The Orchard Keeper @ Royal Oak Farm

Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (Bio-IPM) at Royal Oak Farm – A Review

2012-01-28T02:37:00.001-06:00

We are getting close to February and February is the time of the year when I assess our IPM program from the previous season and prepare our IPM program here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard for the coming season. As I begin to lay out an IPM strategy for the coming season, the first thing I always do is review our entire approach to IPM to make sure we are on target and remain true to our philosophy of IPM. For my benefit as well as those who read this blog, I thought it might be a good idea to repost that IPM philosophy. So here goes!

At Royal Oak Farm we use an entirely new approach to managing pests called Biointensive Integrated Pest management (Bio-IPM) and the use of Sustainable Agriculture practices to minimize the insect and disease damage to our fruit. Biointensive IPM utilizes a systems approach to pest management based on an understanding of pest ecology. It begins with steps to accurately diagnose the nature and source of pest problems, and then relies on a range of preventive tactics and biological controls to keep pest populations within acceptable limits. Our preventative tactics include a combination of ecological, biological, natural, and cultural controls to keep applications of chemical controls to a minimum.

Often there are enough beneficials to control the pest(s) in the orchard without spraying. On other occasions we can use traps to catch pest species as they enter the orchard, or determine from the traps that there are too few of the pest to cause serious damage to the trees or fruit. In 2007 we made use of a new product called Virosoft that is a 100% ecological solution. Virosoft is a biological, natural baculovirus which specifically and exclusively attacks the target pest. Virosoft is absolutely harmless to all other members of the ecosystem, including humans. Because of the success of this product we have not had to apply any sprays in the month of August when growers would normally apply at least one timed spray. As a last resort, reduced- risk pesticides are used if other tactics have not been adequately effective, and with care to minimize risks.

We have our own IPM specialist to monitor a number of species of insects and mites in our orchard, including beneficial species (predators and parasites of pest species). Each week of the growing season, we also consult with the Wisconsin Eco-Apple Project network of professional growers via weekly conference calls directed by a professional entomologist. A weather station in the orchard tracks temperature, rainfall, and humidity 24 hours a day, transmits this data to our weather computer and we then use this information to monitor pest biology and the progress and severity of various diseases that can attack our fruit.

The benefits of implementing biointensive IPM include reduced chemical input costs, reduced on-farm and off-farm environmental impacts, and more effective and sustainable pest management. An ecology-based IPM has the potential of decreasing inputs of fuel, machinery, and synthetic chemicals - all of which are energy intensive and increasingly costly in terms of financial and environmental impact. All these efforts make it possible for us to apply chemical controls only a few times each season when they are truly required. And we have made it a policy to always use the most environmentally friendly materials available. The good health of our bees located all around the orchard is a testament to our insect and disease management strategy.

At Royal Oak Farm we are proud of the quality of the fruit we grow, and equally proud that through our monitoring efforts and the use of Biointensive Integrated Pest Management procedures we need apply so few sprays to grow excellent products.

Resources:

If you would like to read further information on Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM), I would recommend the publication Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) -Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture, published by The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA – which was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT website for more information on other sustainable agriculture and energy projects.

Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture provides the rationale for biointensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM), outlines the concepts and tools of biointensive IPM, and suggests steps and provides informational resources for implementing IPM. It is targeted to individuals interested in agriculture at all levels.

The electronic version of Biointensive Integrated Pest Management is located at:

HTML Version

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=146

PDF Download
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/download.php?id=146

Alive and Well….all things considered!!

2011-12-19T18:08:00.001-06:00

Well......I'm still alive and doing pretty well, considering the alternative!! Here's what's been going on over the past several months and why I have not posted to the blog in a while.............a knee replacement…………..then a manipulation…….. then an infection.

On March 7 I had a full right knee replacement. Then on June 20 I had the manipulation done as out patient surgery. I had not been able to get my knee to bend more than 90 degrees since the replacement, so the Dr. wanted to manipulate it to hopefully get it to at least 130 degrees. But he was only able to get it to 110 and it was leveling out at around 100 to 95 degrees which gets me down stairs normally.

Then last June 30 in the evening I started having chills and running a temp of about 102. By the next morning I was in such horrible pain, my wife had to call an ambulance and rush me to the hospital. They admitted me and after draining fluid from my knee, determined I had developed a staph infection in the replacement knee. At first the Infectious Disease Specialist thought it was a strep strain, but after the cultures were all finished it turned out to be staph. I left the hospital last July 7 for the Harvard Care Center in Harvard, IL(http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org/body.cfm?id=105)

I was in the highest rated rehab center in Illinois, on my own wing, getting IV antibiotics 3 times a day and a regimen of other drugs every four hours..........physical therapy 2 times a day and specialized wound care 2 times a day. I finally starting to feel a bit better and was in the Care Center until July 29. I had a PIC line installed for the IV antibiotics and had that removed the end of August!

If the antibiotics didn't work, I would have lost the knee replacement, have to have an antibiotic spacer inserted for 3 months, and get the knee replaced again. If that doesn't work, then they take the leg off. But that didn’t happen, of course, and I finished my last round of antibiotics on Thanksgiving Day!!

I still have a slight limp and can only bend my knee about 65 degrees, but that is much better than the alternative. By this coming spring I should be as close to normal as I can!!!

Pumpkin Production @ Royal Oak Farm Orchard

2011-05-21T18:22:00.001-05:00

Back in January, my son, Paul and I were asked to speak at the 2011 Illinois Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference about pumpkin production at Royal Oak Farm. Since that time we have received numerous requests for a copy of our presentation as well as information on the modification of our John Deere 7000 Seed Planter, as seen in the photos below.

John Deere 7000 No-Till Seed Planter

For a good look at the modifications we made to our John Deere 7000 Planter, we prepared a video to give you an up close look at the necessary changes we made to get the planter to work for pumpkin seeds. Feel free to download the video from YouTube. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time!

Modification of John Deere 7000 Planter for Pumpkins

National and Regional Web-based Tree Fruit IPM Resources

2011-05-09T16:20:00.001-05:00

From time to time I get asked by other growers where they can find local and regional information on apple growing to assist them throughout the growing and harvesting season. At the request of growers in the grower network I participate in, Peter Werts from the IPM Institute has compiled a list for the Midwest-Region that I am sharing below.

· Apple Crop email discussion group:

http://www.virtualorchard.net/applecrop.html. The goal of this listserv is to provide a forum which will foster the exchange of information between University researchers, Extension agents and specialists, students, commercial apple growers, wholesalers/brokers, retailers and direct marketers of apples.

· Cornell Scaffolds Fruit Journal:

http://www.scaffolds.entomology.cornell.edu/. This is a weekly pest bulletin covering pest management and crop development. Often tree and insect phonological stages in New York and New England states are ahead of the upper Midwest, but the pest and disease complex is very similar and contains information very relevant for growers in our region. This bulletin is free and can be downloaded or subscribed too.

· Michigan Fruit Crop Advisory:

http://www.ipmnews.msu.edu/fruit/. This website provides individual articles on a range of fruit crops. An email with links to articles is sent out weekly through the growing season and articles are also published here in the off-season.

· Illinois Fruit IPM News:

http://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/. This weekly bulletin is available in print or online from the University of Illinois Extension. This weekly publication covers IPM information for a variety of fruit and vegetable crops and provides regional updates on crops.

2011 Royal Oak Farm Orchard IPM Spray Protocol

2011-04-25T14:40:00.001-05:00

Due to the overwhelming number of requests I have received this spring for our IPM Program Spray Protocol, I am posting our IPM Quick Spray Guide for the Royal Oak Farm 2011 season. After reviewing our scouting reports from last season, I also created several spreadsheets to assist me in evaluating our codling moth (CM) flight in particular. If interested, you can download the spray protocol guide at:

PDF Version

Word Version (Download and edit for your specific application.)

Each season we learn a little bit more about the products we are using and their effectiveness, especially in our Codling Moth Program. Over the prior four seasons we have been slowly fading out organophosphates and as of the 2009 season, they are completely gone. Historically we have used Imidan for CM (codling moth)and PC (plum curculio) control, and it was the last OP (organophosphate) in our arsenal of products. We have found that our CM spray program is also working quite well on PC when we use Calypso at 220 – 300 DD after CM biofix instead of Assail or Delegate. The price of Assail and Calypso are virtually the same whereas Delegate runs about $1.25 per ounce more and the per acre rate is higher. Assail is the least expensive of all three options because its rate is slightly lower than Calypso, but we have found it not as effective on PC. I hold Assail in reserve for our final late summer application for Apple Maggot and any remaining generations of CM.

The degree-day-based model helps us time scouting and/or trapping of plum curculio as well as CM. The model uses a base temperature for CM and weevil development of 50° F. Timing is critical in the application of most of the new CM and PC products on the market. Treatment for PC is justified between 100 and 400 degree days (generally petal fall in northern Illinois), which is also the proper timing for the first egg hatch period of CM.

