New England Vegetable and Berry Growers’ Association 613th Meeting

There is a $20 registration fee, which is waived for members of NEV&BGA. Lunch buffet is an additional $30.

To register, please RSVP online at nevbga.org or secretary[at]nevbga[dot]org by January 30th

9:00    Registration

9:30    Sweet Corn Pest Management and Future Projects at UMass. Ali Shokoohi is an IPM Specialist & Entomologist on the UMass Vegetable Team. Ali will present on updated pest control tools of sweet corn and the future of sweet corn research at UMass.

10:15 Current Projects, Future Aspirations, and Industry Trends from The UNH Cucurbit Breeding Lab - Dr. Chris Hernandez is an Assistant Professor of Plant Breeding at UNH, and is the leader of the cucurbit breeding and genetics program. He will present on cutting edge results from ongoing research, discuss future breeding program projects and goals, and have a discussion about market and industry trends of fall ornamentals and winter squash.

11:00 Wacky Winters: Straw Mulch & Row Cover Timing for Strawberries - Dr. Ed Durner, is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University. His research involves the flowering physiology of strawberries and developing goldenberries as a new crop for North America. Dr. Durner will discuss the importance of timing strawberry covering methods in a time of unpredictable climate conditions.

Noon  LUNCH & Commercial Member introductions, extension updates, NEVBGA updates

1:00    Insuring your most valuable asset - your crop - Colleen Kisselburgh of Arthur Carroll Insurance Agency will discuss updated information on current crop insurance offerings and how to make them work best for your operation.

1:45    Biology of Weed Seedbank Management - Dr. Maria Gannett is a Weed Specialist on the UMass Extension Vegetable Team. Dr. Gannett will discuss weed-biology including seed production, dormancy, germination requirements, seed half-life and how to implement strategies to reduce the seedbank including cultivation, cover cropping, and crop rotation.

2:30    What your soil test tells me: Insight from an expert - Dr. Sam Corcoran, Lab Manager for the UMass Soil Lab. The UMass lab sends out 13,000 routine soil test reports each year. Every single test report is reviewed by the lab manager or senior technician before the results are sent as part of our quality control system. This session will give you insight into what we can see and understand about your unique soil from a 30 second assessment".

3:15    Adjourn

**3 Pesticide recertification credits has been approved for ANY PRIVATE CATEGORY, 33, CORE & Dealer at the completion of this meeting **

Commercial members are welcome to put up table-top displays.