers are relatively inexpensive at $70 to $100
depending on length, and they work well in sandy soil.
Capacitance probes are probably the tool most widely used by
crop consultants. These consist of a probe that is sent down a preestablished monitoring tube. The probe sends an electronic signal
into the soil and measures reflectance. Different soil moisture
levels will produce different levels of reflectance. These systems
are quite accurate and will cost around $5,000 for the probe, data
logger, and computer software, and then there will be the cost of
the PVC-monitoring tubes.
Some general observations over the years I have been
monitoring soil moisture include water overuse (watering too long
or too often), not being aware of the natural water-holding capacity
of the soil and soil profiles (What is the soil type 2 feet down?), and
keeping fields wet early and dry later when the plant has highest
water demand (I think this happens because irrigation often takes
12
a back seat to harvest, packing, and shipping). Some of these
practices lead to nutrient leaching causing economic loss since the
full potential is not reached from applied nutrients and more then
what is needed may need to be applied. The practices also may lead
to ground water contamination which is a serious problem.
Successful and appropriate irrigation is not as simple as turning
water on and off. It takes a considerable amount of site-specific
and grower knowledge and experience for effective water
application. Fresh market tomato growers can’t wait to water until
they see wilting plants. By then it is too late since the first
response tomatoes have to water stress is to produce a lot of small
fruit then they wilt. If they are wilting, then severe damage has
already occurred. A proactive approach should be taken.
Ron Goldy
Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center
1791 Hillandale Rd
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
269-944-1477
[email protected]
OPGMA Today
Tree Fruit Grower
Sweet Cherry Production in High Tunnels
by Gregory Lang
F
resh market sweet cherry producers have seen perhaps more
changes than any other tree fruit over the past 15 years – new
rootstocks that reduce vigor, increase productivity, and/or increase
precocity; an explosion of new varieties, some of which are selffruitful (cross-pollination not required), have large fruit size, and/
or expand the marketing window via earlier or later ripening; and
dramatic increases in acreage due to continuing strong prices
driven by high consumer demand. The millions of new trees
planted during the past decade primarily have been in the
climatically favorable arid production regions of Washington,
Oregon, and California.
Sweet cherries are one of the highest risk tree fruits to produce.
They are susceptible to many diseases, are attacked by many
insects, are damaged by spring frosts due to their early bloom
time, and perhaps most frustratingly, are susceptible to raininduced cracking of the high value fruit in the few weeks just
before harvest. When wet, nearly-ripe cherry fruit can rapidly
absorb water through the skin into the flesh, resulting in swelling
of the flesh, and cracking of the skin. Rain-cracking can essentially
destroy a beautiful crop within days of harvest.
The latest potential change on the horizon for growing sweet
cherries is a confluence of the new rootstocks, new varieties, and
strong prices with new training systems and recent high tunnel
production technologies (Figure 1). This is an integrative change
that probably holds more promise for aspiring cherry growers in
non-arid, non-traditional potential production regions like the
Midwest (where season-long rainfall exacerbates disease, insect,
and fruit cracking challenges) than in traditional arid regions.
The addition of high tunnels to cherry orchards incurs a higher
establishment cost, but it moves non-arid region producers closer
to a level playing field. The existence of pick-your-own or regional
markets where consumers desire very fresh, fully ripe, high quality
produce, as well as the increased costs incurred for cherries trucked
from distant West Coast orchards, improves the competitive potential
for local high tunnel cherry production systems. The greatest barriers
for Midwest cherry producers to overcome are tree survival, labor
efficiency, and the ability to guarantee targeted markets that supplies
won’t be lost by untimely rains or spring frosts. High tunnels provide
potential advantages for each of these barriers.
Figure 1. High tunnel-covered sweet cherries in the United Kingdom.
Fall 2009
Two types of high tunnels are common; single-bay and multibay. Single-bay or stand-alone tunnels generally have enough of
a superstructure to withstand winter snow loads and often are used
for winter as well as summer herbaceous vegetable and/or cut
flower production. Multi-bay, connected tunnels generally have
only enough superstructure to support their plastic covers against
routine winds, but not winter snowloads. Hence, multi-bay tunnels
are used primarily for three-season production and covers are
removed at some point after harvest, before snows begin. This
works well for sweet cherry trees, which must be exposed to
progressively lower temperatures in the fall to begin acclimating
their physiology to survive winter. Cherry trees also need exposure
to moderately cold temperatures to eventually break dormancy in
the spring to bloom and grow normally.
High tunnel cherry production research began at Michigan
State University in 2005 at two experiment station sites, one near
Clarksville (CHES) and one near Benton Harbor (SWMREC). At the
CHES site, three connected high tunnel bays (Haygrove Inc), each
28 feet wide by 169 feet long, were constructed in the middle of
an existing research orchard of ‘Rainier’ (Figure 2), ‘Lapins’, and
‘Sweetheart’ trees growing on the precocious rootstocks Gisela®5 (Gi5,
dwarfing) and Gisela®6 (Gi6, vigorous). At the SWMREC site, four
connected bays, each 24 feet wide by 200 feet long, were constructed
over fallow ground that subsequently was planted with nursery trees
of 38 varieties and selections from the Cornell and Washington State
University breeding programs, all on precocious rootstocks (Gi5, Gi6,
and Gi12 which is vigorous). The loamy soil at CHES supports more
vigorous growth than the sandy soil at SWMREC.
The bearing trees at CHES provided quick insights into the
impacts of high tunnels on sweet cherry fruiting, as well as on
some insects and diseases. In 2006, the tunnels were covered
Figure 2. ’Rainier’/Gi5 sweet cherries in bloom at MSU-CHES (note boxes
of bumblebee hives).
Continued on page 14
13
Sweet Cherry Production in High Tunnels
Continued from page 13
during bloom (though the sides and ends were left open), and
a light frost that damaged a few blossoms outside the tunnels
caused essentially no damage in the tunnels. At harvest, yields
were respectable inside the tunnels (4 to 5.4 ton per acre), but
were only about half those outside the tunnels (8.5 to 9.9 ton per
acre). However, the lower yields resulted in much larger fruit,
35 to 50 percent larger than outside fruit. When labor costs for
picking and premiums for large fruit were taken into account, the
most valuable harvest was from the tunnel-grown ‘Rainier’/Gi5
trees (fruit value minus picking labor estimated at approximately
$19,000/acre or $1.75 per pound net fruit value). We concluded
that the lower yields in the tunnels were due to reduced pollination
by honeybees, since the hives were placed outside the tunnels and
it is known that altered light transmittance by some plastics can
disorient honeybee navigation. In 2007, we supplemented the
standard outside honeybee hives with commercial bumblebee hives
(Koppert Biological Systems Inc) placed inside the tunnels. Yields
were essentially identical inside and outside the CHES tunnels that
year (around 10 to 11 ton per acre), yet fruit size was still slightly
larger in the tunnels, resulting in a higher value. In both 2006
and 2007, there was no appreciable rain during harvest and thus
negligible rain-induced fruit cracking for comparison of covered
vs. non-covered trees.