Our CM Protocol is as follows:

Codling moth: Assume 1 complete application after bio-fix at:

75-100 DD Rimon (Pre-egg laying to early egg laying)

220-300 DD Calypso (First egg hatch)

OR Assail if STLM, OFM, WALH are over TH
OR Delegate if OBLR, RBLR, OFM counts are over TH (threshold)

340-600 DD Virosoft CM Virus (Late egg hatch to peak egg hatch

1200-1250 DD Assail if CM counts are over TH only.

The Virosoft CM Virus is generally being applied at the 220-250 DD after biofix timing, but I choose to apply a chemical product as the first spray at the start of egg hatch (250 DD) and the virus as the second spray around 400 DD because more eggs will be present and covered by the virus spray at the later timing.

I have reduced our CM spray program down to just 2 chemical product sprays and one virus spray. For 2007,2008, 2009 and 2010, we have entirely reduced any 2nd generation population of CM to the point where we have needed no sprays at all for 2nd generation CM. By keeping Assail in reserve for Apple Maggot, we still have an excellent broader spectrum product than can also wipe out any remaining CM, OFM, STLM, and WALH.

If anyone has any questions about our IPM program, feel free to contact me at any time. My office number is 1-847-648-4467 and my cell is 815-228-2174. I will be happy to discuss our program with you.

More on Tall Spindle Systems

2011-03-03T16:45:00.001-06:00

It is that time of the year when apple growers are pruning their orchards and planning for the upcoming season. New trees being added to the orchard usually start arriving the first week of April or there about, depending on the growing zone of the grower. We are in Zone 5 here at Royal Oak Farm and our new trees will be arriving the first week of April. As we prepare for the arrival of those trees, we have to consider which planting system we will be using as will other growers around the country.

Zestar trees planted to the Tall Spindle System 4’ on center w/ 4 wire trellis to 9’

At Royal Oak Farm we have chosen the newer Tall Spindle growing system as have many other growers around the country. We have been planting to this system for several years now and have around 5,000 trees being trained to this system at present with several thousand coming down the line in the future. Fortunately, as this system becomes more and more popular, more and more information is becoming available for growers on the Tall Spindle growing system.

An entire web site,Tall Spindle Apple: All about the tall-spindle apple…Links to resources for growing a tall-spindle apple orchard has now been devoted to resources for the Tall Spindle system and can be found at http://www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/clements/tallspindleapple/. The site has been assembled by Jon Clements, an Extension Educator at UMass Amherst and has links to just about every resources out there on Tall Spindle. Don’t forget to check out Jon’s videos as well, especially those on pruning Tall Spindle trees.

As always, feel free to contact me anytime at Royal Oak Farm Orchard. Happy growing!!

Biorational Approach

2010-12-01T12:35:00.000-06:00

If you purchase organically grown products, and you think they have not been sprayed, guess again.

Bt: Indispensable For Organic Growers

Consumers demand good-looking, great-tasting produce, which inevitably puts a lot of pressure on growers – especially those growing organically. Imperfect fruit that used to be accepted simply because it was organic is no longer passing muster with consumers who have become increasingly accustomed to seeing supermarket shelves stocked with flawless fruit. The right balance in an integrated pest management program is paramount for growers’ success and can make all the difference when it comes to the bottom line.

For organic growers looking to improve quality and yield to command higher prices, Bt is an indispensable tool that has been used in organic farming for generations. Bts stop worm pests from feeding, and prevent burrowing injuries that make crops more susceptible to diseases. Worm infestations can impede fruit’s sugar content and decrease vigor, reducing crops.

Organic or conventional, overall plant health is fundamental to crop value. Bt helps ensure plants stay healthy and vigorous early in the season, then protects the crop at the end. And the fact that Bt is specific to Lepidoptera means that beneficial insects are able to thrive along a Bt-protected crop.

John Teeple of Teeple Farms in Wolcott, NY, says that Bt has been tremendously helpful in improving the quality of his Red Delicious crop. “We’ve got this problem with obliquebanded leafroller on red delicious, and it seems to get started during bloom,” he says. “We can’t use anything that’s going to be harmful to bees during bloom, so the Bt seems to fit very well there.”

Bt is not only good for beneficials and growers, it’s good for produce buyers and retailers. Bt leaves behind no toxic residue and has no mandated tolerance limits for residue in food. Biorationals can be applied closer to harvest, offsetting late-season insect pressure and ensuring that fruits and vegetables arrive at the point of sale insect free and able to maintain their quality through to the end user.

Not only is Bt good for organic growers, but it can be easily worked into a conventional Bio-intensive IPM program like ours at Royal Oak Farm.

Plum Curculio (PC)

2010-05-14T18:21:00.001-05:00

Spotted the first Plum Curculio (PC) in the orchard today. We have still not set a biofix on codling moth (CM) and it is very unusual that we would spot PC before a CM biofix. Nevertheless, when I spot just one PC, I know they are in the orchard and we have to spray for them. This is one of the most difficult pests to avoid in any orchard. Our temperatures have not been high enough for them to start feeding yet, but just as soon as we hit the 60's, they will start feeding and laying eggs, so we have to spray right away!

Damage: Both adults and larvae cause damage. Adults damage fruit when their feeding and egg-laying causes scarred and malformed fruit. Adult damage also provides entry sites for fungal rots. Larvae tunnel and feed inside developing fruit. Most fruit infested early in the season drop prematurely. Fruit infested later in the season are of no market value due to the presence of the grubs.

Life Cycle: Adults overwinter in ground litter or other protected places. They become active shortly before peaches bloom. Adults fly to trees, mate, and lay eggs. Females deposit each egg in a hole under a crescent-shaped cut eaten in the fruit. Eggs hatch in about five days. Grubs feed in the fruit for eight to 22 days.

Mature larvae tunnel out of the fruit, enter the soil, construct small earthen cells and pupate after about two weeks. The complete life cycle, from egg to emerged adult, may require five to eight weeks. There are usually two generations and possibly a partial third generation each year.

Control: Controls should be aimed at overwintering adults to prevent the laying of first generation eggs. Adults can be monitored by traps or limb jarring over a ground sheet. Sprays for curculio should be initiated at petal fall with the initial application followed by two or three sprays at 10-day intervals. Additional applications may be necessary for the second generation (ca. June). Destruction of nearby wild plums, abandoned fruit trees and other alternate host plants can help to reduce infestations.

For further information on this pest visit Fruit IPM Resources at Michigan State University.

Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (Bio-IPM) at Royal Oak Farm

2010-05-11T17:07:00.001-05:00

Resources:

If you would like to read further information on Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM), I would recommend the publication Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture, published by The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA – which was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT website for more information on other sustainable agriculture and energy projects.

The electronic version of Biointensive Integrated Pest Management is located at:

HTML
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ipm.html

PDF
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/ipm.pdf

Codling Moth Season

2010-05-01T17:32:00.001-05:00

The codling moth, (CM) (Fig. 1), is the most important pest on apples in most of the Midwest. This moth larva feeds on apple, pear, English walnut, quince, crab apple, hawthorn, and wild apple. Flowering quince and apple are prime host plants in the backyard. Codling moths occasionally attack stone fruits.

Fig.1

Fig. 2

The larva eats its way into the center of the apple and feeds on the seeds and core. Later it tunnels back out and leaves the fruit (Fig. 2). It most often enters through the calyx end. Sometimes it enters where two fruits touch or where a leaf touches a fruit.

Stings are shallow blemishes on the surface of the fruit, usually caused when a newly hatched larva takes a few bites and then dies from various causes, including the effects of an insecticide.
Female codling moths lay their eggs singly on the foliage or fruit. The egg is a pearly white oval. The newly hatched larva is semitransparent, white with a shiny black head, and about 1/16 inch long. The full-grown larva spins a silken cocoon under bark or other suitable shelter. The pupa is about 1/2 inch long and varies in color from yellow to brown, depending on age.
Adult mothes vary in size, with a wing expanse of 3/4 inch or less. The wings are brownish gray with dark bands. Near the tip of each forewing, there is a dark brown spot, which contains two irregular coppery lines.

Setting a Biofix

Initial trap catches for adult moth in the early spring are termed biofixes. This information will be used to predict when egg hatch will occur and synchronize insecticide sprays. The biofix for the codling moth is the starting date of the first sustained flight of male moths captured in pheromone traps. Generally, this is when the fifth moth has been captured in the trap. A few moths often emerge very early in the spring ahead of the rest. Using the fifth moth as the biofix better represents when the majority of the codling moths begin to emerge. This usually occurs just after petal fall. Codling moth traps need to be examined daily in order to know exactly when the biofix occurs. After the biofix has occurred, degree days are calculated on a daily basis and a running total is kept. The codling moth has a 50F threshold temperature. These degree day accumulations can be compared with the target values in the CM GDD Model table.

Throughout the growing season in commercial IPM orchards, pheromone trap catches that exceed an average of five moths per trap per week can trip an insecticide application. Growers need to estimate the residual activity of previous insecticide sprays (generally 10 to 14 days of activity after each application) relative to the anticipated egg hatch predicted by the degree day accumulation to determine the need for additional sprays.

