2025 UMass cranberry management update meeting, 2024 research highlights, and newsletter signup form
2025 UMass Cranberry Management Update Meeting
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Registration fee is $60 per person
4 pesticide credits are available
This will be a hybrid meeting; you can choose to join via Zoom or in-person. Meeting will be held in the AD Makepeace Meeting Room, at the UMass Cranberry Station. In-person seating may fill up fast due to room capacity allowance. Please return the meeting form as soon as possible to get your preferred attendance choice.
UPDATED TENTATIVE AGENDA
7:30 Check in starts, in-person coffee chat
7:40 Zoom Info Starts – Marty Sylvia
7:50 Station Update – Peter Jeranyama
8:00 INSECTS – Marty Sylvia (credits)
Cranberry Weevil, War on the Hemiptera (Vaccinium scale, Black Bug, Toad Bug and Leaf Hopper)
8:50 DISEASES – Leela Uppala and Salisu Sulley (credits)
Cranberry Fruit Rot Management, Phytophthora Root Rot
9:45 Coffee and Stretch Break
10:00 Guest Speaker: Latest Genetic Research in Cranberry, Juan Zalapa, USDA, WI (credits)
10:45 New Cultivar Evaluation Update – Giverson Mupambi
11:00 WEEDS– Katie Ghantous (credits)
Fireweed, Grass, and other weed management updates, plus Pesticide News
12-1 Lunch Break on your own: Zoom takes a break, in-person may want to bring your lunch!
1:00 Grower Panel: New Plantings Tips
Ag Innovation Grants – Brian Wick
1:40 Phosphorous and Nitrogen Fertilizer - Peter Jeranyama
2:00 Growth Stages and Spring Frost Forecasting - Sandeep Bhatti
2:15 USDA Update
Ongoing UAV Research – Remote Sensing and Fertilizer Applications – Dave Millar
Tail Water Recovery to Enhance Water Quantity and Quality – Casey Kennedy
3:00 Drone Update from the industry
News from the Weed/IPM Lab
by Katie Ghantous with support from Krystal DeMoranville
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 CRANBERRY WEED/IPM PROGRAM
Research Highlights:
Exploring management options for an emerging weed issue. Pest issues can wax and wane over time. Some weeds that have been present on bogs for decades but were not particularly problematic can suddenly begin to spread and become challenging to manage. Fireweed (aka American burn weed; Erechtites hieraciifolius) is an annual weed that has historically only been an issue on new plantings or areas with weak vines. In recent years, increasing numbers of growers have reported this weed occurring in mature plantings with closed canopies. Adequate management will require preemergence control to prevent seeds from establishing along with postemergence management of adult plants to prevent seed production. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate a suite of seven herbicides for preemergence efficacy (preventing seedling germination/establishment), and two different postemergence herbicides applied at different plant growth stages. We successfully identified both preemergence and postemergence options and will create new recommendations based on these studies. We are also planning additional studies to better understand the biology to better time controls.
Alternative to glyphosate for woody weed management. In 2022, we identified a promising herbicide used in non-food systems for woody weed management in a pilot study. In 2023 we studied potential use patterns by wiper application to maximize crop safety testing multiple application timings, including to dormant weeds on dormant beds. We continued this work in 2024, working with the registrant (Corteva) to select the correct formulation and refine the rate. Corteva is asking for additional efficacy and crop safety data before they will consider registering this product for cranberry use, so we plan to work with them again to generate the necessary data.
Establishing best use patterns for a soon-to-be registered herbicide. We are anticipating that a novel herbicide will be registered for use in cranberry in the next year or two. In order to be prepared for a new product, we are exploring different use patterns (timings, rates, moss species it can control, etc.) to develop recommendations for MA growers.
News from the Physiology/Fruit Quality Lab
by Giverson Mupambi with support from Krystal DeMoranville, Manu Priya, and Brian Makeredza
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 CRANBERRY PHYSIOLOGY/FRUIT QUALITY PROGRAM
Research Highlights:
Evaluation of new hybrid cultivars with improved disease resistance, fruit quality and yield: We entered the fourth year of our new cultivar evaluation trial to increase the profitability and sustainability of the
Massachusetts cranberry industry. The project will benefit growers by providing reliable information on yield performance, disease susceptibility, and fruit quality of new hybrid cultivars under our growing conditions. Growers can then make informed choices when renovating their cranberry bogs.
Yield: In year 4, Mullica Queen® was the best-performing cultivar. It produced 522 barrels per acre. Haines®, Ruby Star®, and Badgers also did very well, producing over 450 barrels per acre. Four cultivars produced less than 300 barrels per acre; these were Scarlet Kight®, HyRed®, Crimson King, and Pilgrim King.
