2024 Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for Berry Crops Now Available

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (CCE-PSEP), part of the New York State IPM program, is pleased to announce the availability of the 2024 Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for Berry Crops.

Written by Cornell University specialists, this publication is designed to offer producers, horticultural and chemical dealers, and crop consultants practical information on growing and managing berry crops in New York State. In addition to providing updated pesticide options for 2024, topics include general culture, nutrient management, harvesting and handling guidelines, spray application technology information, and ways to manage common berry crop pest concerns. A preview of the Berry Crops Guidelines can be seen online here.

Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines are available as a print copy, online-only access, or a package combining print and online access. The print edition of the 2024 Berry Crop Guideline costs $35 plus shipping. Online-only access is $35. A combination of print and online access costs $49.00 plus shipping costs for the printed book.

Cornell Guidelines can be obtained through your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or from the Cornell Store at Cornell University. To order from the Cornell Store, call (844) 688-7620 or order online here.

2024 Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference

This year's conference will have sessions devoted to tree fruit, vegetables, grapes, small fruit, agritourism, and cut flowers. Topics Topics include winter protection for strawberries, soil-borne disease management, SWD and other pests, fungicides, and updates on spraying.  There will also be a trade show both days, so you can see the newest products from your favorite vendors.

Wednesday, February 21

Small fruit session 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Tree fruit session 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Grape session, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Agritourism session, 1:20 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

 

Thursday, February 22

Tree fruit sessions, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Vegetable sessions, 9:15 a.m.-3:40 p.m.

Cut flower session, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Agritourism session, 1:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Register for the conference here.

More details:

DEC pesticide recertification credits will be available for multiple sessions. Attendance throughout the entire session is required for DEC credits.

Trade show vendors will be set up in the Fort Orange Courtyard and the King Street Courtyard. Over 20 exhibitors will be present to visit with growers from 8:00am until 5:30pm on February 21 and 8:00am until 2:00pm on February 22.

Lunch. A hot buffet lunch will be available in the Fort Orange Ballroom. Lunch is included with your conference registration.

Lodging. Individual guests may call the hotel directly to book rooms at the discounted rate using the local number provided below. Reservations must be received no later than Monday February 12, 2024, to get the discounted rate. When requesting a room, guests may refer to the Group Code: FRU. Call 518-869- 8100 directly to make your reservation.

Additional hotels in the area include:

• The Hilton Garden Inn, 800 Albany Shaker Rd. | 518-464-6666

• Red Roof Inn, 188 Wolf Rd. | 518-459-1971

• Best Western Albany Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Rd. | 518-458-1000

New study looks at the susceptibility of fruit fungal communities to SWD

Naturally occurring yeast on fruit is the subject of a new study on how SWD are attracted to berries. (Photo by Robert Bogdan for Pexels.)

A new study out of Europe examines which types of naturally occurring yeasts attract SWD. The authors of the report conclude that the fungi, specifically Saccharomycetales yeast communities, are more abundant on raspberry. The authors believe awareness of this fact might lead them to better understand what drives SWD susceptibility of different fruit crops at different sites. They suggest that it may also inform the “seeding” of fruit with engineered fungal/yeast communities, in order to reduce their vulnerability to the pest.

The abstract states:

“Fungal metabolic volatiles attract Drosophila suzukii which oviposits in ripening fruits, but there are few data describing the fungal microbiomes of commercial fruits susceptible to this insect pest. We tested the hypothesis that fruit type and ripening stage have a significant effect on fruit surface fungal communities using DNA metabarcoding approaches and found strong support for differences in all three fungal community biodiversity metrics analysed (numbers, types, and abundances of taxa). There was an average fivefold greater difference in fungal communities between sites with different fruit types (strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and blueberry) than across fruit developmental stages, demonstrating site and/or fruit type is the greater factor defining fungal community assemblage. The addition of a fungal internal standard (Plectosphaerella cucumerina) showed cherry had relatively static fungal populations across ripening. Raspberry had a greater prevalence of Saccharomycetales yeasts attractive to D. suzukii, including Hanseniaspora uvarum, which aligns with reports that raspberry is among the fruits with greatest susceptibility and attraction to D. suzukii. Greater knowledge of how yeast communities change during fruit maturation and between species or sites may be valuable for developing methods to manipulate fruit microbiomes for use in integrated pest management strategies to control D. suzukii.”