In the early stages of setting a biofix for CM, growers do need to be aware of the emergence in the Midwest of False Codling Moth. False Codling Moth (FCM), (Fig. 3)can be confused with codling moth (CM) because of similar appearance and damage, however, unlike codling moth its host range does not include apples, pears or quince (USDA 1984).

Fig. 3

FCM can be distinguished from CM by close examination of morphological characters. Most notably is the variation in wing coloration. CM have a definite copper color on the tip of their wing. At Royal Oak Farm, we have not set biofix on CM as of yet, but have trapped many FCM. Don’t confuse these FCM with the real CM.

Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alerts and News

2010-04-16T08:11:00.001-05:00

The Michigan State University Extension and The MSU IPM Program have published new articles for the MSU Fruit CAT Alert newsletter. Visit their web site, http://ipmnews.msu.edu/fruit/ to read the articles or use the links below for individual articles. They have also posted the full printable pdf version.

Tree fruit

· Update on resistance to strobilurin fungicides in the apple scab fungus in Michigan

· Current status on resistance to sterol inhibitor fungicides in the apple scab fungus in Michigan

· Apple scab control 2010

· Agri-Mek label expanded to all stone fruits

· TNRC trapline data: Green fruitworm

· Copper products, characteristics, and uses

The next issue will be April 27, 2010.

A new issue of Scaffolds Fruit Newsletter from the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, one of the premier horticulture research and extension institutes in the world, for the week of 4/12 has been posted at:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scaffolds/2010/

and includes the following articles:

INSECTS

- Orchard Radar

- Pink pest management

CHEM NEWS

- Movento

ERRATA

- Tree Fruit Guidelines corrections

DISEASES

- Powdery mildew

- Black knot on plum

PHENOLOGIES

PEST FOCUS

UPCOMING PEST EVENTS

The USU Tree Fruit IPM Pest Advisories provide nearly weekly updates on current insect and disease occurences, biology, and treatment recommendations for Utah. Updates run from mid-March through September.

The current issues is available at:

http://utahpests.usu.edu/ipm/htm/advisories/treefruit/articleID=9264

and includes the following articles:

Eco-Apple IPM Conference Calls begin Tuesday, April 20

Starting on April 20, the UW-Madison Eco-Fruit Project will offer another season of free weekly conference calls with IPM consultant John Aue and other IPM experts. Royal Oak Farm will be participating in these calls again for the 2010 season.

Why would we want to listen in?
These calls will help network growers to know what to watch out for, will answer current pressing questions, and will give an idea of what other growers are doing. At the start of each call, John Aue provides a comprehensive review of pest trends and activity in orchards. Next, he answers growers’ questions about pest and disease management issues. He also asks growers to talk about their own strategies for managing pests. John Aue provided IPM consulting services to Royal Oak Farm prior to 2007 and many other apple growers in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota for over 20 years.

Apple Scab Control 2010

2010-04-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

Apple scab, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis, is an important constraint on apple production in the Midwest. The primary inoculum for apple scab develops in the spring in infected leaves on the orchard floor from the previous season. If primary scab infection is not controlled, significant levels of leaf and fruit infection can be expected. Infection periods for apple scab occur every year in northern Illinois orchards. Although apple varieties with resistance to scab do exist, these varieties are not widely planted; thus, scab must be actively controlled each year through intensive usage of fungicides. This intensive fungicide usage has led to the development of resistance in V. inaequalis to some classes of fungicides such as dodine and the benzimidazoles in Michigan and elsewhere across the United States where apple scab is prevalent. The following article from the IPM - Crop Advisory Team Alerts - Fruit > MSU Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert newsletter will give a fungicide spray protocol for those orchards where resistance to these fungicides has developed.

scab control 2010 > IPM - Crop Advisory Team Alerts - Fruit > MSU Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert newsletter

2009 Trial Results From the Use of Pheromone Disruption to Control Codling Moth in Bayfield, WI Area Apple Orchards

2010-04-13T16:31:00.001-05:00

Codling moth is one of three major insect pests of apples in the northern Illinois, Wisconsin and particularly the Bayfield fruit growing
region of northern Wisconsin. The female adult moths lay their eggs on or near developing apples and the larvae tunnel into the apple and become the classic worm in the apple. Apples attacked by codling moth are unfit for sale. There are typically two generations per year in Il and WI with a peak flight in late-June and again in mid-August. Producing quality apples requires managing codling moth, usually with a conventional or organic chemical spray program.

In cooperation with the Bayfield apple growers, a two-step codling moth control program is underway to help growers reduce the number of spray applications for codling moth.

Step 1: Removing Abandoned Apple Trees to Reduce Codling Moth Populations

Step 2: Using Mating Disruption to Prevent Egg-Laying

Download the research bulletin here:
Download file

The two-step codling moth control program appears to be working for Bayfield growers and should provide an alternative or supplement to the typical chemical control programs. However, because there are other insect pests in the orchards at the same time as the codling moth, the pheromone disruption will not eliminate the need for spraying. Treatments for apple maggot or plum curculio will likely be necessary with the added benefit of providing some codling moth control. However, as was the experience of the growers in 2009, the pheromone disruption can reduce the number of sprays needed and can allow the growers to target the other pests. The goal of the research project in 2010 is to trial the pheromone disruption on a wider scale.

We have not yet adopted the use of pheromone disruption at Royal Oak Farm but have opted instead to make use of a new product called Virosoft that is a 100% ecological solution. Virosoft is a biological, natural baculovirus which specifically and exclusively attacks the target pest. Virosoft is absolutely harmless to all other members of the ecosystem, including humans. Because of the success of this product we have not had to apply any sprays in the month of August when growers would normally apply at least one timed spray. But pheromone disruption is beginning to look like another alternative for apple growers as a means of reducing the use of chemical controls.

Royal Oak Farm 2010 Season IPM Spray Protocol

2010-04-12T16:16:00.001-05:00

I am posting our IPM Spray Protocol for the Royal Oak Farm 2010 season. After reviewing my scouting reports from last season, I created several spreadsheets to assist me in evaluating our codling moth (CM) flight in particular. If interested, you can download the spray protocol,:

PDF Version

Word Version (Download and edit for your specific application.)

Each season we learn a little bit more about the products we are using and their effectiveness, especially in our Codling Moth Program. Over the prior three seasons I have been slowly fading out organophosphates and as of the 2009 season, they are completely gone. Historically we have used Imidan for CM (codling moth)and PC (plum curculio) control, and it was the last OP (organophosphate) in our arsenal of products. We have found that our CM spray program is also working quite well on PC when we use Calypso at 220 – 300 DD after CM biofix instead of Assail or Delegate. The price of Assail and Calypso are virtually the same whereas Delegate runs about $1.25 per ounce more and the per acre rate is higher. Assail is the least expensive of all three options because its rate is slightly lower than Calypso, but we have found it not as effective on PC. I hold Assail in reserve for our final late summer application for Apple Maggot and any remaining generations of CM.

Our CM Protocol is as follows:

Codling moth: Assume 1 complete application after bio-fix at:

75-100 DD Rimon (Pre-egg laying to early egg laying)

220-300 DD Calypso (First egg hatch)

OR Assail if STLM, OFM, WALH are over TH
OR Delegate if OBLR, RBLR, OFM counts are over TH (threshold)

340-600 DD Virosoft CM Virus (Late egg hatch to peak egg hatch

1200-1250 DD Assail if CM counts are over TH only.

I have reduced our CM spray program down to just 2 chemical product sprays and one virus spray. For 2007,2008 and 2009, we have entirely reduced any 2nd generation population of CM to the point where we have needed no sprays at all for 2nd generation CM. By keeping Assail in reserve for Apple Maggot, we still have an excellent broader spectrum product than can also wipe out any remaining CM, OFM, STLM, and WALH.

If anyone has any questions about our IPM program, feel free to contact me at any time. I will be happy to discuss our program with you.

Planting fruit trees in 2010 > IPM - Crop Advisory Team Alerts - Fruit > MSU Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert newsletter

2010-04-07T11:38:00.000-05:00

Planting fruit trees in 2010 > IPM - Crop Advisory Team Alerts - Fruit > MSU Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert newsletter

Spring Has Arrived!!

2010-03-25T14:05:00.001-05:00

What’s the old saying….”In like a lion out like a lamb….In like a lamb out like a lion!! Well…..whatever the saying, we thought we were going to have an early spring only to get slammed today with much cooler temperatures and a light rain. This is the time of the year when we start preparing for the new season in the orchard and my priority one is our IPM protocol for the orchard. The first order of business is putting our Spray Protocol together and getting our products ordered and the second order of business is preparing our pheromone lure traps for the season.

If you've not already done so, and you need new traps, NOW is the time to order your pheromone traps for key insects for the 2010 season I generally begin to set my Trece Delta Pherocon VI traps around April first.