In 2008, we repeated the supplemental bumblebee pollination
strategies, and we also not only covered the tunnels earlier in
spring (as buds began to swell, rather than a couple of weeks later
when blooms were about to open), but the tunnel sides and ends
also were enclosed with plastic to warm the tunnels to a greater
degree. This promoted an earlier bloom, by about a week, during
that unusually cool spring, and in fact the trees in the high tunnels
had already reached the fruit set stage when the outside trees were
just at full bloom. A severe spring frost occurred on April 30,
killing many flowers outside the tunnel but causing no damage
to the young fruits inside the tunnel. Consequently, 2008 yields
inside the tunnels were comparable to 2007 and were much higher
than those outside, which were only approximately 50 to 65
percent of those inside.
However, there were two cautionary issues also identified
during the 2008 season. At the SWMREC high tunnel site, the
first major yield was anticipated on the young trees that had
been planted in 2005. These tunnels also were covered early and
enclosed on the sides and ends; additionally, internal sides were
installed where each tunnel met to isolate each of the four
interconnected tunnels. The combination of these tunnels being
volumetrically smaller (24 feet wide by 13 feet high vs. 28 feet
wide by 16 feet high) than the CHES tunnels and individually
isolated meant that they heated up more quickly on sunny days in
early spring, acting much more like a greenhouse than a multi-bay
high tunnel. Consequently, temperature data loggers from the first
week of covering revealed that early morning temperatures of
around 25°F could quickly reach 115°F by noon on sunny days!
By the time we realized this, the trees had been exposed to several
days of such high temperatures, after which we began opening the
14
tunnel ends in the morning of sunny days and closing them in
the late afternoon. However, those few days ultimately resulted in
malformed blossoms that were not viable, leading to poor 2008
yields at SWMREC. It became clear that full enclosure of the
SWMREC tunnels required more intensive daily temperature
management than we were able to provide from 120 miles away
on main campus!
The second cautionary issue also was quite revealing. For the
first time since the tunnel project began, we experienced damaging
rains at CHES. Several inches of rain fell over the course of a week
in early June, accompanied by very warm temperatures (which
increase water uptake through cherry skin) and continuing high
relative humidity between periods of rain. This caused 90 percent
of the fruit to crack on the trees outside the tunnels. Surprisingly,
even though the fruit on the tunnel-covered trees remained dry,
30 to 60 percent of those fruit also cracked. We eventually
concluded that this was due to a combination of the week-long
high humidity, the warm temperatures, the excessive total rainfall,
and the good water-holding capacity of the soils at CHES. Several
years ago, a visiting German scientist, Moritz Knoche, showed that
when relative humidity exceeds about 75 percent, microscopic
cracks develop in the skin of sweet cherry fruit. These tend to
remain microscopic unless water is present on the fruit surface,
which then is absorbed through the skin and swells the microcracks into visual cracks. In the case at CHES, we surmise that the
excessive rainfall ran off the tunnel covers onto the orchard floor
and some flowed back into the tunnel around the trees. With the
saturated root zone, the water status of the tree was at maximum
capacity, but with the high humidity and cloudy conditions, very
little evapotranspiration occurred to move internal water out
through the leaf stomata, so the fruit swelled from internal
moisture and the micro-cracks expanded into macro-cracks.
The moral of the story? Unless high tunnel-covered sweet cherry
orchards are established on well-drained sandy soils, provisions
should be made to direct rainfall run-off away from the root zones
of the trees, such as by plastic-lined surface troughs or subsurface
drainage pipes installed along the “drip-line” of the covers.
In 2009, we covered and enclosed the SWMREC tunnels (Figure 3
page 15) individually, each about a week apart over a three- to
four-week period beginning in mid-March and extending into
early April. This set up several stages of early spring development
and bloom, with our goals being to diffuse frost risks and stagger
harvest over a wider period. At the time of writing this article, main
harvest is about two to three weeks away, but differences in fruit
and shoot development are readily apparent. Compared to outside
trees of ‘Rainier’/Gi5, fruit diameters were 14 percent, 17 percent,
and 21 percent larger across the tunnels, and new shoot lengths
were 88 percent, 115 percent, and 137 percent longer, due to the
different times of covering. Some of the early varieties are already
beginning to turn red as of June 1, a date when the only sweet
cherries in retail markets are from California!
Other critical results and observations that this project has
generated thus far include a significant reduction in cherry leaf
OPGMA Today
Figure 4. The UFO training system (experimental) for developing a fruiting
wall of sweet cherries.
Figure 3. The MSU-SWMREC high tunnel cherry trees and experimental
fruiting walls (note overhead sprinklers for foliar spray applications, not
for irrigation).
spot, a disease that can cause premature defoliation and requires
numerous fungicide sprays during the course of the season.
Maintaining dry leaves from budbreak to late summer eliminated
all sprays for this disease. Similarly, sweet cherry leaves are a
preferred food of Japanese beetles, which appear in late June in
Michigan and can defoliate new shoots by August. Apparently
Japanese beetles don’t venture very far under plastic covers, as they
defoliated trees outside the tunnels but left the tunnel-covered trees
alone (even though the sides and ends of the tunnels were open
during the summer), thus we eliminated about three months of
insecticide applications for beetles. The tunnel facilitates the
hanging of bird netting (along the open sides and ends), thus
reducing bird crop damage that can be quite devastating to
unprotected trees. Sweet cherries are highly susceptible to bacterial
canker, and while high tunnels have not eliminated this disease
(the bacteria is ubiquitous in most environments), its incidence has
been greatly reduced compared to outside trees. Insects and diseases
that remain to be controlled include brown rot of fruits, powdery
mildew, aphids, cherry fruit fly, and plum curculio. Colleagues
at MSU are working on several innovative control measures for
those key pests under high tunnel production conditions.
The potential for successful and profitable high tunnel
production of sweet cherries in the Midwest appears to be very
good, though it requires a significant investment in materials, an
intensive management plan, good horticultural skills, and targeted
markets. This brief report only covers a portion of the many facets
of high tunnel cherry production that have been explored during
the MSU project. Other key issues include high efficiency tree
training systems (Figure 4), differences in plastic cover
transmission properties, strategies to distribute sunlight throughout
the tree canopy, plant irrigation and nutrition, maintenance of soil
health and weed control, frost protection if covers are installed
early, timing effects of cover removal on pests and/or plant cold
acclimation, tunnel management for winds, etc. For more
information about high tunnel sweet cherry production, visit
my MSU faculty web site, www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/langg.htm,
or the new MSU Cherries web site, www.cherries.msu.edu.
