Matthew Narron

  • Tunnels that were used to grow raspberries

    Kathy Demchak, Matt Cooper, and Rich Marini (Penn State University); Maria Cramer (Univ. of Maryland, formerly Penn State) High tunnels are widely used for raspberry production in much of the world, and it is easy to understand why. The longer growing season, increased yields and improved quality, and the ability to schedule tasks without concerns,…

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  • Tensiometer

    By Stacia L. Davis Conger, Ph.D., State Irrigation Specialist, LSU AgCenter  Inherent to the southeastern United States, rainfall in hot-humid climates is highly variable in both frequency and duration. In Louisiana, historical rainfall averages 1,350 – 1,700 mm (53 – 67 inches) annually with most dry periods expected during the summer months (Sohoulande et al.,…

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  • Interior of a reflectorized hemicylindrical array of germicidal UV-C lamps.

    By David Gadoury (Cornell University) and Natalia Peres (University of Florida)  Microbial pathogens that attack the above-ground parts of plants live in a world that is bathed in sunlight and have done so for nearly 300 million years.  In that time, these simple one-celled microbes have evolved to sense, use, and interpret light to direct…

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  • Before Launching into Drones, Do your Research

    Drone Monitoring a strawberry field

    Dr. Amanda McWhirt  Increasingly researchers and growers are investigating the use of drones for small fruit production. In North Carolina a strawberry grower used a drone to monitor a strawberry field that had flooded or there have been instances of using drones to spray strawberry plug plants. The applications of drones are endless, including: spraying,…

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  • Plum curculio: Not just for tree fruits

    Adult plum curculio

    By Douglas G. Pfeiffer, Dept. Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA 24061 Usually thought of as apple, peach, cherry and plum pest but plum curculio also will attack blueberry, huckleberry, grape, and persimmon (Milholland & Meyer 1984). Plum curculio is one of the most potentially damaging pests on various hosts during the petal fall period. The…

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