I am going to refer you to the Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News Vol. 15, Nos. 19-20, March 18, 2009 article by Rick Weinzierl, “Pheromone Traps for Fruit Insects” for a good overview on the the what, when and where of using pheromone lure traps to monitor your insects. My next post will be our Spray Protocol for the season….stay tuned!!

jmcextman: Reducing overwintering apple scab inoculum using fall-applied urea and leaf shredding

2010-03-25T13:30:00.000-05:00

jmcextman: Reducing overwintering apple scab inoculum using fall-applied urea and leaf shredding

'Organic' debate goes on, naturally -- chicagotribune.com

2009-08-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

'Organic' debate goes on, naturally -- chicagotribune.com

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Japanese Beetle Season

2009-07-21T11:56:00.001-05:00

Well, it’s Japanese Beetle season here in northern Illinois and The calls are starting to come in asking what can be done to get rid of them. I am going to refer you to one of the better web sites for home owners to use to get information on the Japanese Beetle. Go to Pestproducts.com and you will find everything you need to know about Japanese Beetles. And even some information you probably didn’t want to know. You can find spray products at your local lawn & garden store or hardware store with Permethrin in them that will do the trick. I am not a big fan of Permethrin since it also kills everything else, including beneficial insects. If you are more environmentally conscientious find a product with Assail (Acetamiprid) in it. Ortho makes a spray that I use for small spray situations that is ideal called Ortho® MAX™ Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer. It is good for aphids, certain scales, apple maggot, codling moth, plum curculio, oriental fruit moth, and leafhopper. It comes in several sizes but I prefer the 2 gallon with the attached sprayer. You can control the spray droplet size and it will reach to the tops of you trees without the need for a ladder. Hope this helps those of you with Japanese Beetle problems

Growing Peaches in Climate Zone 5 (Northern Illinois)

2009-05-11T12:36:00.001-05:00

In February of 2008 i was invited to speak at the Chicago Botanical Garden by the Midwest Fruit Explorers (MidFex) on the subject of “Growing Peaches in Climate Zone 5 (Northern Illinois). Since that time I have received many requests for a copy of the PowerPoint presentation I used. I have the full PowerPoint presentation below:

Growing Peaches In Climate Zone 5

View more presentations from Dennis Norton.

The PowerPoint presentation is available for download at SlideShare if you are a SlideShare member. If you are not a SlideShare member and do not want to register (it’s free) you may download the file at here.

I hope it helps those of you thinking of trying to grow peaches in northern climates. Pay special attention to the sections on temperatures and keep in mind that since this presentation was given we experienced an all time low of -20 to -24 for over 6 hours that froze all of our peach trees. This was the first time that we experienced these extreme lows since the late 1980's in our location. As a result, all of our peach trees froze and we have had to remove them. But we did grow peaches from 1992 to 2005. Hope you find this info useful.

Royal Oak Farm to Host 2009 Illinois Horticultural Day

2009-04-30T12:06:00.001-05:00

The Illinois Summer Horticulture Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2009 at Royal Oak Farm near Harvard, Illinois beginning at 8:30 a.m. Three generations of the Bianchini and Norton families operate Royal Oak Farm, a fun & entertainment operation on a beautiful 160-acre setting. Presently there are more than 12,000 apple trees, including 24 varieties of apples. About 600 new trees will be added this year in a replacement program. Other products for sale include raspberries, gourds, squash, and pumpkins. Site features include an entertainment area, market and bakery and a country restaurant that operates from August into November. With a large pavilion, special events include concerts, hay rides, weddings, school tours, etc. Plus the family offers area schools fund-raising opportunities.

Royal Oak Farm utilizes three apple tree growing systems, central leader at 10"-12' centers on M7/M111/Mark rootstocks, vertical axe at 8' centers on M26/Bud9/M9 and tall spindle at 4' centers on Bud9/M9. The process of converting the vertical axe to tall spindle by inter-planting new Bud9 trees between the 4-5 year old trees and re-training the vertical axe to tall spindle is underway. This spring they plan to begin propagating some of their own trees on G11 and G16 rootstocks. All of their new trees are being replanted where old trees once existed and they are making use of nematode fighting crop covers to overcome replant disease. The orchard has been in a crop cover program for two seasons and will also be utilizing a crop cover program for pumpkins this spring. Royal Oak Farm has used IPM practices for over 10 years and began a bio-intensive IPM program in 2006. An bio-intensive IPM program utilizes such products as codling moth virus, a weed-badger for in row weed control as well as the use of cover crops.

For more information and/or reservations call Don Naylor, Executive Secretary at 309/530-7678 (cell), email at ilsthortsoc@yahoo.com, or mail a check for $25 per person for advance reservations to: I.S.H.S., 15962 Old Orchard Rd, Bloomington, IL 61705. Advance reservation deadline is the June 9. Registration at door is $30.

2009 Season Spray Protocol

2009-04-10T16:43:00.001-05:00

I have completed our Orchard Spray Protocol for the Royal Oak Farm 2009 season. After reviewing my scouting reports from last season, I created several spreadsheets to assist me in evaluating our codling moth (CM) flight in particular. If interested, you can download the spray protocol, spreadsheets and graph in the following formats:

PDF Version

Word Version (Download and edit for your specific application.)

PDF Version of 2008 CM Flight

Scouting Report Excel Spreadsheet Master

2008 Scouting Report Spreadsheet

Each season we learn a little bit more about the products we are using and their effectiveness, especially in our Codling Moth Program. Over the past three seasons I have been slowly fading out organophosphates and for the 2009 season, they are completely gone. Historically we have used Imidan for CM (codling moth)and PC (plum curculio) control, and it was the last OP (organophosphate) in our arsenal of products. We have found that our CM spray program is also working quite well on PC when we use Calypso at 220 – 300 DD after CM biofix instead of Assail or Delegate. The price of Assail and Calypso are virtually the same whereas Delegate runs about $1.25 per ounce more and the per acre rate is higher. Assail is the least expensive of all three options because its rate is slightly lower than Calypso, bit is not as effective on PC. I hold Assail in reserve for our final late summer application for Apple Maggot and any remaining generations of CM.

Our CM Protocol is as follows:

Codling moth: Assume 1 complete application after bio-fix at:

75-100 DD Rimon (Pre-egg laying to early egg laying)

220-300 DD Calypso (First egg hatch)

OR Assail if STLM, OFM, WALH are over TH
OR Delegate if OBLR, RBLR, OFM counts are over TH (threshold)

340-600 DD Virosoft CM Virus (Late egg hatch to peak egg hatch

1200-1250 DD Assail if CM counts are over TH only.

The Virosoft CM Virus is generally applied at the 220-250 DD after biofix timing, but I choose to apply a chemical product as the first spray at the start of egg hatch (250 DD) and the virus as the second spray around 400 DD because more eggs will be present and covered by the virus spray at the later timing.

I have reduced our CM spray program down to just 2 chemical product sprays and one virus spray. For both 2007 and 2008, we have almost entirely reduced any 2nd generation population of CM. By keeping Assail in reserve for Apple Maggot, we still have an excellent broader spectrum product than can also wipe out any remaining OFM, STLM, and WALH.

Pruning Video Now Available

2009-02-19T15:10:00.001-06:00

I now have the pruning video “Easy Steps to Fruit Tree Pruning” available to order through my blog or on our web site. This video was produced by Cedardale Orchards with Gary Moulton.

Gary is a horticulturist and fruit tree grower with many years of both practical and theoretical experience. He is a graduate of Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo and Washington State University. Involved in continuing tree fruit research since 1980 at WSU, he works with the latest and most efficient pruning methods for fruit trees.

Whether you have a backyard orchard, a newly planted tree or an old neglected, out of control monster, you will get good results with the help of the tried-and-true pruning methods presented in this video.

Demonstrations in the video include:

Tools you need and how to use them
Training Systems – first planting to mature trees for Open Center, Central Leader and Espalier
How to handle old neglected trees
How trees grow

We use “Easy Steps to Fruit Tree Pruning” as a training tool here at Royal Oak Farm with all of our new employees. It is one of the better, if not the best video available today on the proper pruning methods. I highly recommend it for anyone who would like to learn how to properly prune fruit trees.

Order the DVD Now!

The Start of Another Year!

2009-02-03T16:25:00.003-06:00

Well, 2009 has come in with a blast.....of cold air that is...here in northern Illinois. In January we hit -18 degrees and have probably lost the peaches again this winter. That's been 3 winters in a row where we have had below zero temps that have wiped out the peach buds. We are now seriously contemplating removing the peach trees and possibly adding pear trees to the mix of apples we now have.

Speaking of peaches, today I received an e-mail from a home orchardist from Texas that is having a terrible time with pests eating their peaches, mostly insects and birds. I recommended and sent them a nifty little "Fruit Pest Control for Home Gardens" from Kansas State University that covers a more organic approach to the home orchard.

I am currently working on several new projects for the orchard this year, one of which is the propagation of one of our current apple varieties. As the plans begin to unfold I will post info on our choices of root stock and the propagation process. Hopefully my posts will be much more often then they have in the past!