Read the full paper here.

https://rdcu.be/cR4WP

Join Us for the 2022 Berry Session at the Empire State Producers EXPO

The Empire State Producers EXPO, January 11-13, is right around the corner. Due to the surge in covid cases, the 2022 Berry Session have been moved online. This session is scheduled for Wednesday, January 12, and will run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A mix of researchers, growers, and business owners will share their findings over the course of four sessions.

Visit the Producers EXPO website to see registration and pricing information. To register for the Berry Sessions only, fill out the form and pay via PayPal ($55) here.

8:45–10:15 a.m.

The first Berry Session of the day focuses on containerized berry production. Dr. Neil Mattson (Cornell University) will go over the trends in commercially-grown greenhouse strawberries, and their applicability to Northeastern farms. Senior Extension Associate Kathy Demchak (Penn State University) will review her research on container-growing strawberries and caneberries.  

10:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

The second Berry Session reviews blueberry production. Researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture will present on the latest breeding efforts, and Dr. Thierry Bescanon (Rutgers University) will discuss the best approaches to manage weeds in blueberry plantings. Liz Machoff (Empire Drip Supply, and the NYSBGA board president) will explain the principles of water acidification in drip irrigation. The session will close with a meeting hosted by the New York State Berry Growers Association.  

1:30–2:15 p.m.

The third Berry Session is dedicated to the economics and sustainability of berry crop production. Business owner David Duda (Dudas Blues, and an NYSBGA board member) will discuss the role of value-added products in his business. Dr. Kris Park (Cornell University) will review a New York State pricing survey of berry growers, and provide economic insights. Dr. Heather Grab (Cornell University) will share her findings on balancing pollinator care and weed management in strawberries.  

2:45–4:00 p.m

The fourth Berry Session explores lesser-known berries and nut crops that are suitable for the Northeast. Ph.D. Candidate Samantha Bosco (Cornell University) will share her knowledge of nuts as a crop and food source. Dr. Iago Hale (University of New Hampshire) will discuss the characteristics of hardy kiwifruit when grown as a commercial crop. Coming down from Northern NY, Dr. Mike Davis will present on juneberries, and grower Duane Smith will provide a summary of his experience growing honeyberries.

View the rest of the EXPO sessions below.

How to Improve U-Pick Berry Operations Based on Customer Satisfaction

By Zoey Yang, MS candidate in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Cornell University

During the summer of 2019, Cornell researchers conducted a study sponsored by the NYS Berry Growers Association. The study examined customer satisfaction at u-pick berry operations across farms in Upstate New York. This study aims to give some ways to not only improve sales performance for berry farms but also bring better experiences for customers.

U-pick is a direct marketing channel where customers can harvest fruit and vegetables by themselves, often paying a lower price and receiving fresher products. Crops, such as berries, that need intensive labor are well-suited for u-pick operations. Even though customer satisfaction has been studied in several fields, there are a very few studies focusing on the berry industry especially in u-pick operations. The goal of this study was to provide farmers with more marketing insights using customer satisfaction tools.

Participating Farms

Among the six farms participating in the study, two of them were strawberry farms; one, blueberry-only; and three, both strawberry and blueberry. Customer satisfaction surveys were given to u-pick customers among six berry farms from beginning of June to the end of August, as needed given the different harvesting times for strawberries and blueberries. Customers were asked to rate their overall satisfaction and individual satisfaction attributes, using a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Questions about amount spending, purchase intension, demography, and other variables were also included in survey.