Fruit rot incidence:The fruit rot observed in the study should take into consideration that (1) it tends to be high in newly planted bogs that do not have fully developed canopies, (2) it is challenging to optimize fungicide application on the same bog where you have different stages of phenology and (3) we harvest all cultivars at once,
some of the cultivars may have been overripe. Results for fruit rot incidence were variable. Some cultivars like HyRed®, Welker™, Vassana®, Ruby Star®, and Haines® had reduced fruit incidence in Year 4 compared to Year 3. The highest fruit rot incidence was observed in Pilgrim King and Crimson King, which also had the lowest yields of marketable fruits when rotten fruit was removed.
Fruit color: As of October 11, 2024, all the cultivars had TAcy values above 20, which is above the minimum required for harvest when using TAcy as a standard. The best color was observed in Scarlet Knight® and Crimson King. As of the 26th of September, after the opening of the receiving station, only Sundance®, Badgers, and Granite Red could not be delivered due to low TAcy.
News from the Pathology Lab
by Leela Uppala with support from Salisu Sulley, Krystal DeMoranville, Ethan Gioscia and Anna Erickson
SECLECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 CRANBERRY PATHOLOGY PROGRAM
Research Highlights:
Investigated ecosystem-specific CFR fungi dynamics over two growing seasons using multiplex PCR across conventional, organic, and wild cranberry bogs.
All 11 CFR pathogens were detected across ecosystems, except Phomopsis vaccinii, which was absent in organic bogs in both years.
Key pathogens (Coleophoma empetri, Allantophomopsis cytisporea, Botryosphaeria vaccinii, Physalospora vaccinii) were consistently present across all ecosystems and years.
Wild bogs exhibited greater fungal carryover than organic and conventional bogs.
C. empetri, B. vaccinii, and Glomerellaceae fungi showed high persistence across all ecosystems. Colletotrichum spp. were more abundant in conventional bogs but appeared inconsistently in organic and wild bogs.
Botryosphaeria vaccinii declined, Physalospora vaccinii increased across all bog types.
Collaborated with the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association (CCCGA) to complete a three-year study of 23 SE MA bogs, identifying factors influencing fruit rot and quality. Findings will be presented at the Cranberry Station’s Annual Winter Meeting.
Progressing on identifying critical criteria for late water flooding in cranberry production. A decision-making model is expected to be available to growers by April 2025.
A study on Phytophthora species causing root rot diseases in Massachusetts has been initiated.
Continued efforts to expand the CFR management toolbox by evaluating fungicides from FRAC groups 2, 7, 3&7, 3&9, 3&11, 7&12, 9&12, as well as coppers and biological products.
As part of a multidisciplinary, multistate SCRI-funded project, characterized CFR fungi across developmental stages, established baseline fungicide sensitivities, monitored resistance emergence, and assessed fungicide impacts under heat stress conditions.
News from the Plant Physiology and Nutrition Lab
by Peter Jeranyama with support from Sandeep Bhatti and Brian Makeredza
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 CRANBERRY PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION PROGRAM
Research Highlights:
Characterizing changes in cranberry phenology from 1958 to 2022: Implications for spring frost protection in Massachusetts, United States. Rising air temperatures have accelerated the development of most plants. This study investigated whether the trend of advanced development also exists in cranberry plants during spring. Long-term observations of cranberry bud stages at the University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station from 1958-2022 were used to determine the changes in phenology of cranberries over a period of 65 years. Additionally, growing degree days (GDD) as a function of air temperature were used to explain and study the phenology trends for the entire cranberry growing region of southeastern Massachusetts. After implementing the linear regression analysis to the field data, it was found that the three cranberry bud stages were occurring about 3 weeks earlier in the spring than 65 years ago (Figure 1). The trend of earlier development was found to be significant at the 99% level using the Mann-Kendall test. The trend of earlier bud development was also confirmed by the GDD data which indicated an advanced of over 2 weeks for the region. These findings highlight the need for updated frost forecasting methods which account for the new growth schedule of cranberries and changing climatic conditions.
Advancing spring frost forecasting for agricultural crops: A case study in cranberries from Massachusetts, United States. Frost protection is critical to the sustainability of cranberry production. Accurate frost forecasting helps growers prepare for frost events and implement timely frost protection measures. A frost warning based on Franklin formulas developed in 1943 is currently used for cranberries in Massachusetts, and it seems to work, but its replete with a high percentage of false positives which have a bearing on the opportunity cost and sustainability. This study aimed at developing an accurate frost forecasting system that includes current trends in weather patterns. The new forecasting method used random forest machine learning model which included various weather, site, and geographic predictors. The error in prediction for Franklin formulas (RMSE = 15.4°F) was much larger as compared to the developed model (RMSE = 4.8°F). The random forest model was able to reduce false alarms by ~72% when compared with the current system (Table 1). The new model had larger number of missed frost events (10) compared to the Franklin formulas (5). The significant reduction in false alarms will enhance grower trust in the model as a reliable tool for making informed decisions about frost protection strategies. Future work will involve improving the forecasting model and developing a web-based or mobile application that allows growers to input their site characteristics and receive tailored frost forecasts.