Beginning a New Season

2008-05-22T18:46:00.004-05:00

It's 2008 and a new season has begun for us. I'm getting a late start in keeping everything up to date, just like the weather is getting a late start. Its almost the end of May and we have not had a night above 50 degrees yet. That means we were not able to get our oil spray on and the trees are now at petal fall. We only got about 1/4 of our copper spray on, but we have been able to keep our scab and fireblight sprays up to date. Yesterday we applied Apogee to control shoot growth to hopefully over come the fireblight we experienced last season.

We have planted over 1,000 new trees again this spring, adding Pristine to our variety mix. All of our new trees are on M9 or EMLA9 and BUD9 rootstocks. I'm training them to the tall spindle system as seen in the photo. The great thing aboput this planting system is that you can get 4 to 5 times the trees to the acre as with a central leader system and there is minimal pruning.

I will post our 2008 spray protocol within the next few days with our new Codling Moth program outlined that we had so much success with last season. Until then...

Wheew....what a season!

2007-12-05T19:02:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been away from my blog for sooooo long. We just finished our busiest season ever and broke all previous harvest and sales records. I have been so busy over the past several months I just didn't have enough time to keep up to date on the blog. We closed for the season on November 15, completed our inventory around November 27 and now we relax for a few weeks before preparing for the 2008 season.

We have several new programs in the planning stages and I will cover them in the next few posts. As soon as I complete the analysis of our 2007 IPM program, I'll be posting the results as well as our program for 2008.

It's Been a Busy Spring!

2007-05-19T18:08:00.000-05:00

We have been really busy this spring at Royal Oak Farm. We planted about 1,000 new trees, including Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, early Auvil Fuji and Crispin. Our plan is to gradually remove our existing M7 rootstock trees that are now over 15 years old and replace them with B9, M9 and M26 root stocks. We anticipate completing this task in about 2010 or 2012. We began replacing trees in the spring of 2004 with the more dwarfing root stocks to increase row density and yield. The smaller trees are much better suited to a U-Pick operation such as ours and to the new tall spindle planting system we have now adapted. Trees planted over the past three years using the vertical axe system are being converted to the tall spindle this summer. There are many advantages of the tall spindle system, but one of the major advantages is minimal pruning. To review a more in depth discussion of the tall spindle system I will refer you to the New York Fruit Quarterly Summer 2006 issue that provides a very detailed overview of the system.

We have also added about 3,000 new blackberry and raspberry plants to our already existing 5,000 or so plants. That will give us around 5 acres or so of raspberries and 1 acre of blackberries. We will also be opening up our new 40 acres for pumpkin planting this year and will be adding giant pumpkins in 2008.

I set our pest management traps around the April 15 and have now set our biofix on codling moth at May 10. Trap counts this week hit our threshold of 5 trapped moths just as we were entering our 50 - 100 DD accumulations for Rimon. Tonight we will apply our first Rimon application for codling moth at 95 DD after biofix.

The new plum curculio traps I tried this spring have worked very well and I have been trapping PC for the past 2 weeks. Ovipositing was discovered on May 14 at 335 DD from March 1. We are able to apply our Imidan for PC at the same time as the Rimon for CM and Flint for sooty blotch and scab. It's the first time in several years that we have been able to do all three of these applications at one time.

As things progress this spring with the orchard, we are also building our new 5,000 sq. ft. pavilion in our Entertainment area. It is now framed and the trusses should go up Monday or Tuesday. Never a dull moment! Until next time.....

What Happened to the Weather?

2007-04-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

This has been a very frustrating spring. I can't remember when its been this cold in April before. I understand some regions are setting record lows and that does not bode well for fruit growers or any other grower for that matter. On-line friends from NAFEX (North American Fruit Explorers) are reporting damage in almost every state in the midwest as well as the south. Here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard we have been pretty blessed. Our recorded low over the past 2 weeks has been 23.9 degrees, but was only sustained for about 2 hours. With our Watch Dog Wireless Crop Monitor we are able to monitor the temperatures and leaf wetness on a 24/7 basis with the data being transmitted to our weather computer every 10 minutes. Even with the temps being below the freezing level at night, we still picked up an apple scab infection period on March 24/25 when the highs hit near 80 right after a rain. We still have to get our Champ (copper) spray on both the peach trees (for peach leaf curl) and the apple trees (for scab and blight) but due the he cold temps at night, have been unable to spray. Copper is a good insulator for a frost, which means you can spray copper at temperatures that hover around 32, but not if they drop below 30, which ours have for over a week now. This week it looks like the cold weather is going to leave us with lows predicted in the high 30's. In 2006 our copper spray went on April 10. Looks like we will hit the exact same date in 2007 So we are pretty much on schedule with our spray program. Our Ginger Gold and Sansa apple trees were at 1/4" green before the cold weather hit and the peach trees were at bud swell which is when the copper should go on. But the cold temps slowed the trees down and we will be right on schedule if we get the copper on this week.

I finally have our 2007 Spray Program posted! In it's in PDF format and can be downloaded directly from the link. I have also added the Home Orchard Spray Schedule from MU EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA as well as information on placing pheremone traps for Integrated Pest Management from Rick Weinzierl at University of Illinois. As with any other posting, please feel free to contact me regarding any information or questions you may have.

The Off-Season

2007-03-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

Most of the 2006/2007 off-season has been spent with updating my web sites and training our staff in pruning techniques. On the other side of being an orchard keeper, I develop web sites as a hobby. This off season I designed and built a web site that is strictly for ministry purposes. I have a Strong desire to see a revival sweep our nation and as a result of the desire, I developed the http://www.revivalhym.com web site. The Revival Hymn video is a 30 minute video compilation of some of the greatest revival preachers of the 20th century. Visit the site if you get a chance!

Part of our pruning training has included 2 videos that pretty much sum up the entire reason we prune. Penn State has produced a video that can be found at http://adams.extension.psu.edu/Agriculture/PDF%20files/PruningHarvestOrderForm.pdf. and is available in both English and Spanish. The other video, which is much more in depth is Easy Steps to Fruit Tree Pruning found at http://www.pruning.com/. It is a little dated since it was produced in 1990, but whether you have a backyard orchard, a large commercial orchard, a newly planted tree, or an old neglected trees, you'll get good results with the help of this video that covers tried-and- true pruning methods. I highly recommend it.

DEMONSTRATIONS INCLUDE:
Tools you need & how to use them
Training systems - First planting to mature trees
Open Center
Open Leader
Espalier
How to handle old / neglected trees
How trees grow

Whether you are a novice or an experienced experienced orchard keeper you can use this system, and feel confident enough to go out and prune any fruit trees successfully.

I am currently working on our spray program for 2007 and will be posting it in the next few days. Until then, happy orchard keeping!!

Been Away For A While!

2007-02-26T12:49:00.000-06:00

I am convinced that folks who are able to keep their blog up to date on a nearly daily basis have either too much time on their hands or live boring lives! I find that I am not a good "blogger" because it is almost impossible for me to keep this blog up to date. As you can see, my last post was in May of 2006. Once the weather breaks, we are working from sun up to sundown most days with managing the orchard, updating the web site, preparing the restaurant, gift shop and Apple Barn for opening as well as the Entertainment Area and Petting Zoo. Not only am I doing this blog, I also do several other web sites for other agritourism operations as well as our own.

Since I cannot keep this blog updated regularly enough, I have decided to create an "orchardkeeper" web site with the same information as the blog. The new web site will be theorchardkeeper.com and will contain all of the information contained in the blog. The site should be up and running by the end of March if not sooner. See you there!!

Rain, Rain, Rain, and more Rain!

2006-05-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

I had to ask for some rainy days! Just one or two would have been fine, but it's been raining now for 4 days and could go on for 4 more. We're stuck in this low pressure formation that looks like a mini-hurricane on the radar and just keeps hovering over Lake Michigan, spinning just like a hurricane. The jetstream is in this funky pattern that keeps the low pressure just circling around the lake. And in the meantime, we can't get into the orchard to spray at a critical time. The fire blyte model keeps telling us we are in an infection period and we need to do a strep spray, but it just keeps raining. We got a good spray on about 24 hours before the rain started, and will apply another as soon as it is dry enough to get into the orchard. We should be covered for the time being since a strep spray is good for only about 72 hours. if we get a break within the next 24 hours and can get another strep spray on, we will be completely covered.

Last week I spent most of the week weeding in the peach orchard. This time of year, since we just planted about 50 or so new peach trees, we can't apply our usual Roundup spray because the new trees are not Roundup resistant yet. They need to be at least 2 years old before being introduced to Roundup. So we use roto-tillers to till the soil in the tree rows and work the weeds into the soil. Then we apply a pre-emergent, that will keep seeds from germinating and new weeds from coming up. After the trees have matured for a year, we then introduce Roundup in small quantities.

Next time I'll go over out IPM trap setting and scouting for orchard pests.