Gregory Lang
Michigan State University
A338D Plant & Soil Sciences Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-355-5191 x.1388
Fax: 517-353-0890
[email protected]
Continued on page 16
Fall 2009
15
16
OPGMA Today
Small Fruit Grower
Aronia – A New Crop for the United States
by Eldon Everhart
A
new crop is emerging as Americans search for healthier food
products. The aronia berry is currently being grown on an
increasing number of farms in the Midwest.
What is Aronia?
Aronia melanocarpa is a perennial, deciduous, self-supporting
shrub, native to the eastern half of the United States. It grows in
full sun and along woodland edges (Hardin 1973). Its native range
extends into Canada, south into Georgia, and west to northeast
Iowa and southeast Missouri. It was well known to Native
Americans and early settlers.
Much of its native habitat has been converted to crop land or
lost to urbanization. Aronia melanocarpa is on the threatened and
endangered species lists in Iowa and Missouri. The only samples in
the Ada Hayden Herbarium at Iowa State University were collected
in 1903, 1927, 1952, and 1953. All were collected from one
location in Winneshiek County (Deborah Lewis, personal
communication, August 27, 2008).
Aronia is cold hardy to at least USDA Zone 3 (-40°F). The coldtolerant blooms open in late spring and avoid most frosts. The plants
grow in various soils from poorly drained to well-drained, and
tolerate a wide pH range (5 to 8.5), with 6 to 6.5 being optimum.
Why is Aronia in the News?
Aronia berries contain very high levels of antioxidants – higher
than grapes, elderberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries,
blackberries, prunes, cherries, bananas, oranges, apples, pears, and
other fruits, as well as imports such as the goji and acia (Table 1).
Research has shown that antioxidants help reduce the risk of
cancer, heart disease, inflammation, diabetes, bacterial infections,
and neurological diseases. Antioxidants may also slow the aging
process in humans.
The berries are also high in vitamins, minerals, and folic acids.
But they are one of the richest plant sources of phenolic substances,
mainly proanthocyanins and anthocyanins (Oszmiański and
Wojdylo 2005). Currently, there is no data in the literature
Table 1. ORAC values of commonly grown fruit.
16,000
O = Oxygen
Antioxidants
14,000
R = Radical
ORAC Value of Raw Fruit
12,000
A = Absorbance
C = Capacity
10,000
measurement of
antioxidant power
of foods
8,000
6,000
4,000
pe
Gra
erry
seb
Goo
rry
Che
t
ran
Cur
le
App
rry
pbe
Ras
erry
ckb
Bla
rry
ebe
Blu
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t
ran
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Cra
erry
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Eld
Aro
0
µ mol TE/100g
nia
2,000
http://oracvalues.com/
Continued on page 18
Fall 2009
17
Aronia – A New Crop for the United States
Continued from page 17
about any unwanted effects of aronia fruits, juice, or extracts
(Kulling and Rawel 2008 and 2006).
The interest in “eating healthy” has led to the phenomenal
worldwide growth in the popularity of aronia berries and products
made from them. This, in turn, has led to the planting of aronia as
an alternative cash crop in the Midwest (Trinklein 2007).
An Industry On The Rise
‘McKenzie’ is a cultivar that was selected for use in windbreaks
and conservation plantings, not for commercial berry production.
It was released in 2008.
‘Viking’ and ‘Nero’ were selected in Russia for commercial fruit
production. Within the last 15 years, these 2 cultivars were
introduced back into the United States. Mature plants of ‘Viking’
are 6 to 8 feet tall with 40 or more shoots per plant. They are the
size of a common lilac bush and live just as long (Figure 1).
Aronia is not a new crop. Early in the 20th century, aronia was
introduced in Eastern Europe where high quality, large fruited
cultivars were selected. Aronia is now grown on thousands of
acres in Germany, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and other Eastern
European countries. Large scale commercial cultivation of aronia
started in the Soviet Union in the late 1940s, and reached
43,984 acres in 1984 (Kask, 1987). According to the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development, Warsaw, Poland, there
were 11,119 acres in Poland in 2004. One year later the number
had grown to 12,355 acres. One Polish company alone sold
40,000 tons of aronia juice (Kampuse and Kampuss 2006).
In Europe, new business start-ups that use aronia berries as
an ingredient have increased from just two launches in 1997 to
108 in 2007 (McNally 2008). In 2008, berries from aronia plants
planted six years ago in Scotland were sold for the first time on
High Street in London, England (Clegg 2008).
The aronia berry’s popularity is skyrocketing in the United
States, though the aronia berry industry is still in the early
stages of development. Commercial plantations are mostly
being established in the Midwest. Most growers are planning
to at least double their acres with fall 2009 plantings.
“Public interest in eating healthy, the antioxidants, and organic
products is driving the interest in aronia as a commercial, easy-togrow organic crop,” said Charlie Caldwell, an aronia grower in
western Iowa. “We need even more research, especially on
production practices and marketing.” He sees the market
increasing, as more people learn about the fruit (Sagario 2008).
Don’t Let The Name Fool You
Aronia melanocarpa often goes by the common name “aronia,”
but it also has the rather unfortunate common name of
“chokeberry.” Aronia should not be confused with chokecherry,
Prunus virginiana, which is also native to the United States and
Canada. It is somewhat similar to aronia in appearance but the
leaves, stems, and seeds of chokecherry contain toxic amounts of
hydrocyanic (prussic) acid (Trinklein 2007).
About the only thing that chokeberry and chokecherry plants
have in common are their sound-alike common names. To avoid
confusion, aronia is the common name most often used for
Aronia melanocarpa.
‘Autumn Magic’ and ‘Iraqis Beauty’ are commonly sold
ornamental cultivars of Aronia melanocarpa. They were selected
for their ornamental traits – white flowers, shiny green leaves,
orange-red fall foliage, and dark purple berries.
18
Figure 1. Dr. Everhart standing in an eight year old commercial planting
of ‘Viking’ aronia in western Iowa. Photo taken on August 16, 2006, by
Pamela Everhart.
Two years after planting, ‘Viking’ aronia plants often produce
about 2 pounds of berries per bush. By the third year after
planting, berry production is about 10 to 15 pounds per bush
(Figure 2). Production levels off at 30 to 40 pounds per plant
by the fifth year in commercial plantings in western Iowa (Eldon
Everhart personal observations 2006-2008).
Aronia Berry Harvest
The round, pea-sized, violet-black berries of Aronia melanocarpa
hang in clusters of up to 12 berries (Figure 3). Aronia berries are
ready to harvest by hand or with a mechanical harvester in midAugust to early-September. In Europe, aronia berries are harvested
with a machine that is similar to a blueberry harvester used in the
United States (Trinklein 2007).
