Winter 2021

SMALL FRUIT NEWS – Vol. 21, No. 1
Published four times annually, Small Fruit News is sponsored by the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium (SRSFC), www.smallfruits.org.
Download the PDF version of Small Fruit News, Winter 2021

 

  • The 2021 North American Raspberry & Blackberry Conference will be held virtually on February 22-25, 2021.  The conference features more than 25 hours of presentations and panel discussions, plus posters, informal forums, and lots of opportunity for networking. Caneberry breeding receives special attention with eleven breeders and geneticists from around the world presenting. A special…

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  • North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association

    A Muscadine Learning and Networking Opportunity! March 1-3, 2021 The North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association invites all muscadine growers and wineries to participate in its 2021 virtual conference March 1-3. A “Fundamentals of Muscadine Production” webinar is March 1. March 2 features sessions on production and wine making and March 3 spotlights wineries in North…

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  • The Southeastern Strawberry School Webinar Series was held throughout 2021. This series was hosted by the University of Arkansas in collaboration with university specialists from across the southeastern region. This webinar series was sponsored by the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium and was *free* to county agents, and growers. Webinar Sessions: Part One: Dormancy –…

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  • By Rebecca A. Melanson, MSU Extension The Southeast Regional Strawberry Integrated Pest Management Guide Focused on Plasticulture Production is revised annually by a team of university specialists. These annual revisions include updates to pesticide efficacy ratings, management recommendations, and product information. Along with these regular annual updates, a number of additions have been incorporated into…

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  • By Jonathan E. Oliver, UGA Extension Annual updates have been made to the Southeast Regional Caneberry Integrated Management Guide. These include: Information on registered pesticides and web links to state pesticide databases A “Mobile and Online Tools” page featuring Apps and online tools for recognizing and managing caneberry diseases, pests, and weeds Updated pesticide efficacy…

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  • By Emran Ali, Phillip M. Brannen, and Tammy Stackhouse Fungicide resistance is a major problem for growers, as it can lead to loss of disease control, reduced yields, and unnecessary expense by applying products that no longer work. Fungal pathogens are managed with a limited number of fungicide classes. There is, therefore, a high risk…

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  • By John R. Clark, University of Arkansas A new blackberry has been released by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA), named Prime-Ark® Horizon. This is the sixth public primocane-fruiting variety from the UA breeding program. Although primocane fruiting does not hold substantial potential in the deep South, this type of berry is…

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  • By Jayesh B. Samtani, Assistant Professor and Small Fruit Production Specialist, Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech University This past season, we were able to evaluate seven short-day varieties, Camino Real, Chandler, Flavorfest, Keepsake, Merced, Rocco, and Ruby June and three, day-neutral varieties- Albion, San Andreas and Sweet Ann. The day-neutral varieties…

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  • Winter Blackberry Chores

    By Dr. Gina Fernandez, North Carolina State University This checklist was originally developed for blackberry growers in North Carolina. You may have to adjust your work activities either earlier or later depending on your location. For more detailed information, check the Southern Region Integrated Bramble Management Guide and the Southeast Regional Bramble Production Guide at…

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  • By Elina Coneva, Extension Specialist, ACES, Auburn University Blueberries are a high value fruit crop that are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Rabbiteye blueberries are historically an important commercial crop for Alabama, and many farms produce rabbiteye blueberries for sale in the fresh market either exclusively, or as a supplemental crop. Proper cultivar selection is one…

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