Fresh Picked Home Grown

2006-05-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

Finally a rain day! We haven't had any significant rain for over 2 weeks and I have had no time to get caught up on my office work. This weekend we finally got a couple inches of rain and it's still raining today. Good for the trees, especially the new ones, and gives me time to catch up on web work and marketing for the orchard. Speaking of marketing, we have 3 other local farms that have formed a cluster with us for marketing our products to the community. We have chosen the name "Fresh Picked Home Grown" since those are the search engine keywords that seem to be used most often to find our orchard on the internet. In conjunction with FoodRoutes.org we have planned an advertising campaign for the 2006 season that will focus on the benefits of buying local produce direct from the farmer.

Why a buy local campaign? Due to corporate pressure to "get big or get out", we have lost nearly 67% of our farms in the US since 1920. There are now more prisoners in the US than full-time farmers. We have four generations in our family living right here at Royal Oak Farm and we want to preserve our farm for those future generations. We produce one of the finest apple and peach crops in northern Illinois and want to share that product with the surrounding comminity which will in turn help sustain our farm for those future generations here and within the community.

With that said, looks like the rain has stopped and I have to get back to pruning and training. See you next time!

2006-04-24T23:02:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, I have been training our new peach trees at Royal Oak Farm Orchard to the central leader system. The trees are really starting to take shape after this year's pruning and are actually beginning to look like central leader trees as in the photo at left. The peach trees in the photo are planted on 8' centers, as opposed to a perpenducular-V system on 5' centers or open center system on 12-14' centers. One of the major advantages I am finding with the central leader system is that there is no loss of scaffolds due to canker in the scaffold crotch (where the scaffold (limb) meets the trunk). With the perpendicular-v system and the open center system, there can be scaffold loss due to the scaffold splitting away from the trunk at the crotch due to canker or winter injury. For more on the proper pruning technoques to prevent disease spread visit Pruning Peach Trees.

2006-04-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

This week is devoted to training and pruning our peach trees. At Royal Oak Farm we have around 1100 peach trees, give or take a few. I say give or take a few because we tend to lose 3 or 4 each year to disease or age. Our oldest trees were planted around 1993-94. In northern Illinois, we are getting about 10-12 years out of our peach trees and have begun to replace those older trees. We began planting the new peach trees in the spring of 2004 with around 600 trees and have added about 400 more over the spring of 2005and 2006. Those trees are now in their 1st and 2nd leaf. We are training the newer peach trees to a modified vertical axis system. It will take approximately 7 days to prune and train the 900 trees which I began doing on April 17. Since I am working with peach trees that tend to lean towards an open center, it takes some additional training to create a central leader. In my next post, I will include some before and after photos for those of you who may be interested. Until then, happy orchard keeping!

2006-04-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

In case you've wondered why no posts in the last week, here's why. Over the past 7 days, we have been planting approximately 900 new trees here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard. We had some peach trees to replace that did not survive from our 2005 spring planting. Out of some 400 trees, we lost around 40. Not too bad for peach trees in northern Illinois! We have an area in our North orchard on the west side that is prone to excessive moisture and we did lose several trees to phythopthera. Bacterial canker also took several trees. We included these diseases in our spray program and are also employing cultural practices to control them. I will cover the controls of these diseases in a later post.

We added 2 new varities of apples and expanded our Crispin and Honeycrisp varities. We now have a total of 24 varieties of apples at Royal Oak Farm Orchard.

In planting our new trees, we are shifting over to the new Vertical Axis Planting System. We are also using this same system with our 800 peach trees planted in 2004/2005. I am posting an article from Hoying and Robinson at Cornell University that will explain this system in detail.

The Vertical Axis Apple Planting System

Stephen A. Hoying & Dr. Terence L. Robinson
Cornell Cooperative Extension & Department of Horticultural
Sciences

The vertical axis planting system has recently generated interest in the Northeast because of its high productivity, high fruit quality and ease of management. Production can begin as early as the second leaf with the ability to produce more than 1000 bushels of fruit per acre by the 6th leaf. The fruit produced is of the highest quality with color, soluble solids, and size all because of good light exposure throughout the tree. It is easy and inexpensive to train and prune during the formative years. Our figures show early training and pruning costs are about 25% of that of the Slender Spindle at the same tree density and rootstock. At maturity, pruning is easy and inexpensive, a fraction of the cost of a semi-dwarf Central Leader orchard. Even though a trellis system is required to support the relatively tall narrow tree form, it is easy to erect and of moderate cost.

This system originated in France and is now used throughout the world. It and its variations are also known as the French Axe, Slender Pyramid, Triple Axe, or just plain Axe. We believe that many of the training and pruning principles gleaned from this system will become the important components of all orchards in the future.

The Vertical Axis System is based on three principles...

Principle One

Rapidly grow the tree to approximately 10 feet in height by the end of the third growing season.

This is accomplished by not heading the leader during the development years thereby growing the tree tall very quickly and preventing the development of strong upper tiers of scaffolds. The mature height of the system is determined by the choice of variety, rootstock, support system, and leader management. Mature height will rarely exceed 15 feet. In New York and the Northeast, one of the M.9 clones or B.9 is ideal for most varieties and gives a mature tree height of 10 - 12 feet. Weaker varieties can be grown successfully on Interstem or M.26. When more vigorous stocks are combined with vigorous varieties, trees are more difficult to manage.

It is necessary to install a support system soon after planting. The preferred support system is simple, relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Our recommended support system consists of a trellis with a single high wire at 7.5 ft. The wire is supported by in-lines posts 10 ft. long, 3/4 in. diameter) spaced approximately 50 ft. apart and driven 30 inches into the ground. Anchor assemblies at the ends of each row consist of an anchor post (4 - 5 in. diameter) driven 48 inches into the ground vertically and an angled (60Âº) inline post (3 - 4 in. diameter) driven 30 inches into the ground between the first and second tree. The wire is attached to the bottom of the anchor post and run over the top of the angled in-line posts and then down the row over the top of the vertical inline posts. It is attached to each post with galvanized 3/4 inch 12 gauge staples. Tension is maintained with wire tensioners in each row. Individual tree support poles (either a 10 ft. 1/2" diameter galvanized metal conduit or 10 ft. bamboo pole) are then placed by each tree and pushed into the ground 6 inches. The pole is attached to the wire and the trees are then attached to the pole with a plastic tree tie.

Careful leader management in the formative years is the key to making this a successful vertical axis tree. The leader is not headed except at planting when necessary to establish permanent scaffolds or balance the top with the root system. After this initial cut, the leader is NEVER headed. Vertical growth and early fruiting is maximized by not heading. It is important to support the rapidly growing leader by fastening it to the support stake as it grows. Rapid leader development and weak yet fruitful side branches are encouraged along the leader by stunting competitive shoots using a technique known as "Pinching". Pinching is simply the removal of the growing tip and developing leaves of all competitive shoots sprouting within 12 inches of the leader's terminal bud position at the start of the growing season. Pinching starts when competitive shoots reach 4 - 6 inches in length and is repeated as pinched shoots regrow more than 4 inches. Strongly growing varieties such as Crispin or Gala must be pinched 2 or 3 times each year during the second and third growing seasons. Weaker varieties such as Empire may only need to be pinched once each year. Since inching is only done from the ground and by hand, it can cost as little as $10 per acre per trip.

Principle Two

Use a minimum of pruning during the formative years.

Training trees to the vertical axis is based on the principle that no pruning results in greater flower bud formation and subsequent fruiting while pruning stimulates vigor and reduces flowering. Like most other systems, a minimum of four scaffolds is required. However, the more scaffolds the better. Selected scaffolds should have good crotch angles and not be more than 1/2 the diameter of the leader. Starting in the second leaf, shoots that compete with the leader are either removed or suppressed by pinching if they originate within 12 inches of the leader. The lack of heading of the leader allows rapid fruit bud formation along the leader. Vigor levels are easily managed in the tops as long as no pruning cuts are made and early and heavy cropping occur. The occasional strong competitive shoots missed during the pinching process should be completely removed during dormant pruning. Permanent bottom tier scaffold branches are spread or tied down during the second or third growing season to produce calm fruitful scaffolds appropriate for the spacing. During this formative period, it is important to spread and bend all vigorous growth rather than prune. Training rather than pruning encourages rapid filling of productive area and early fruiting. Early fruiting calms tree growth producing a balance between vegetative growth and production.

It is important that the leader be permanently tied at the top of the support stake to support the crop and maximize production. The leader is not pruned during this stage. Tree height is limited by cropping which bends and bows the leader above the support pole.

Principle Three

Renewal pruning of upper branches on mature trees will contain tree size and maintain a conic shape.