Birds do not eat the newly ripened fruit. If not harvested, the
berries will hang on the bushes until songbirds and upland game
birds eat the fruit in late winter (Hardin 1973).
OPGMA Today
berries will make your mouth pucker. This dry-mouth feeling is
caused by chemicals known as tannins. Tannins make dry wines
dry. Many people like that dry, mouth puckering quality of dry
wines and aronia berries. Freezing reduces the astringency and
makes it easier to extract the juice. When fully ripe, aronia berries
have a sugar content as high as grapes or sweet cherries. They
have a high acid content (low pH) but are not sour when fully ripe.
Why Grow Aronia?
Aronia plants are easy to grow and maintain. They do not need
trellising, spraying, or bird netting. Most insect pests and other
“critters” usually leave them alone. Deer and Japanese beetles are a
problem in some areas. The fruit and the foliage are rarely affected
by diseases. Mowing the grass planted between the rows is often
the only task, other than harvesting the berries, that needs to be
done (Figure 4).
An aronia business can be profitable. Annual returns per acre
can be over $8,000 on the wholesale market and $100,000 on the
retail market.
Figure 2. Aronia berries from an eight-year-old ‘Viking’ Aronia
melanocarpa plant in a commercial aronia planting in western Iowa.
Photo taken on July 19, 2006 by Eldon Everhart.
Figure 4. Three-year-old commercial planting of ‘Viking’ Aronia
melanocarpa plant in western Iowa. Photo taken on July 19, 2006 by
Eldon Everhart.
Where to Get More Information?
Figure 3. Aronia berries from an eight-year-old ‘Viking’ Aronia
melanocarpa plant in a commercial aronia planting in western Iowa.
Photo taken on August 16, 2006 by Eldon Everhart.
Aronia Berry Use and Taste
Aronia berries can be eaten fresh off the bush or used in bread,
muffins, pies, cookies, and other baked goods. They can be used
to make tea, smoothies, juice, and aronia wine. Aronia fruit or
fruit juice can be used to make jams, jellies, syrup, candy, salsa,
barbeque sauce, and to flavor and color yogurt, sorbet, ice cream,
milk, and other products.
Taste is difficult to describe and not all things taste the same
to all people. Aronia berries have a distinctive, pleasant flavor.
Astringency is the sensation that most people notice first. The
Fall 2009
Aronia consultations by telephone or on-site are offered for a
fee by Dr. Eldon Everhart, 712-249-3868, [email protected]
Aronia berries and products are for sale in store or online at
Mae’s Superberries, 8909 H Street Ste 2, Omaha, NE 68127-1480,
402-934-7112, [email protected], www.superberries.com/
Literature Cited
Clegg, David. 2008. A Perthshire fruit growing company is
claiming to be the first in Scotland to grow the healthiest fruit in
the world. The Courier, Dundee, Scotland, August 29.
Hardin, James W. 1973. The enigmatic chokeberries (Aronia,
Rosaceae). Bulletin of the Botanical Club 100(3): 178-184.
Continued on page 20
19
Aronia – A New Crop for the United States
Continued from page 19
Kampuse, S. and K. Kampuss. 2006. Suitability of raspberry and
blackcurrant cultivars for utilization of frozen berries in dessert
and for getting of products with high contents of bio-active
compounds. NJF seminar 391.
Kask, K. 1987. Large-fruited black chokeberry (Aronia
melanocarpa). Fruit Varieties Journal 41: 47.
Kulling S.E. and H.M. Rawel. 2008. Chokeberry (Aronia
melanocarpa) - A Review on the Characteristic Components and
Potential Health Effects. Planta Medica 74(13):1625-1634.
McNally, Alex. 2008. Demand for superfruit aronia rockets.
Decision News Media. January 8.
Oszmiański, Jan and Aneta Wojdylo. 2005. Aronia melanocarpa
phenolics and their antioxidant activity. European Food Research
and Technology 221(6): 809-813.
20
Sagario, Dawn. 2008. It’s the berries. The Des Moines Register,
September 21.
Trinklein, David 2007. Aronia: A Berry Good Plant. Missouri
Environment & Garden 13(9):86.
Eldon Everhart
Iowa State University Extension
1208 Chestnut Street
Atlantic, IA 50022
712-249-3868
[email protected]
OPGMA Today
Small Fruit Grower
Ohio Small Fruit Industry – Then and Now
by Shawn R. Wright
O
hio has a long history in small fruit production, and there
continues to be a strong demand for the quality fruit
produced here. Consumers prefer the quality of the locallyproduced products and having a relationship with the grower.
While price is a consideration for the consumer, quality still has a
major impact on purchasing decisions. Small fruit production can
be a profitable enterprise if the grower has a market for the crop,
has appropriate soils, access to water, and the labor necessary
for all production activities.
The four main types of small fruit grown in Ohio are improved
cultivars of grapes (Vitis sp.), strawberries (Fragaria sp.), brambles
(Rubus sp.), and native blueberries (Vaccinium sp.). Ribes sp.
(currants and gooseberries) are another native crop that once was
more common in Ohio, but fell out of favor when the fungus that
causes white pine blister rust was introduced from Europe in the
early 20th century. Future research may lead to expanded plantings
of Ribes across Ohio. Aronia is another native species that may be
on the grower’s list of plants to try in the future. While not grown
commercially in Ohio, Iowa State University Extension horticulture
field specialist Eldon Everhart, has been investigating commercial
production of Aronia and it has been grown for decades in Europe.
For additional information on Aronia read the article “Aronia – A
New Crop for the United States” authored by Eldon Everhart and
published in this issue (page 17).
Grapes
The history of commercial grape production in Ohio dates to the
early 1820s when Nicholas Longworth began planting Catawba
grapes for wine production in the Cincinnati region. This portion of
Ohio had an ideal climate for growing grapes and producing wine.
The quality of the wine lead to the development of a national
reputation that continued to grow until several important diseases,
including black rot, powdery mildew, and downy mildew, began to
severely impact grape growing in this region. By the mid- to late1800s much of the former grape production areas had been
converted to tobacco production. In the Lake Erie region the
commercial production for grapes began about 40 years later than
in southwestern Ohio and focused on Concord and Niagara grapes
that were used primarily for juice rather than wine. Prior to
Prohibition, Ohio had more than 25,000 acres of grapes, but many
factors lead to a decline that did not substantially begin to change
until the 1970s when growers began to focus on the Vinifera and
French-American hybrid varieties for the production of high quality
wines. Currently there are over 2,000 acres of grapes grown in Ohio,
mostly for juice and wine with limited table grape production.
Strawberries
The history of commercial strawberry production is more
difficult to date, but in 1923 there were 2,800 acres and
4,900 acres reported (the largest reported acreage) in 1939.
