Extension Fruit Program Research Projects

An summary of commercial fruit production in Massachusetts and how UMass Fruit Extension works to address fruit grower needs...

Hard cider has long been enjoyed here in New England. After a brief hiatus in popularity, it has made a significant comeback. This gives apple growers in the region a new marekting aopportunity. However, there is still a lack of knowledge around which apple cultivars for cider grow best in this region. This project is desined to gain insight onto six different apple cultivars grown specifically for cider production; from growth habits to best harvest timing all the way down the line to the finished fermented product and how it is recieved by consumers. 

Dr. Maria Gannett (Extension Weed Specialist) and Matthew Bley (Extension Educator) have been awarded funding from the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Horticultural Research Fund. Quinstar 4L has been demonstrated to provide excellent control of bindweeds on the West coast and Chateau EZ is a new formulation of Chateau SW, which will be phased out of production in the coming years. Their project aims to document the field efficacy of these pre-emergent herbicides, Quinstar 4L and Chateau EZ, at different rates. They also will also investigate the benefits of nitrification inhibitors when applied with standard ammonia fertilizers. Since ammonia is blueberry’s preferred form of nitrogen, by slowing the process of nitrification we hypothesize that weed pressure will be reduced as off-target fertilization is reduced. Their work at the Cold Spring Orchard will evaluate these different controls in combination with one another to develop season-long weed management recommendations.

This project seeks to develop a permanent trap cropping system involving grafting selected perimeter-row trees with six pest-attractive apple cultivars. In 2018, over 100 trees were grafted with 6 cultivars each at 11 orchards in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Those cultivars were selected based on grower input and published information. Apple cultivars were compared by measuring their attractiveness to plum curculio, a key economic pest. PC injury, ovipositional scars, were recorded to determine whether particular apple cultivars are more susceptible to PC than others based on fruit injury levels.

This applied research project aims at evaluating trap cropping in association with the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) pheromone and insecticide-treated netting as a potential IPM tool to manage this invasive pest, particularly near crop harvest. In Massachusetts and other New England states, BMSB is affecting the fruit industry. Fruit growers face tough choices about protecting crops from BMSB near harvest, when pest populations are higher. Broad-spectrum insecticides are effective but also kill beneficial insects and some materials cannot be applied near harvest. Our main research goal is to pull stink bugs to the trap crop areas where they can be killed, away from the cash crop. In year 1, we will quantify BMSB response to sunflower and buckwheat combinations either, alone or in association with the BMSB pheromone. In year 2, we will select the most effective treatment and will assess the effectiveness of this approach at managing BMSB in commercial orchards.

Massachusetts is on high alert for the potential invasion of the spotted lanternfly (SLF). Specialty crop producers are dealing with increased pressure from the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive pest that has become established and is already causing economic injury in hotspots throughout the state. Two University of Massachusetts Extension programs (the Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry Program and the Fruit Program), the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and the Department of Environmental Conservation are joining forces to monitor for SLF in MA, to conduct Extension/outreach on both invasive pests, and to conduct applied research aimed at (1) identifying attractive lures for SLF and (2) monitoring for the Samurai wasp, an egg parasitoid of the BMSB. This information is important given the potential implementation of biological control of BMSB in agricultural areas while potentially reducing urban and suburban home invasions of BMSB. 

College graduates with expertise in food, agriculture, urban agriculture, renewable natural resources, and the environment are essential in securing our food and energy supply. There is a need to train students with diverse ethnic social, and cultural backgrounds in research and Extension to provide them with better job opportunities. This project is four summer internships at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where students will learn about state Extensions and agricultural sciences. Throughout the program, student interns will evaluate perennial cropping systems, analyze soil health, monitor pests and diseases, and manage automated weather stations, among other activities. Designing and delivering oral presentations will also allow interns to develop their communication skills, especially regarding the translation of science for public use.

Today’s consumers process a lot of information when selecting food products, using sustainability as a decision criterion, and coordination mechanisms for collective action organizations for new sustainability standards and practices need to be explored. The proposed project aims to investigate the adoption of sustainable business practices among Western Massachusetts wine producers and the social and environmental factors that may impede the adoption of these practices. The project will collect qualitative data through interviews with local wine producers and industry representatives. The overarching questions that will guide this research include the legitimization of claims of sustainable food production, awareness of existing sustainable practices in wine production, the role of collective action organizations in the adoption of sustainable business practices, grape growing practices with respect to sustainable land use, and environmental planning and policy dimensions that impact local viticulture in terms of regional economic development.

Honeycrisp is one of the most popular and profitable apples grown in the United States. However, it does have a plethora of problems that make this apple difficult and expensive to grow. One of the most serious and prevalent problems on Honeycrisp is the development of the disorder bitter pit. Corky areas appear on the fruit surface on fruit and their appearance disqualifies afflicted fruit from being brought to fresh fruit markets. Recent work by scientists from Michigan State University have shown that several foliar applications of NAA and ABA early in fruit development may mitigate this problem, but details and confirmation are lacking. This project is to test the effectiveness of NAA and ABA in reducing bitter pit on Honeycrisp apples growing at the UMass Cold Spring Orchard. 

A modern, pedestrian apple orchard system(s) comparison using a disease-resistant rootstock (Geneva 11) and variety (Crimson Crisp) was planted in 2022 at the UMass Orchard. The multi-leader systems comparison includes super-spindle (single leader), bi-leader, and multi-leader cordon. Annual data collection to include fruit quality and yield as well as casual observation of training systems differences.