The number of usable surveys was 312. The results are shown in Table 1. Overall customer satisfaction for all farms was very high (4.71), with 225 customers rating the overall satisfaction 5 (excellent), 82 rating it 4 (very good). Only 5 surveys rated it below 4.  Twenty-two percent of customers were first-time customers, and 83.9% and 98.7% of customers responded, yes, they would visit this farm again this year and next year respectively. One hundred percent would recommend the farm to their friends.  Average spending was $26.58.

Analyzing 14 different attributes into meaningful and usable information can be difficult. Therefore, the individual customer satisfaction attributes were analyzed in a way to group them into 3 general satisfaction factors that are described as experience, retailing and convenience. Table 2 shows the individual attributes into each of the factors and average score of each factor.

Researchers then looked at the relationship between these grouped satisfaction factors and the amount that customers spent at the farms. Differences between the farms, berry type, weather and demographic variables were controlled for.

Study Results

From the results, grouped factors experience and convenience are significantly important. One rating point higher in experience and convenience is associated with $3.14 and $ 5.17 more on the customers’ spending respectively. Even though attributes of retailing are significant in customer satisfaction studies such as winery, they are not in this study. One potential reason is because there are not many variations of retailing attributes in the data set. Another one may be related to the nature of u-pick operation. In New York wineries, wine tasting rooms are the major source of wine sales and highly dependent on the services of staffs. However, u-pick operations do not need many staff services. Therefore, retailing attributes may not impact sales of u-pick on berry farms. 

After analyzing each attribute separately, we also find among experience attributes, “Taste of u-pick berries” and “Information upon entry” are significant and positively affect amount spent. One score higher in “Taste of u-pick berries” transfers to $2.68 higher in spending. As for “Information upon entry, the effect is $2.57 higher with respect to amount spent. “Ease of parking” and “Farm location” are significant attributes to convenience and one score higher is associated with $3.67 and $2.81 higher in amount spending respectively. In addition, the control variables, education and male are statistically important to amount spent. Customers visiting in the strawberry season spent $8.87 more than those visiting in blueberry season. Graph 1 shows these results.

Study Recommendations

Given evidence from the analyses, this study suggests that u-pick berry operations should pay attention to the attributes that effect experience and convenience. For example, farm customers usually used Google searches or recommendations from their family and friends when selecting the farm.  Using social networks such as YouTube and Instagram to advertise and provide information will link this information with the significant attributes “Information upon entry” and “Farm location” together. In addition, signs such as directions to the farms should be clear to customers upon arrival. When customers arrive at the U-pick operation, information related to parking, amenities, picking directions and berries should be explained by signs or farm staff. Showing a story or history about the farm could be a bonus to generate a more satisfied customer experience. Meanwhile, maintaining good quality berries is always important. Ensuring a high quality of berry could not only affect the berry price but also the generation of word of mouth advertising. Implication suggestions for berry farms can be adjusted to suit for all types of u-pick operations.

“Smart Marketing” is a marketing newsletter for extension publication in local newsletters and for placement in local media. It reviews elements critical to successful marketing in the food and agricultural industry.  Please cite or acknowledge when using this material.  Past articles are available at:  Smart Marketing.

Berry Disease Snapshot: Black Root Rot of Strawberry

By David Strickland, Kerik Cox
Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY

Black Root Rot of Strawberry

Causal agent: many soil-borne fungal species, abiotic factors

When to watch for it: During the growing season

First line of defense: Good soil health maintenance practices

Summary:
A disease complex, black root rot does not have one specific cause. It may be caused by injurious environmental conditions such as freezing or waterlogged soils, root-lesion nematodes, and/or various soil-borne fungal pathogens alone or in combination. The disease has been observed on plants grown in soils with a high clay content. The most prevalent symptoms of black root rot are death of feeder rootlets, deterioration of structural roots, and declining plant vigor.

Maintenance of soil health is the best control against black root rot. Soil compaction reduces soil aeration, promoting conditions conducive to disease development. Poor irrigation practices and waterlogged soil does the same. Chemical fumigation of the soil is not recommended as the causal agent may not be fungal.

