Small Fruit News

The Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium posts articles and sends the SMALL FRUIT NEWS to subscribers four times annually.
 

  • Professor Emeritus and Assistant Professor, Small Fruit Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University, and Jayesh Samtani, Assistant Professor, Small Fruit Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech October 2021 Planting Check plants for possible biological (insects and diseases) and physiological (nutrient) disorders prior to planting and treat appropriately. Consult your extension agent if plants appear unhealthy. Get diagnosis…

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  • Gina Fernandez, Small Fruit Specialist, North Carolina State University Fall 2021 Plant growth and development Primocanes continue to grow but growth rate is slower Flower buds start to form in leaf axils on summer-fruiting types Carbohydrates and nutrients in canes begin to move into the roots Primocane fruiting types begin to flower in late summer/early…

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  • Dr. Ron Strahan (Associate Professor, LSU Extension Weed Specialist), David Sexton (LSU Extension Research Associate Specialist), Stuart Gauthier (County Agent/Regional Horticulture Agent, LSU AgCenter) Weed management continues to be one of the major issues facing blackberry growers in Louisiana.  Grower concerns prompted LSU AgCenter, Weed Scientist Dr. Ron Strahan and St. Martin Parish County Agent,…

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  • Barclay Poling (ret.) and Mark Hoffmann, NC State University JULY Make key decisions about varieties and plant types for next season. Order your plants!! Remember, tips need to arrive 4-6 weeks prior to planting. Other immediate field operations: remove and recycle plastic – some growers use tobacco balers to compress the plastic before it goes…

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  • Caneberry Chores

    This list was developed by Dr. Gina Fernandez, Small Fruit Specialist at NC State University. Chores and timing may be somewhat different in your area or for your cropping system. Plant growth and development Fruit development for floricane-fruiting types Rapid primocane growth Flower bud development for primocane-fruiting types later in summer Floricanes produce fruit and…

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  • Kristin Woods, Ph.D.; Regional Extension Agent; Food Safety, Commercial Horticulture, Poultry; Alabama Cooperative Extension System; Auburn University Do you occasionally get questions about produce safety certifications and regulations, but don’t have time to take a multiday course? This free two hour course may be for you. The Small Fruit Certifications course provides Extension agents and…

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  • Danyang Liu, Jayesh Samtani, Jeffrey Derr, Charles Johnson, Xuemei Zhang, Virginia Tech. and David Butler, University of Tennessee Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a promising preplant method that could be a potential alternative to chemical fumigation. Anaerobic soil disinfestation involves incorporating carbon  amendments into the soil of beds to be planted, covering the bed with…

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  • Douglas G. Pfeiffer, Dept. Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA 24060, dgpfeiff@vt.edu We are now into the Japanese beetle (JB) season – This is an annual threat for us, though the severity varies quite a bit from year to year.  Some invasive pests have been with us that we no longer think of them as invasive,…

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  • Bill Cline, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, NCSU Horticultural Crops Research Station, Castle Hayne, NC; and Phil Brannen, Plant Pathology Department and Shane Breeden, CAES, University of Georgia, Athens, GA Muscadine grapes are widely grown in the southeastern U.S. for wine and for commercial fresh market and pick-your-own sales. Production is increasing and has expanded…

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  • Douglas G. Pfeiffer, Dept. Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA 24060, dgpfeiff@vt.edu There are two main spider mite pests that affect fruit crops in the east, but the most important one in our small fruit crops is the twospotted spider mite (TSM), Tetranychus urticae.  This species is whitish to straw colored, with two large black spots. …

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