Nitrogen fertilizer effect on cranberry fruit quality. Premium prices are paid for fruit quality ranking high in berry firmness, total anthocyanins (Tacy), and low fruit rot. Nitrogen (N) is the most important element that influences both vegetative growth and fruiting in cranberry production. While many factors such as cultivar, age and vigor of vines are important, soil fertility is one of the most important factors impacting yield and fruit quality. Nitrogen fertilizer rates have been determined for the first-generation hybrids such as ‘Stevens’ (ST), with emphasis on yield. Recommendations on fruit quality, particularly for the second-generation hybrids such as ‘Mullica Queen’ (MQ), ‘Crimson Queen’ (CQ) and ’DeMoranville’ (DeM) are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N rates on the fruit quality of second-generation hybrids. Fertilizer N rates were applied at 45, 67, 90 and 114 kg ha-1 in each cultivar. Our results showed an increase in fruit rot and a reduction in fruit firmness with an increase in N rates (Figure 2). Cultivar MQ and DeM were firmer than ST and CQ. Higher N rates resulted in a lower brix content for MQ, DeM and ST but the effect on CQ was not clear. Titratable acidity (TA) was not affected by N levels, but CQ and ST had the highest and lowest TA respectively. The highest N level increased total anthocyanins (TAcy) in all cultivars except ST. Our results suggest that exceeding N levels beyond 45 kg ha-1 reduces fruit quality. In addition, the excessive N rates predisposed the fruit to cranberry fruit rot.
News from the Extension Education and Entomology Lab
by Marty Sylvia (and Anne Averill retired October 2024(
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 EXTENSION EDUCATION/ENTOMOLOGY PROGRAM
Extension Education:
- Organized two Entomology Clinics in May, which were well received by growers. Provided information on spring outbreak pests, including lab time for participants (38, 39 attendees) using microscopes and our new large monitor hook-up to see the small-bodied insects.
- Organized and presented at: January Research Update (221 attendees), April Pesticide Safety (65 attendees), and Respirator Training through CCCGA (49 attendees), 4 session WPS Handler training (45 total attendees).
- Consulted with 120 growers on insect-related issues (cranberry weevil, cranberry scale, black bug and leafhoppers) on phone, email and in-person including 37 bog visits and diagnostics on 53 samples.
- Issued ten Zone II Groundwater letters.
- Helped five growers with MDAR Disaster Relief Application.
- Wrote six Crop Insurance Letters supporting grower claims, worked with RCIS to verify conditions.
- Rewrote all the questions for the Pesticide Exam. Edited the manual (March 2024).
- Worked with 50 growers for online state pesticide audits and renewal of pesticide certification.
- Tutored 10 growers to pass the cranberry exam.
- Consulted on aerial exam for drone operators.
- Assisted 25 growers in transition to online state pesticide use reporting.
- Ran six workshops for credit for UMass Pesticide Education for all pesticide applicator categories (core, turf, landscape, shade tree, general pest control, etc.) (Nov 2024) (750 attendees).
Surveys:
- Cranberry Black Bug Survey (Plagiognathus repetitus ): 25 sites monitored, grower samples examined in lab. Documented crop loss resulted from infestation. Effective treatment, Assail (acetamiprid), identified as management option.
- Blunt-Nosed Leafhopper/False Blossom Survey: Leafhopper (Limottetix vaccinii) was found commonly in association with Black Bug. No False Blossom was recorded (except the one site in Halifax). ID was always funky flower, caused by a different pathogen.
- Cranberry Weevil populations were monitored. Very early season levels, with high numbers already recorded by May 15. Super hybrids had weevil grub development by mid-June, verifying the problematic early emergence.
Research:
- Scale insect biocontrol using an entomopathogenic (insect-killing) fungus. A “Cranberry Cordyceps” fungus was identified and isolated from infected scales. Using an inoculum solution, field infestations of cranberry scale at three sites were successfully treated. We are attempting DNA analysis of the fungus.
- Pollinator health - Bumble bee colony health was assessed in commercial bogs (7 sites) by deploying commercial colonies. Colonies flourished at all sites except one, which was treated with Diazinon just before bloom (high levels found in pollen). Bravo, thought by other researchers to be problematic, did not affect colony growth, even when high levels were detected via pollen analysis.
- Bumble bee diversity study- Our long-term survey shows collapse in bumble bees species diversity. Three threatened species are commonly misidentified when using morphological features. To confirm our IDs of rare species 300 specimens from 2008-2019 were submitted for identification using DNA analysis. Our large, curated collection of native bees will be important for future researchers.
- Pesticides in cranberry pollen - We analyzed an earlier data set. Here, we had collected pollen from honeybees foraging at 33 different bog sites over two years. We gathered grower records of pesticide applications at many of the sites and compared what pesticides were detected in the matching pollen analysis. We also analyzed decay rates of seven key pesticides, two are shown below.