As trees mature, lower tier scaffolds are gradually thinned to 4 or 5 with proper vigor and position. Above that tier of scaffolds only smaller caliper fruiting wood is allowed to remain in the tree. When branches exceed 1 inch in diameter they are removed completely using a bevel cut. Latent or adventitious buds from this small stub sprout, producing weaker fruitful wood in its place. The leader is not pruned until fruit bends it over and weakens it. The weight of the crop above the support pole is allowed to bend and in some cases even break the leader before any pruning of the leader is done. This helps manage tree vigor in the tree top. Then the leader is pruned to an appropriate upright replacement. These fruitful branches in the upper half of the tree are only shortened by pruning if it is necessary to remove pendant portions of the branch.

By following these three principles you will be able to produce an orchard with tall narrow pillar-shaped tree with a strong dominant trunk, a permanent lower tier of scaffold branches and only weak fruiting branches arising from the trunk. The upper half of the tree will have virtually no permanent wood. In contrast to the central leader tree training system it has no permanent upper tiers of branches. These very narrow trees intercept nearly all the light available to them yet their narrow conic shape allows good light exposure even in the center of the canopy. The abundance of light ensures the production of healthy fruit buds, excellent fruit set, and near perfect fruit quality, particularly color

Simplified Training Recipe for the Vertical Axis Apple Planting System

First Leaf

At Planting...

1. Adjust graft union to 3" above soil level, tamp soil around roots.

2. Remove all scaffolds below 22" using a flush cut.

3. Trees with less than 3 feathers should be headed at 32" and all feathers removed using a bevel cut.

4. Trees with 3 or more scaffolds (10" long) should be headed 12" above the uppermost scaffold with all scaffolds headed by removing 1/3 their length.

Soon After Planting...

1. Install tree support system that will allow tree to be supported to 10 ft.

2. Attach tree to support system with a permanent tree tie above 1st tier of scaffolds leaving a 2" diameter loop to allow
for trunk growth.

1/4 - 1 inch Growth...

1. Rub off 2nd & 3rd buds below the chosen leader bud to eliminate competitors to the leader shoot.

2. Deflower tree.

2 - 4 inch Growth...

1. Attach clothespins to new side shoots to promote favorable crotch angles.

July...

1. Tie developing leader to support system with Max Tapener.

2. Remove clothespins.

Second Leaf

Dormant...

1. DO NOT HEAD THE LEADER OR PRUNE TREES.

2. If additional scaffolds are needed, score above appropriate trunk buds.

4 - 6 inch Growth...

1. Pinch lateral shoots in top 1/4 portion of last year's leader growth removing the terminal bud and 4Â5 expanding leaves of the lateral shoot.

June 15...

1. Re-pinch all lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last year's growth.

2. Tie developing leader to support system with Max Tapener.

3. Remove all fruit on 1 year old wood and hand thin remaining fruits to 6" apart.

Mid July...

1. Re-pinch vigorous lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last year's growth.

2. Tie to leader support system with a permanent tree tie at 6' height and
tie developing leader to support system with Max Tapener.

3. Tie down 4 - 5 permanent lower scaffold branches to the horizontal.

4. Position other vigorous upright shoots below the horizontal.

Third Leaf

Dormant...

1. DO NOT HEAD THE LEADER.

2. Tie down vigorous, upright limbs below the horizontal overlooked during
second summer.

4 - 6 inch Growth...

1. Pinch lateral shoots in top 1/4 portion of last year's leader growth removing the terminal bud and 4 - 5 leaves of the lateral shoot.

June 15...

1. Re-pinch all lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last year's growth.

2. Tie developing leader to support system with Max Tapener.

3. Hand thin to single fruits spaced 4" apart.

Mid July...

1. Re-pinch vigorous lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last year's growth.

2. Tie leader to support system with a permanent tree tie at 8' height and tie developing leader to support system with Max Tapener.

3. Position other vigorous upright shoots below horizontal with elastics, weights, tape, or string.

August...

1. Tie up lower scaffolds not expected to support the crop. Alternatively, do not tie up but prune back scaffolds to prevent limb breakage, and preserve tree structure.

Fourth Leaf

Dormant...

1. DO NOT HEAD THE LEADER.

2. Remove limbs that are overly vigorous.

July...

1. Position vigorous upright limbs below the horizontal with elastics, weights, tape, or string.

2. Tie leader to support system with a permanent tie at the top of the pole.

August...

1. Lightly summer prune to encourage light penetration and maintain pyramidal tree shape.

Fifth & Sixth Leaf

Dormant...

1. DO NOT HEAD THE LEADER.

2. Shorten bottom tier scaffolds where needed back to side branch to facilitate movement of equipment and preserve fruit quality on lower limbs.

3. In each year, remove one of the least desirable lower tier scaffold branches until only 4 remain.

4. Shorten branches that have become pendant back to horizontal portion of the branch.

5. Remove up to one vigorous upper scaffold limb each year to begin renewal of fruiting branches.

August...

1. Summer prune as necessary to maintain pyramidal tree shape.

Seventh Through Twentieth Leaf

Dormant...

1. Shorten bottom tier scaffolds by pruning back to side branch to facilitate
equipment movement and preserve fruit quality on lower limbs.

2. Remove and renew 1 - 2 vigorous upper scaffold limbs each year preserving all weak fruiting wood and permanent lower tier scaffolds.

3. Shorten leader down to desired height by cutting to a fruitful side branch.

August...

1. Summer prune as necessary to maintain pyramidal tree shape and encourage light penetration.

Source: Hoying & Robinson

2006-04-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

And now for a commercial message! One of the best organizations for any fruit grower to become involved with is the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX), a network of individuals throughout the United States and Canada devoted to the discovery, cultivation and appreciation of superior varieties of fruits and nuts. With over 3000 members, NAFEX includes professional pomologists, nurserymen, commercial orchardists as well as back yard orchardists, all motivated by their LOVE of fine fruit.

NAFEX members work together helping each other by sharing ideas, information, experiences, and propagating material. My involvement with NAFEX has been mostly through their e-mail list at http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex. Many great ideas are shared there on a daily basis. I would encourage any fruit grower, whether a back yard orchardist or a large commercial grower to become invloved with NAFEX. Please visit their website at http://www.nafex.org and join today.

2006-04-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

Here is our 2006 Spray Program. Keep in mind that Royal Oak Farm is in the USDA Hardiness Zone 5a and the Spray Program is specific to Royal Oak Farm and its historical IPM program. I am including the notes from our initial IPM meeting with John Aue of Threshold IPM Services who assists us with our scouting and spraying program. John can be reached at jgaue@mwt.net and is involved with the Wisconsin Eco-apple Project, a collaboration between the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association(WAGA), the University of Wisconsin Extension and the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems(CIAS). Since Royal Oak Farm is only 2 miles south of the Wisconsin state line, we make more use of the resources available to us from the University of Wisconsin Extension than we do from the University of Illinois Extension.

We identified some potential problems for the 2006 growing season. The list follows, with no attempt to prioritize:

1. Short Storage Life, Fruit-Drop:
- Retain to be applied to the following varieties (This list may not be inclusive): OzarkGold, Jonafree, Liberty, Redfree

It is my opinion Redfree storage-life is insufficient under ideal conditions to
economically justify the cost of Retain. If this variety is capable of being
pressed, however, your net return on the cider may be sufficient to justify its use.

From a sustainability standpoint, there may be a second justification for applying
Retain on this variety. It is known that apple maggots prefer apple varieties that
ripen early, soften quickly, and suffer significant drop-loss. Redfree therefore, is a
prime host for this species. If we intend to reduce our reliance on the organo-
phosphate insecticides such as Imidan, control sprays for apple maggot will cost
substantially more (material cost increases range from 30%-125% more than
Imidan). If we have persistent apple maggot pressure from within the orchard
stemming from dropped, early fruit, the cost of cost/benefit ratio of Retain improves.

- Calcium sprays (as Calcium Chloride) will be applied post bloom. We did not
discuss amounts per tank, or frequency.
Obviously, the application of this nutrient is aimed strictly at increasing the
storage life; it does not play a significant role in abscission.

2. Thinning: The following varieties need to be monitored for fruit set, and appropriate
thinning methods used if necessary to prevent induction of biennial bearing, and to
increase fruit size:

- Jonafree (Mark)
- Senshu
- JonaMac/Mac (Mark)
- Gala
- Empire (Mark)
- Ultragold (Mark)
- Goldrush
- Braeburn

- Peaches

I would greatly prefer to avoid the use of carbaryl (Sevin) as a thinner because of its non-target effects (beneficial mortality). I realize however, its utility and economy, used @ the 0.5 lb.-1.0 lb. /Acre rate either alone or in conjunction with NAA. Where possible, I would recommend NAA alone (not possible with some varieties), and the use of Accel or Maxcel wherever possible.