Since then acreage has declined with occasional large swings,
Fall 2009
particularly in the 1980s with a push for you-pick production.
On average since the 1960s there have been around 1,000 acres
of strawberries in Ohio with a slight gradual decline. The loss of
methyl-bromide as a fumigant will have an impact for those
growers that are unable to rotate their fields.
A promising trend for growers in Ohio has been the substantial
increase in the number of acres of strawberries planted using the
plasticulture system. Prior to 2000 there were less than 10 acres in
this production system, but our current estimates place the acreage
at 120 acres. While the annual plasticulture system is more
expensive to establish than the traditional matted row system, we
expect to see more acres planted in the future because of increased
consumer demand and potential profitability. There is also limited
production of high tunnel and greenhouse strawberries across Ohio
but this is not expected to change substantially because of the
relatively high costs of production.
Brambles
Brambles, raspberries, and blackberries have a long history in
Ohio as they are native fruit. Nicholas Longworth, who had an
interest in grapes, introduced the first named black raspberry
variety in the United States in 1832, the ‘Ohio Everbearing’. This
variety did not grow well in other regions and commercial
production of brambles really began around the mid- to late-1800s.
By 1919 there were over 3,000 acres of raspberries in Ohio. In 2001
there were 360 acres of raspberries harvested with the majority of
those acres in the western portion of the state. While there has been
some decrease since 2001, the cancer research by Dr. Stoner and
others at the James Cancer Center may result in more acres of black
raspberries being planted. Blackberry acreage has shown some
increase since the early 1900s with the release of thornless varieties
and more winter hardy varieties. It is estimated that there are
approximately 80 acres of blackberries planted in Ohio.
Blueberries
Blueberry production in Ohio also has a long history because
it is native to Ohio, but commercial production began in the early
1900s. Currently production is split between a few large farms that
have the appropriate soil types and have worked hard to develop
their markets and plantings, and many smaller growers that have
limited areas with appropriate soil. While researchers have worked
in the past to develop blueberry varieties that will grow well on
mineral soils, none have been released commercially so production
is limited to acid soils. Recent estimates put total acreage at less
than 100 acres in Ohio and no substantial change is expected.
Shawn Wright
OSU South Centers
1864 Shyville Rd
Piketon, OH 45661
740-289-2071 ext 120
Fax: 740-289-4591
http://southcenters.osu.edu/horticulture/
21
22
OPGMA Today
OPGMA News
OPGMA Congress Information: Sessions-At-A-Glance
Monday, January 18
Registration is Open 9 AM - 6 PM
Trade Show is Not Open Today
Vegetables
Small Fruit
Tree Fruit
Marketing & Management
10 - 11:15 AM
OPGMA Annual Meeting, Awards & Keynote – The Next Generation: Innovations to Keep Your Kids on the Farm
Native & Honey Bee
Understanding Performance
Making a Case for Diversifying
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Tomato Grafting
Pollination
Characteristics of New
Product Selection to
Insecticides for Control
Compliment Produce Sales
of Codling Moth
Lunch and networking on your own.
12:30 - 1:30 PM
Apple Crop Management
Display Tips & Marketing
Incorporating Cover Crops in Strawberry Plasticulture &
1:30 - 2:45 PM
Through the Season &
Techniques to Boost Your
Vegetable Crop Rotations
High Tunnel Production
Mechanical Thinning of Peaches Sales
Pumpkin IPM Management
Selling Health
Post Harvest Handling
Apple Thinning &
3 - 4:15 PM
Techniques
& Packaging
Management Practices
4:30 - 5:45 PM
OVSFRDP Roundtable
New & Innovative Small
Consumer Apple Taste
The Chameleon Manager:
Fruit Crops
Preferences
Communication Skills for
Every Role
6 - 7 PM
Marketing Roundtable:
Sharing Challenges & Solutions
Tuesday, January 19
8 - 9:15 AM
9:15 - 10:45 AM
10:45 AM - 12 PM
12 - 1:15 PM
1:15 - 2:30 PM
Registration is Open 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Trade Show is Open 9 AM - 5 PM
Produce Forums, Bees & IPM Production Inputs &
Food Safety
OSU Fruit Forum
Drip Irrigation & Fertigation
of Vegetable Crops
This time has been reserved for you to visit the Trade Show.
OSU Vegetable Forum
Ohio Fresh Produce Marketing
Agreement Listening Session
This time has been reserved for you to visit the Trade Show.
Re-Strengthening the Bee
Irrigation Water Purity
Population – Vital Pollinators
for Fruit & Vegetables
2:30 - 4 PM
4 - 5:15 PM
This time has been reserved for you to visit the Trade Show.
Realistic Integrated Pest
Soil Testing – Beyond the
Management
Basics of N, P & K
5 - 6:30 PM
OPGMA Congress Reception
Wednesday, January 20
8 - 9:30 AM
9:30 AM - 12 PM
12:30 - 1:30 PM
1:145 - 2:45 PM
Fall 2009
Registration is Open 7:30 AM - 12 PM
Disease, Insect &
Weed Control
Tree Fruit Disease,
Insect & Weed Control
Business Management
Marketing
Business & Tracking Software
Social Media: The Next
Generation of Visibility
Revitalizing Your Organization How Good Is Your Marketing –
Give it a Checkup
Labor Updates &
HR Management
Retail Ready
Security Strategies to Minimize Profits in All Seasons
Break-ins, Internal Theft &
Shoplifting
Trade Show is Open 9 AM - 12 PM
Food Safety
OFPMA: Ohio Fresh Produce
Marketing Agreement
(This session ends at 10 AM)
This time has been reserved for you to visit the Trade Show.
Small Fruit Disease,
OFPMA: Food Safety
Insect & Weed Control
Standards Part 1
Vegetable Disease,
OFPMA: Food Safety
Insect & Weed Control
Standards Part 2
Business Management
Systems & Technology
The Business Approach to
Safety Management
High Tunnel Advancement
Nuts & Bolts of Family
Business & Finance
How to Start a Good
Family Fight!
GPS/RFID Solutions for
Produce Traceability
23
OPGMA News
OPGMA Annual Meeting
Join your fellow OPGMA members at the annual meeting on Wednesday, January 18 at 10 a.m. This annual meeting will be
held in conjunction with the OPGMA Congress in Sandusky, Ohio. Elect new members of the board of directors and watch
special awards presentations. If interested in serving on the OPGMA board or committees, please contact the OPGMA office
at 614-487-1117 or [email protected].