Western New York Berry Update

Western New York Berry Update

April 3, 2020

By Esther Kibbe

Western New York Berry Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension

April 3, 2020

Strawberries

New leaves are starting to push under the straw. With no extended cold in the forecast, research has shown that it is better to remove straw early, if leaves are emerging, rather than basing it on the calendar. Consider getting out there to rake it off soon.

This is also the time to apply preemergent herbicides against annual weeds. Chateau or Devrinol can be used. Aim, Axxe and Gramoxone are options as more weeds emerge, or against winter annuals, but should be applied with a shielded sprayer.

Strawberry leaves emerging from the crown.

Blueberries

Depending on microclimate, buds are just swelling to early green-tip. If you haven’t already, this is the time to go after cane diseases (Phomopsis, Botrytis, Fusicoccum) with a delayed dormant spray of lime sulfur or copper. Several fungicides are also labeled for these, but I would save them unless you are dealing with a severe, recurring level of infection.

As you finish pruning, be sure to cut out any diseased canes and gall wasp galls. Start planning your spring herbicide applications. Blueberries have many herbicide options—the best choice depends on what your weed issues are.

Blueberry buds are between bud-swell and early green tip.

Raspberries

Still looking pretty dormant. Copper, dormant oil or lime sulfur sprays can be applied for cane blights. This is the time to get started on weed control: Devrinol, Surflan, Sinbar for preemergent weeds (annuals), Axxe for post-emergent broadleaves, and Poast or Fusilade for perennial grasses.

Cornell & NYSBGA In-Depth Strawberry Substrate Workshop Sets Growers Up for Success

By Esther Kibbe
Western New York Berry Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Thirty growers and extension professionals spent three days in February learning about growing strawberries in soil-less (substrate) production systems. The workshop was held in Ithaca and funded by the NYSBGA and organized by the association and Cornell extension and professors.

In-depth lectures in the mornings were followed by greenhouse tours and hands-on activities in the afternoons. The workshop was taught by Dennis Wilson of Delphy, a UK- and Netherlands-based agronomy and education company. His many years of experience working with strawberry substrate growers made him confident in his recommendations of types of containers, substrate mixes, irrigation rates, and fertility protocols.

Dennis noted that almost all strawberry production in the UK has moved to substrate systems, but the fruit-quality improvement means that more than 90 percent of strawberries in the stores are grown in the UK, compared to 50 percent 25 years ago. While converting to substrate production isn’t for everyone, growers in Europe find that in addition to better-quality fruit, they are able to increase yields, harvest efficiency, and attract more labor, compared to soil-bases systems.

Cornell’s horticulture professor Neil Mattson and his team put together a great practical portion for the workshop, using plants and systems set up for graduate student Jonathan Allred’s research on strawberries’ light requirements. Workshop participants practiced measuring “drip” and “drain,” electrical conductivity, pH, and moisture levels in the substrate. There were samples of different types of substrate and media to touch and compare and plants and runners for planting demonstrations—and a chance for growers to try it themselves.

About half of the workshop participants had no experience growing crops in substrate, and the rest had experience ranging from one year to thirty years. All reported that they found the content relevant, and most said they would continue or start growing berries in substrate in the future. One participant commented, “This program was excellent and answered many questions I have been asking for years. Really appreciate the handouts and the clear presentation style, and the time and patience spent on questions.” Participant feedback was extremely positive overall, and most are looking forward to future trainings and tours related to substrate production.

Innovation Is the Focus of the 2020 Empire Producers EXPO Berry Sessions

Innovation can be profitable, but challenging. Hear how you can grow your operation by considering new methods and continuing emphasis on customer satisfaction. Join commercial berry growers from across the state on Thursday, January 16, 2020, for a full day of commercial berry education session at the Empire State Producers EXPO held at the OnCenter in Syracuse.

Berry Session I: 9:00 to 10:15 a.m.

