October 2022 - 17

GREAT LAKES EXPO NEWS
INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS,
BEST PRACTICES AMONG
TOPICS FOR FRUIT
GROWERS AT EXPO
By Madi Jones
FGN Correspondent
For successful crop management,
growers must address climate change and
invest in proper equipment to prevent
disease, according to presentations at
the upcoming 2022 Great Lakes Fruit,
Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO.
In addition, growers will learn about
orchard production innovations, pest
innovations and best practices in fruit
and more.
Gregory Lang, professor of tree fruit
physiology at Michigan State University,
has experience in research on many
fruits including sweet cherries, peaches,
blueberries and apples.
During the 2022 Great Lakes Fruit
Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO, Lang
will be speaking at two sessions: one on
cherries and one on peaches.
" In both sessions, I'll be focusing on
orchard production innovations over the
past 25 years that have overcome some
of the barriers to producing fresh-market
sweet cherries and peaches in Michigan, "
Lang said.
Lang will address issues facing growers
such as vigor-limiting rootstocks, higher
density production systems, smaller
and more labor-efficient trees, futuristic
canopy technologies and more.
To maintain the perfect sweet cherry
fresh market orchard, Lang suggests
growers invest in economically feasible
orchard
technologies.
This can help
gain a certain
level of control
over climate
changes that
could potentially
damage crops.
" It is
overwhelmingly
clear that the
climate is
changing long-term and that seasonal
climatic events are becoming more
variable and extreme, so to maintain a
consistent and profitable market presence,
growers need to invest in reducing some
of those crop-damaging risks, " Lang said.
Lang also notes that fresh market
GREGORY LANG
orchards require capital investments and
intense management for success.
" (The fresh market orchard)
isn't for everyone economically or
philosophically, but it does provide
strong financial incentives for those
who enjoy creative problem solving and
pursuing up-to-date orchard knowledge
and innovations based on scientific and
technological innovations, " Lang said.
Lang will also talk on the Valent Trade
Show Stage, going into greater detail
than will be possible in the cherry and
peach sessions. Bring your questions for
Lang to the Valent Stage and receive a
personalized answer.
Michelle Moyer, associate professor
and viticulture extension specialist at
Washington
State University,
also will present
a session at the
Great Lakes
EXPO, " Pesticide
innovations and
best practices in
fruit, " educating
growers on how
spray coverage
affects fungicide
efficacy and
MICHELLE
MOYER
disease management.
" Disease management through the use
of fungicides requires that the fungicide
hits the target, " Moyer said. " Sometimes,
the target is the fungus and sometimes
it's the host. When the fungicide doesn't
hit the target, disease control doesn't
happen and spray coverage is all about
getting that fungicide to the target. "
Moyer offers some best practices and
techniques for disease management,
including a chemical approach and a
full-season spray program.
" Disease management in any crop
starts first with cultural practices. You
have to manage the crop to reduce the
favorability for disease development. "
This includes site selection, variety
selection and, of course, canopy
management, through trellis and
training choice, shoot thinning and leaf
removal, Moyer said.
" Then, you supplement your
management program with a chemical
approach, " she said. " The chemical
approach starts with selecting a sprayer
that is appropriate for your site and
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canopy shape, optimizing that sprayer for
your site or crop canopy, then routinely
calibrating that sprayer in the growing
season to make sure it's delivering
production how you intended. "
Moyer suggests that growers should
create a chemical management program
focusing on " which diseases are the most
important during different stages of
annual vine development. "
It's important to understand that
a full-season spray program means
growers spray all season, if necessary,
targeting different diseases at different
times, she said.
" Regardless of the type of sprayer
you use, make sure you know how it
works, " Moyer said. " Every sprayer can
be calibrated and optimized for the task it
was intended for. Calibrate your sprayers
frequently throughout the season, and
remember swapping out nozzles or
tubing might seem expensive, but it's not
as expensive as wasted fungicide or crop
loss, " Moyer said.
Learn more about these sessions
and others at www.glexpo.com. The
2022 Great Lakes EXPO will be Dec.
6-8 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. FGN
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FGN | OCTOBER 2022 | 17
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October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022