OPGMA Congress Educational Program
Monday, January 18
10-11:15 AM
Native & Honey Bee Pollination
OPGMA Annual Meeting, Awards & Keynote –
The Next Generation: Innovations to Keep Your Kids
on the Farm
Room: Mangrove
James Tew
Roger Williams
Room: Indigo Bay
Vance Corum
Join your fellow produce growers and marketers for the
annual meeting, board elections, and recognition of some
worthy individuals. Stay for the keynote presentation, The Next
Generation: Innovations to Keep Your Kids on the Farm. With
more than 30 years’ experience with direct marketing operators
across the country, Vance will use case studies of successful
multi-generational farm families and inspire you to ensure
your farm’s survival.
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Tomato Grafting
Room: Guava
Matt Kleinhenz
Grafting is a proven technique for improving crop performance,
but it is not widely used in U.S. field and high tunnel vegetable
production. Matt will share progress that has been made to
enhance the use of grafted plants on domestic vegetable farms,
specifically with the fresh market tomato.
24
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Learn the dynamics of native and honey bee pollination of
small fruits (strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry) and vegetables
(squash and pumpkins) and how to maximize their effectiveness.
An overview of 2009 insecticide trials on one of the native bees
will also be presented.
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Understanding Performance Characteristics
of New Insecticides for Control of Codling Moth
Room: Portia
John Wise
There is an array of new insecticide tools available on
the market place for codling moth management in apples.
Understanding the performance characteristics of each will help
growers optimize the application timing and combinations of
complementary products for season-long pest management
programs. 1 hour 2B
OPGMA Today
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
1:30-2:45 PM
Making a Case for Diversifying Product Selection
to Compliment Produce Sales
Display Tips & Marketing Techniques to Boost Your Sales
Room: Indigo Bay
Brian Buckner
James Kline
Wayne Meadows
Abe Troyer
One strategy for increasing farm market sales and profits
is to add additional product lines. Explore the pros and cons
to pursuing a diversified product line.
1:30-2:45 PM
Incorporating Cover Crops in Vegetable Crop Rotations
Room: Guava
Alan Sundermeier
The goal for using cover crops is to improve yields and reduce
inputs and costs. Alan will discuss cover crop species selection and
management for improving soil quality, breaking disease cycles,
adding nutrients, and controlling weeds.
1:30-2:45 PM
Strawberry Plasticulture & High Tunnel Production
Room: Indigo Bay
Vance Corum
Take a virtual tour of worldwide (including the U.S.) markets to
see what farmers do successfully. Learn what height works better,
what key display elements can double your sales, and what
mistakes can make you suffer. Challenge yourself to pick at
least three ideas that you can implement in your farm operation.
3-4:15 PM
Pumpkin IPM Management Techniques
Room: Guava
Jon Branstrator
Jim Jasinski
Learn IPM options and resources available to growers, including
the use of variety selection, pros and cons of cover crops and
transplanting, new insecticide seed treatments, cucumber beetle
and squash vine borer management, powdery mildew disease
management, and other topics, including first-hand grower
comments. 1 hour 2B
Continued on page 26
Room: Mangrove
Brad Bergefurd
Shawn Wright
The number of acres of strawberries planted in the annual
plasticulture system and in high tunnels is increasing in Ohio.
While these systems are more expensive than the traditional matted
row system, there are some tremendous advantages. Learn how you
can provide high quality, high value berries to capture the market
and get consumer returns later in the year. Much of the information
shared in this session was supported by grants from the Ohio
Vegetable & Small Fruit Research & Development Program.
1:30-2:45 PM
Apple Crop Management Through the Season &
Mechanical Thinning of Peaches
Room: Portia
Jim Schupp
Learn apple season management strategies, including thinning,
bloom characteristics, chemical-aided growth, and thinning
management. Effective mechanical thinning strategies for
peaches will also be covered.
Fall 2009
25
OPGMA Congress Educational Program
Continued from page 25
3-4:15 PM
Selling Health
Room: Mangrove
Timothy Woods
Consumers typically view locally-grown products as fresher
and healthier. In many cases, they are superior, but few farmers
are successful in communicating this message. Research has shown
that the health message included in nutrient-packed products like
blueberries and sweet potatoes significantly increases customers’
interest in these products and their willingness to pay. This session
will highlight recent efforts to measure nutritional characteristics
of local products, discuss merchandising strategies, and address
the do’s and don’ts behind nutrition promotion.
3- 4:15 PM
Apple Thinning & Management Practices
Room: Portia
Gregg Bachman
Joseph Burnham
Bill Pitts
Jozsef Racsko
Hear a detailed report on the results of the apple thinning trials
done in 2009 at Carroll, Wooster, and Berlin Heights. You’ll learn
the effect of various locations on the effectiveness of chemical
thinners. The necessity of future trials will also be discussed.
3-4:15 PM
Post Harvest Handling & Packaging
Room: Indigo Bay
Julie Hein
Debbie Pifer
Dana Saporito
Learn the do’s and don’ts of post harvest produce handling
in the retail operation to maintain quality and appearance.
Hear about the equipment and proper maintenance needed to
ensure appropriate storage temperatures and to avoid physical
damage to the produce.
4:30-5:45 PM
OVSFRDP Roundtable
Room: Guava
Matt Kleinhenz
Sally Miller
Celeste Welty
Shawn Wright
Solutions to practical grower production problems addressed by
the 2009 Ohio Vegetable & Small Fruit Research & Development
Program presented in this session will include: Water sanitation
effects on Phytophthora spores and human pathogens; Cucumber
26
cultivar resistance to downy mildew; Cucumber variety and
fungicide program effects on downy mildew severity and yield;
Managing insecticide resistance in corn earworm on sweet corn;
Grafting to improve tomato, cucumber, melon and pepper
production; and Plasticulture strawberry production systems.
1 hour 2B
4:30-5:45 PM
New & Innovative Small Fruit Crops
Room: Mangrove
Steven McKay
Participants will learn the characteristics of small fruit crops
that are economically feasible to grow. They will be exposed to
production techniques, value-added alternatives, and marketing
options for seven berry types: aronia, black raspberry, black
currant, elderberry, goji, gooseberry, and red currant.
4:30-5:45 PM
Consumer Apple Taste Preferences
Room: Portia
Bill Dodd
Lester Lynd
Diane Miller
Hear the results of consumer evaluations of new cultivars from
the MAIA breeding program. Is the next honeycrisp included in
this group?
4:30-5:45 PM
The Chameleon Manager: Communication Skills
for Every Role
Room: Indigo Bay
Vance Corum
A farmers’ market manager’s job description reads like a PhD
psychologist mixed with a marketing guru. From board
management to customer and vendor relations, volunteer
recruitment and management, and event coordination … learn
skills in listening, mediation, advocacy, promotion, creativity,
leadership, fundraising, research, writing, and more.
6-7 PM
Marketing Roundtable: Sharing Challenges & Solutions
Room: Cypress
Eric Barrett
Mark Mechling
Sit down with your direct marketing friends from across the
region to share the challenges you’ve addressed or those with
which you are still grappling. Attendees direct the course of the
discussion and examine the advantages of the various viewpoints
and possible solutions offered. Come be a part of this group
networking opportunity.