In the morning session, Marc Poirier, of the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture will talk about Raspberry Crop Management and the Alternatives to Traditional Production Systems. Mr. Poirier will discuss the benefits and barriers to using protected culture, including different tunnel structural considerations, venting, pruning protocol, cultivar choices etc. Following this presentation, Ms. Rebecca Foltasz of NRCS will introduce and explain the EQUIP High Tunnel cost share program including the application process and reporting requirements.

Berry Session II: 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.           

During the mid-day session, Dr. Miguel Gomez starts the session off talking about his research on Customer Satisfaction with NY U-pick berry farms. The results and insights from the 2019 survey of NYS customers should be eye opening.

After that, the NYS Berry Growers Association will have their brief annual business meeting. This industry group has been very active in lobbying state government and has a lot of successes to report.

Last on the midday agenda is a talk about June bearing strawberry production in New Jersey, moving from matted row to plasticulture, by Peter Nitzsche from Rutgers. He’ll explain how and why New Jersey growers are moving towards plasticulture of their June-bearing strawberries

Berry Session III: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.         

A discussion of organic pest management at Wegmans berry farm will kick of the final berry session of the day. Esther Kibbe, CCE Harvest NY and Mark Bowker of Wegmans in Canandaigua will discuss the steps they took to help Wegmans adopt a certified organic production system. More information about a low-spray approach to pest management will be presented with an nod to protected culture—a major aid to organic berry pest management.

Growers will finish out the day with a farmer-to-farmer opportunity to discuss the approaches they have found to be successful when embarking on organic production of berry crops. This is a difficult endeavor, but many growers are innovators and this opportunity will allow them to share their experiences while still remembering that the label is the law. We’ll also hear commentary on the efficacy of some of the newer biological products on the market.

Read the full agenda and sign up here.

Can a Robot Be the Future of Berry Crop Pollination?

Photo by Yu Gu, West Virginia University

Recognizing both the sobering statistics for colonies of pollinators and the steadily increasing global population, scientists at West Virginia University, in a project funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s National Robotics Initiative, have created a robot called the BrambleBee. Says Dr. Yu Gu, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at WVU, “We are not aiming at replacing bees. We are hoping to use the robotic pollinator in places where bees are not available or not enough.”

This includes high tunnels, where the growing season can be extended, but where pollination is more difficult because light diffusion makes it harder for honeybees to navigate the crops.

So far, the BrambleBee has been tested on blackberry plantings. Like a self-driving car, the BrambleBee is a robot that learns to navigate specific places. Using lidar—a detection system that works similarly to radar, but uses light from a laser instead of radio waves—the robot first creates a 3-D map of a greenhouse. It then passes through the rows again, with the purpose of reaching as many flowers as possible with its mechanical arm. After positioning itself in front of a plant, the BrambleBee takes photos of the plants and flowers and creates an even higher-resolution map.

When it finds a flower that’s ready for pollination, the BrambleBee extends a small 3-D-printed brush with flexible polyurethane bristles—modeled on the scopa, or hairs of the honeybee—to gently loosen the pollen. This transfers the pollen from the anthers to the pistils for pollination. The BrambleBee is thought to be careful enough to work alongside bees, as opposed to miniature pollinating drones, which may injure bees as they hover over and around crops.

Says Dr. Nicole Waterland, Associate Professor of Horticulture at WVU, “A robotic pollinator does not need to rest and could potentially pollinate continually.” Another benefit of the BrambleBee: the ability to work in multiple locations. Neighboring farms could share the cost of a unit and then transfer the robot between them for autonomous pollination.

The BrambleBee is still in the experimental stage, but early results are promising for it and other robotic tools. “We hope this is the beginning of a new era in crop production using robotic systems,” Waterland says. “We would like to utilize this platform as a start to create a robot that could act as a grower’s assistant. We hope the robot could help with monitoring the health status of the plant, e.g., monitoring water status and nutrient needs.”

A Look at Our 2017 Berry Production Workshop

We're sharing our favorite moments from our late-August Berry Production Workshop, sponsored by Cornell University and Cornell CCE. Check out our October newsletter for the full summary of the event, which brought together scientists, growers, and ag professionals from across New York State.