3. Excessive vegetative growth:
Problems associated with this include greater susceptibility to fireblight, possible reductions in fruit-bud formation in some varieties, and poor coloring conditions at harvest..
We should avoid nitrogen application to all but the non-bearing portions of the orchard. Other nutrients such as foliar applied boron, zinc, manganese, would reflect leaf tissue analysis. I can help you decide per acre rates and timing if you’d like. Apogee will be used on a small scale (Jonafree 0n MM7).
Soil pH is higher than desired throughout orchard, excessive in some spots where raspberries or pumpkins were grown (I’m not sure I noted that correctly). Avoidance of soil amendments containing the carbonate ion (chiefly lime), and rather employing amendments containing calcium and/or sulfur (calcium sulfate, calcium nitrate., etc.) would gradually acidify the soil. I would recommend a series of soil probes for pH testing, breaking the probes into various depths (e.g. 0-3”, 3-6”, 6-9”). I would be interested if manure, etc amendments over the years that may have raised the pH have done so throughout the active root zone. I am hoping that this is not the case.

4. Orchard Sprayer: New pump last year, calibration should precede season.
Throughout year, Paul will test water pH with each tank and note the result in the
spray record.

5. New weather station: We discussed the orchard needs; determined that the data
logger with two inputs was sufficient.

6. Diseases:
Apple scab – will attempt to mow 2005 leaf debris very finely, after prunings have been chopped. This is particularly important in scab susceptible varieties.
Fireblight – Will apply copper (either as COCS or CuOH – the choice is solely economic) at budbreak. We will discuss rate when copper product has been determined.
Compare the price of Regulaid per pint with Streptomycin per pound. Should have enough product purchased to apply to the entire orchard one application of either 2 lbs/acre Strep or 1 lb Strep combined with 1 pint Regulaid.

7. Insects: Major problem with codling moth. Paul and Dennis will assume
responsibility for pheromone trapping this species with my assistance. We will also
trap Oriental Fruitmoth and Lesser Appleworm. Insecticide timing is critical with codling moth.

PROPOSED SPRAY PROGRAM
2006 Royal Oak Farm Orchard

Similar to last year’s program, the recommendations concentrate fungicide applications in the early season, coinciding with the release of Venturia inequalis (Apple Scab) ascospores. After this “primary scab“ release period, field readings will be made for primary scab lesions on leaves and fruit, and on which we will base our fungicide requirements for the remainder of the season. For this reason, as well as weather unknowns, the total fungicide demand for 2006 listed below is only an estimate.

Insect and Mite controls will be targeted as noted below.
Based on 2005 field observations, the primary insect concerns are Codling Moth(CM), Plum Curculio(PC), and San Jose Scale(SJS). Additionally, Oriental Fruit Moth and Lesser Appleworm may have been responsible for some CM-like fruit damage, and will be monitored.
Arthropods that did not cause economic damage last year, but require scouting based on orchard history include: Spotted Tentiform Leafminer(STLM), Wooly Apple Aphids(WAA),, and Potato and White Apple Leafhoppers(PLH and WALH).

Additional possible insect problems indicated below are (in order of their mention): Green Fruitworm (GFW), Oblique-Banded Leafroller(OBLR), Red-banded Leafroller (RBLR), White-Marked Tussock Moth(WMTM), Tarnished PlantBug(TPB).

Special Peach Spray – Dormant
For Peach Leaf Curl: or Kocide @ 8 lbs./Acre, or Champ
@5.5 pts/Acre (This spray needs to be applied before bud swell.)

Apple Spray no.1 – Silver-tip
For Fireblight: Kocide @8 -10 lbs./Acre, or Champ (@5.5 -6.5 pts/Acre
Apply orchard-wide to all scab susceptible varieties, as well as any scab-immune varieties with fireblight susceptibility. Since copper containing compounds exert some control on the scab fungus, this approach could take the place of the Green-tip application.

Green-tip to Quarter Inch Green: Captan @5lbs./Acre, or 2.5 lbs/acre each of captan
and an EBDC.
This and most of the following fungicide applications will be applied only
to the scab susceptible portion of the orchard. They may also be applied in
a split-application, applying to alternate rows at 3-4 day intervals.

Half-inch Green: EBDC @ 3.0 lbs./Acre. Possibly tank mixed with 5 oz/acre Nova,
weather dependant.

Oil @ 4-5 gals./acre applied with 90-100 gals water / acre.
Application to be made between green-tip and full pink, with high
temperatures in the 70s or 80s(F).

Tight Cluster/ Pink: EBDC @ 3.0lbs./Acre, with an option of either 5-8oz Nova/Acre,
or 2 oz/acre Flint to be tank-mixed.

Bloom: EBDC @ 3 lbs./Acre, plus Flint @2oz/Acre

- Bloom – Special spray: Streptomycin @ 2lbs./Acre on fireblight sensitive varieties.The
2 lb. rate may be halved if 1 pt Regulaid /Acre is included. Also this
spray needs to be applied only as fireblight-favorable conditions
dictate.

Petal-fall: EBDC and Captan, each @ 2.5 lbs/acre, with the option of only one of those,
tank-mixed with Flint or Nova at above rates (decision to be
weather-based).
Insecticide: Imidan @ 3 lbs/Acre applied to perimeter only for PC control.
Insecticide: If necessary, Avaunt to be applied to PC “hotspots”.

First Cover: EBDC and Captan, each @ 2.5 lbs/acre.
Insecticide: [Possible application-decision will be based on scouting results]
Assail @ 2.5 oz/acre for control of CM, PC, STLM, WALH.

Following First Cover we will spray according to weather and pest needs.
- Assume we will use approximately 12 lbs Captan per scab susceptible acre for the
remainder of the season.
- Assume 2 complete applications of Imidan @ 2 lbs/Acre (6 lbs per acre total) for codling moth and apple maggot for the remainder of the season, and one additional application of Assail at 2.5 oz/acre for CM and PC control.
- Assume one application of Flint @ 2oz/Acre in late July for control of summer
diseases (sooty blotch and flyspeck).
This program assumes some bio-control of secondary pests such as STLM, ERM, SJS, and WAA. If the control exerted by the beneficial populations is insufficient, additional applications of insecticides or miticides may be needed.

2006-04-08T15:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Orchard Keeper blog, the blog for those who manage or work in an orchard or agritourism farm. It's not easy being an orchard keeper, but you are not alone. As an orchard keeper we do some or all of the following:

decide which crops will be grown
hire and train workers
prepare soil for planting
plant, prune and weed the orchard
spray, dust and water crops
pick, grade and pack the produce in cases, cartons or bags
transport and market the produce
sell the produce to retailers or independently
maintain and repair machinery, fences and irrigation systems

In other words, we have to be a jack of all trades. Not an easy task. We have to be be patient, practical and self-motivated. We also Have to be well-organized and able to motivate other people. But who motivates us?

Well, let me say right up front that our motivation comes from the Lord and our family. I do it for Him and them. Here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard, every family member has dedicated their life to Jesus and He is our foundation from which we build everything. Jesus said:

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me." NAS John 15:1-4

Jesus makes many statements about being an Orchard Keeper and whether we realize it or not, we follow many of the practices in our orchard that He follows with us. When we have diseased branches in trees we prune them out of the tree so they won't infect the remainder of the tree and then we burn them so the disease will not spread to other trees in the orchard. Jesus said:

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. NAS John 15:5-8

No, this is not a sermon, but a brief exposition on how we look at being orchard keepers here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard and lays the foundation for what we do here and why we do it.

Now with that said, let me tell you a bit about our family. There are 4 generations in our family living right here on the orchard property and we are very family oriented. It is our mission at Royal Oak Farm Orchard to spread the Gospel Of Jesus while at the same time providing a place where families can go for good, wholesome family entertainment. Visit our web site at http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com and you will see what I mean.

Here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard, we grow apples, peaches, apricots, plums, pears, raspberries, pumpkins and gourds among a few other crops. Our specialties are apples, peaches and raspberries. We have over 11,000 apples trees, 1,000 peach trees and 5,000 raspberry bushes. There are 3 orchard keepers here, my father-in-law, my son and myself, each specializing in a specific crop while assisitng the others with their crops. My responsibilites are peaches, apples are my father-in-laws and raspberries are my son's.

At Royal Oak Farm Orchard we use an approach called Integrated Pest management (IPM) to minimize the insect and disease damage to our fruit. IPM utilizes a combination of biological, natural, and cultural controls to keep applications of chemical controls to a minimum. We employ a professional entomologist to monitor a number of species of insects and mites in our orchard, including beneficial species (predators and parasites of pest species). Often there are enough beneficials to control the pest(s) without spraying. On other occasions we can use traps to catch pest species as they enter the orchard, or determine from the traps that there are too few of the pest to cause serious damage to the trees or fruit.

A weather station in the orchard tracks temperature, rainfall, and humidity from March through September, and we use this information to monitor the progress and severity of various diseases that can attack our fruit.

All these efforts make it possible to apply chemical controls only a few times each season when they are truly required, and we have made it a policy to always use the most environmentally friendly materials available. The good health of our bees located all around the orchard is a testament to our insect and disease management strategy.

At Royal Oak Farm we are proud of the quality of the fruit we grow, and equally proud that through our monitoring efforts and the use of Integrated Pest Management procedures we need apply so few sprays to grow excellent products.

All future posts will reflect our use of IPM and the next post will cover our IPM Spray Program for 2006.