OPGMA Today
Tuesday, January 19
10:45 AM-12 PM
8-9:15 AM
OSU Vegetable Forum
OSU Fruit Forum
Room: Cypress
Brad Bergefurd
Jim Jasinski
Matt Kleinhenz
Sally Miller
Celeste Welty
Room: Cypress
Brad Bergefurd
Diane Miller
Jozsef Racsko
Celeste Welty
Shawn Wright
The OSU Fruit Team members have a number of active research
and Extension efforts that provide practical solutions for common
grower issues and challenges. Join this informal roundtable as they
answer production questions; outline current goals, methods, and
findings of their Extension/research/teaching programs; and set
new directions with industry partners.
8-9:15 AM
Drip Irrigation & Fertigation of Vegetable Crops
Room: Indigo Bay
Mark Ackerman
Matt Kleinhenz
Michael Netz
Learn the principles of efficient drip irrigation system design
and strategies for effectively fertilizing – or fertigating – your crop
directly through the irrigation system.
8-9:15 AM
Business & Tracking Software
The OSU Vegetable Team members have a number of active
research and Extension efforts that provide practical solutions for
common grower issues and challenges. Join this informal
roundtable as they answer production questions; outline current
goals, methods, and findings of their Extension/research/teaching
programs; and set new directions with industry partners.
10:45 AM-12 PM
Ohio Fresh Produce Marketing Agreement
Listening Session
Room: Indigo Bay
Bob Jones Jr
Karl Kolb
Food safety guidelines and agreements will begin to affect
the way and with whom you do business. Listen and gain an
understanding of the influences and market forces that are driving
the adoption of food safety practices. Share your thoughts,
questions, and recommendations as OPGMA and partners work
to establish an Ohio grower-friendly alternative to the proposed
national agreement.
Room: Portia
John Potts
10:45 AM-12 PM
Software can be used to track costs, inventory, and yield as well
as satisfy regulatory reporting requirements. Learn the software
tools and methods that can be used to share information with
business partners and assist making critical business decisions.
Room: Portia
Vance Corum
8-9:15 AM
Social Media: The Next Generation of Visibility
Room: Mangrove
Julie Fox
Rob Leeds
Learn practical advice on using social media such as blogs,
social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn),
user-generated content sites (YouTube, Flickr, ...), and other virtual
marketing tools to connect with your customers. See examples of
how farms are using these tools as part of an integrated plan to
improve visibility, word-of-mouth marketing, loyalty, and other
marketing goals. Regardless of your level of experience with social
media, this session can help you discover new ways to benefit
your business.
Revitalizing Your Organization
Does your organization have a solid plan or simply respond to
the winds of change? Find out how to create a visioning process
that leads to a clear mission, goals, and strategies that will make
your organization responsive to the opportunities in your
marketplace. Learn from specific case studies of successful urban,
suburban, and rural markets.
10:45 AM-12 PM
How Good Is Your Marketing - Give it a Checkup
Room: Mangrove
Eric Barrett
Mark Mechling
It only takes a couple of years for your marketing materials to
look old. Learn ideas about how to do a quick makeover so next
year everything looks new again for your customers.
Continued on page 28
Fall 2009
27
OPGMA Congress Educational Program
Continued from page 27
1:15-2:30 PM
1:15-2:30 PM
Re-Strengthening the Bee Population - Vital Pollinators
for Fruits & Vegetables
Labor Updates & HR Management
Room: Guava
James Tew
Like many other animal species, all bee species are presently
stressed and suffering declining populations. As a grower, when
should you really worry about bee pollinator populations and what
can you do to help? The present situation of both bees and
commercial growers will be reviewed in this discussion. There’s
good news for some of you, but bad news for others.
1:15-2:30 PM
Irrigation Water Purity
Room: Indigo Bay
Mark Ackerman
Keith Thompson
Recently there has been an increase in reports of produce
contamination from E-coli, Salmonella, and other pathogens
spread through irrigation or wash water. Chlorination is an
effective, low-cost method of water purification. Water treatment
with chlorine and the equipment used to apply it will be discussed.
Room: Portia
Brandon Mallory
Brandon will discuss updates on immigration reform and projected
labor availability; Homeland Security and USDOL announced and
projected enforcement emphasis and labor investigations; and the
current status of changes to the H-2A program.
1:15-2:30 PM
Retail Ready
Room: Mangrove
Julie Fox
Timothy Woods
Through the MarketMaker network, many farms are now
selling to restaurants, foodservice, and grocery. Others are looking
to move into these markets. The Retail Ready program is both
an educational effort and a self-certifying initiative within the
MarketMaker directory to help facilitate best practices for growers
selling in these channels and also easier identification by retail
buyers looking for suppliers. If you currently or plan to sell in
these markets you will want to attend this session.
4-5:15 PM
Realistic Integrated Pest Management
Room: Guava
Ted Gastier
Lois McDowell
Trapping insects and scouting procedures help growers make
informed pest management decisions and produce a quality fruit
crop. They can also help save growers money as they spray for
pests only when the population reaches an economic threshold.
Learn the traps to use and best placement, where to get IPM
supplies, and scouting procedures for when traps are not available.
Also learn about some common beneficial insects and what they
can do. 1 hour 2B
4-5:15 PM
Soil Testing - Beyond the Basics of N, P & K
Room: Indigo Bay
Dan Skow
One of Ohio’s greatest assets is its soil, so it behooves growers
to care for and manage it as carefully as they do their crops. Soil
management means more than just applying nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium at appropriate times of the year. This session will
focus on the role of micronutrient management in maintaining
healthy soils that will support healthy crops.
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OPGMA Today
4-5:15 PM
8-9:30 AM
Security Strategies to Minimize Break-ins,
Internal Theft & Shoplifting
OFPMA: Ohio Fresh Produce Marketing Agreement
Room: Portia
John Guenther
John Slutz
Shoplifting and internal theft continue to be growing sources
of revenue shrinkage in the retail farm market. These two senior
loss-prevention management specialists will explore strategies for
minimizing shoplifting losses while keeping honest employees
honest and weeding out the rest.
4-5:15 PM
Profits in All Seasons
Room: Mangrove
Steve Hirsch
Wayne Meadows
Mark Mechling
Debbie Pifer
Multiple selling seasons are essential to a profitable retail
operation. Learn to focus on four specific selling seasons: winter,
summer, fall, and holiday. Using experiences from others, learn
options for profitable retailing in specific selling seasons, and
also specific strategies to take back to your store.
5-6:30 PM
OPGMA Congress Reception
Room: Grand Hall
Connect with other produce growers, marketers, and exhibitors
during this networking reception. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will
be served. All OPGMA Congress registrants are invited to attend.
