Ross: Thanks for the info. Rendleman Orchard in S. Illinois and I have been discussing the Apogee concept, but will sure try the Ethrel. I have not talked with your brother Dave, as I suspect he is as despondent as my Illinois and Missouri growers. Hope retirement is great. Chris Doll -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 8:26 PM Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: Frozen Easter and 2008 pruning problem
Even though, I am retired from Virginia Tech, this might be a subject your readers might like to pursue. I woke up this morning (about 5 am) thinking of the freeze out in southern Indiana, and the huge pruning job facing my brother, David, at Applacres in 2007-2008. It occurred to me that there are a few things that might make sense with a complete freeze out in 2007 where vigors tree growth will likely be a huge problem in 2008 (close plantings, vigors rootstocks, no crop or very little). In one experiment some years ago, we used 6 reduced rate Apogee (63ppm) +Ethephon (135ppm) + NH3S04 + Choice (a surfactant /penetrant) applications starting at petal fall about 3 week apart . Tree growth (as shoot length of the longest shoots) was reduced to less than 60% of the Controls. Although we did not measure effects on shorting shoots, shoot length and shoot weights were likely much greater. The research paper has been going from editor to editor for over 2 years now and I really do not know the status of it. Publishing is not now on my short list of things to do. The Ethephon reduces the cost of the plant growth regulator combination , and the ethephon has a longer lasting effect on reducing shoot growth than Apogee, but it increases flowering and will cause thinning of fruit above the 135 ppm level with some cultivars. Higher rates of ethephon will have a dramatic effect on shoot growth at increasing rates so if thinning is not an issue (due to the loss of crop) 270 ppm or higher rates might be used in this combination. To further reduce the cost Ethephon might be used alone . The reduced crop trees will flower heavily next year anyway, but Ethephon will further increase flowering so early fruit thinning will be a must in 2008. (Gibberellins can not overcome the increased flowering and will increase shoot growth so that approach will not work, in my opinion in a low crop situation). I have some photographs of the retarding effect of Ethephon + Apogee and will try to post them later. If vigors tree growth after a freeze is a subject that is of interest to you, be aware I do not check e-mail every 10 min anymore due to all the spam. I check more like every 3 weeks and I also expect to be changing my email address soon. At 11:09 AM 4/11/07 -0400, you wrote: >At our research farm near Winchester, VA our low Sunday morning was >26. Lows >the previous nights were 29 and 27. There was some wind each of >those nights. >The most advanced cultivars, such as Idared and Red >Delicious, were showing >some early pink at the higher elevations, but were >not yet at open cluster. >Peaches were near full bloom. > >I see damage to some king bloom of earlier cultivars, but at this point >would >say there is still the potential for a full crop of apples on our >trees. The >peaches still have enough live flowers to make a full crop, but >I will >reserve judgment on them because I think the miserable pollination/ >fruit set >conditions might be as much of a factor as the freeze in final >fruit set in >our situation. > >Yesterday we visited an orchard in central Virginia, south of >>Charlottesville, which also has the potential for a full crop in spite of >>cold and windburn on petals of open bloom and flower cluster leaves. > >Reports from farther south in Virginia are generally less optimistic, with >>colder temperatures and more advanced bud stage than we had in the >>Winchester area. I am reminding those who are more pessimistic of a >>situation I observed some years ago where Golden Delicious trees responded >>to an apparent frost wipe-out with stimulated shoot tip bloom about two >>weeks later that developed into a good crop! > >Keith Yoder >Research and Extension Tree Fruit Pathologist >Va. Tech Ag. Research and Extension Center >595 Laurel Grove Road >Winchester, VA 22602 > >At 05:17 PM 4/10/2007 -0400, you wrote: >>A week ago we were setting record highs in the mid 70s and apricots were in >>full bloom. Frigid weather arrived on Wednesday with snow and highs near >>freezing for the next four days. We had low temps in lower 20's with a wind >>for 6, 8 and 12 hours on successive days. Lows near 20 occurred on Friday >>and Saturday mornings. Low temperatures were a few degrees higher close to >>Lake Michigan and the extreme cold did not last as long so they fared better >>but away from the Lake we got hit hard. We are not wiped out but many fruit >>crops were damaged by the freeze. It seems obvious to me that the entire >>eastern half of the nation has been hit hard and that fruit crops here in >>the east will be scarce, and a lot of growers will be looking to supplement >>their income. >> >>Does anyone south of Michigan have any fruit left? >> >>How are things in New York and New Jersey? >> >>The MSU Fruit Crop Alert Letter was posted today with initial reports from >>Michigan >>http://www.ipm.msu.edu/cat07fruit/f04-10-07.htm >> >>----------------------------------------- >>Mark Longstroth >>SW Michigan District Fruit Educator >>Van Buren County MSU Extension >>801 Hazen Street, Suite A >>Paw Paw, MI 49079 >>Bus (269) 657-7745 >>Fax (269) 657-6678 >>Email - [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Check Out My Webpages >>http://web1.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/disthort.htm >>----------------------------------------- >> >>--------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard >><http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon >>Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. >> >>Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent >>"official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for >>the content. > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard >><http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon >Clements ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > >Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent >>"official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for >the >content. > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the content. ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.