Wednesday, January 20
8-9:30 AM
Tree Fruit Disease, Insect & Weed Control
Room: Indigo Bay
Doug Doohan
Mike Ellis
Celeste Welty
Tree fruit disease, insect, and weed control recommendations for
2010 will be covered, along with a review of significant problems
that developed in 2009. 1 hour 2B
Room: Guava
Bob Jones Jr
Karl Kolb
The Ohio Fresh Produce Marketing Agreement (OFPMA),
supported by a Specialty Crop Block Grant from USDA and
administered by ODA, is an alternative to the one-size-fits-all
national Leafy Greens Agreement that is currently being considered
by USDA. This session will contrast the differences in the
development and implementation of these alternative food safety
programs. It will also highlight why the flexible standard created
by the OSCPP is critical for the continued survival and growth of
the Ohio produce industry.
8-10AM
The Business Approach to Safety Management
Room: Portia
Brad Hunt
Employers with low injury rates and low workers’ compensation
premium have an advantage over their competition. An active
safety culture is a business asset. Learn how various areas of
business administration, such as accounting, budgeting, human
resource management, benefits management, and strategic
planning, contribute to controlling injury rates and workers’
compensation premiums.
8-9:30 AM
High Tunnel Advancements
Room: Mangrove
Brad Bergefurd
Matt Kleinhenz
High tunnels allow growers to produce in well-ventilated
tunnels that cover multiple acres economically - in spring,
summer, and fall. They provide rain, hail, and wind protection
through mid-summer. When fully vented, this results in larger,
higher quality crops and a continuity of supply not available in
field-grown crops. Learn the latest findings for maximizing
production efficiency in and returns from high tunnels.
12:30-1:30 PM
Small Fruit Disease, Insect & Weed Control
Room: Indigo Bay
Doug Doohan
Mike Ellis
Celeste Welty
Small fruit disease, insect, and weed control recommendations
for 2010 will be covered, along with a review of significant
problems that developed in 2009. 1 hour 2B
Continued on page 30
Fall 2009
29
OPGMA Congress Educational Program
Continued from page 29
12:30-1:30 PM
1:45-2:45 PM
OFPMA: Food Safety Standards Part 1
Vegetable Disease, Insect & Weed Control
Room: Guava
Bob Jones Jr
Karl Kolb
Room: Indigo Bay
Doug Doohan
Sally Miller
Celeste Welty
This session will focus on a discussion of three central
standards for the Ohio Fresh Produce Marketing Agreement:
water, composting, and traceability.
12:30-1:30 PM
Vegetable disease, insect, and weed control recommendations
for 2010 will be covered, along with a review of significant
problems that developed in 2009. 1 hour 2B
Nuts & Bolts of Family Business & Finance
1:45-2:45 PM
Room: Portia
Chris Bruynis
OFPMA: Food Safety Standards Part 2
Families farming together often do everything except what is
necessary to keep the business focused and financially sound.
Learn the critical business planning and financial documents that
should be created and maintained. Strategies on how to involve
family members and improve commitment to these documents
will be discussed.
12:30-1:30 PM
Room: Guava
Karl Kolb
A core food safety component of any marketing agreement
is Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs). Ohio’s muck, Amish, and other
production areas present daunting challenges to any one-size-fits-all
standard found in the proposed National Standard. Karl and a panel
of growers from these unique production areas will lead a discussion
of the sound science for and development of realistic GHPs.
GPS/RFID Solutions for Produce Traceability
1:45-2:45 PM
Room: Mangrove
W Dennis Burnside
How to Start a Good Family Fight!
There are presently no technical solutions that provide a costeffective traceability solution at the producer level. A partnership
has been organized to solve this shortcoming by working directly
with Ohio producers. Learn about this international high-tech
partnership as well as how it will create novel, low-cost, scalable,
producer-level traceability solutions using the very latest in
technological breakthroughs, including GPS, RFID, and Wi-Fi.
Room: Portia
Bernie Erven
By the third generation, the typical family business is more
likely to have failed than succeeded. Common reasons for this sad
outcome include lack of family harmony, conflicts that are never
openly discussed, issues that fester and lead to anger, emotions
that are not addressed, and too little listening. Learn common
causes of family fights and practical take-home messages that
can help families who are in business together.
OPGMA Distinguished Service Award Winner Announced
OPGMA has announced that John R. Holmes, the
association’s executive director who died in February, will
receive the OPGA Distinguished Service Award. This award will
be presented during the 2010 OPGMA Congress, January 18-20
at the Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio.
Holmes was instrumental in leading the association in 2007
when it was developed through the merger of the Ohio Vegetable
& Potato Growers Association, the Ohio Fruit Growers Society,
and the Direct Agricultural Marketing Association of Ohio.
John was on the America in Bloom (AIB) board of directors,
a non-profit organization dedicated to community beautification
30
and enhancement. AIB formed the John R. Holmes III
Community Champion Award this year to recognize those who
exemplify community leadership through actions that reflect the
organization’s mission. If you would like to donate to this fund,
please contact AIB at 614-487-1117.
OPGMA also encourages you to consider supporting
leadership and development by donating to the three
scholarships for students in the fresh produce industry: The Fred
O. Hartman Scholarship, the Gene Wittmeyer Scholarship, and
the Eugene Cravens Scholarship. To donate to those, please
contact Tom Shockey at 614-292-3846.
OPGMA Today
Fall 2009
31
2130 Stella Court
Columbus, Ohio 43215-1033 USA
Address Service Requested
Ask Your Peers to Become Members Today
OPGMA is an organization of Ohio produce growers and
marketers who have consumer and processor satisfaction,
environmentally friendly practices, business success, and the
provision of fulfilling career opportunities for family and
employees as their primary goals. These goals are accomplished
through premier, innovative educational programs, a legislative
presence, and cooperation among members.
Through OPGMA programs and services, you have access to
information you need, and you’re supporting the industry.
Educational Benefits
• Reduced rate to the annual OPGMA Congress that provides
outstanding education sessions, an industry trade show, and
excellent networking and idea exchange opportunities.
• OPGMA Summer Tour – Learn first-hand from your peers how
to develop effective growing and retailing practices to help your
business succeed.
• OPGMA Today – Features no-nonsense, easy-to-read,
timely information about current industry issues, production,
management, and marketing. The technical, yet practical articles
are written for members by industry leaders and researchers.
• Complimentary subscriptions to leading industry publications
that contain important news, reports, and research on industry
technology, markets, and people.
www.opgma.org
Business Assistance
• Regulatory compliance.
• Labor recruitment assistance.
• Help support industry-related research projects.
OPGMA is the key to continuing education within this industry.
The sky’s the limit for those involved, so encourage your peers to
visit the OPGMA web site at www.opgma.org.