Winter 2022

SMALL FRUIT NEWS – Vol. 22, 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 2022

 

  • The 2022 Virtual Southeastern Muscadine School is a webinar series featuring updated information for muscadine management and wine-making. Each session will feature guest speakers, followed by a Q&A session for webinar participants. Webinars will be recorded. Webinar Schedule and Online Registration For additional information, please contact Amanda Lewis, Communications Assistant, NC State University’s Small Fruits…

    Posted in:
  • By Sarah Cato, Program Tech-Horticulture, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture In 2021 the University of Arkansas extension horticulture team hosted the 2021 Southeastern Plasticulture Strawberry School, with funding from the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium. The Strawberry School was a six-part webinar series that started in February of and ended in October 2021.…

    Posted in:
  • Pruning Blueberries

    By Bill Cline, Entomology & Plant Pathology Department, NCSU (Revised 8dec21) Cultivated blueberries are upright, deciduous, woody perennials, forming multi-stemmed bushes with maximum unpruned heights varying from 6-8 feet (highbush, southern highbush) to 10-15 feet (rabbiteye). All cultivated species require annual pruning to manage bush height and shape. Pruning also prevents over-cropping, increases berry size,…

    Posted in:
  • Southern Fruitcast

    The Southern Fruitcast is hosted by Aaron Cato and Amanda McWhirt, extension IPM and production specialists for fruits and vegetables at the University of Arkansas. This podcast currently has 15 episodes that cover the people, technology and latest developments in small fruit production in the Southeast. Episodes can be found at www.uaex.edu/southernfruitcast. This purpose of…

    Posted in:
  • By Roy D. Flanagan III, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent, Virginia Beach, Virginia Cooperative Extension As I sit here writing this article, I am realizing that a lot of the details of this year’s programs are not firm, but here is what I know for sure at this point and I thought I would…

    Posted in:
  • By Mark Hoffmann, Small Fruits Extension Specialist (NCSU) and Amanda Lewis, Small Fruits Communication Assistant (NCSU) The journey of a strawberry plant does not start when it is transplanted into the growing field. On the contrary, before a grower receives a plant, it already has a large and complex journey behind it. One could say…

    Posted in:
  • By Elina Coneva and Kassie Conner, Auburn University Pierce’s disease (PD) on grapes is the major limiting factor for growing Vitis vinifera (European) grapes in Alabama and the southeastern U.S. Generally, PD infection causes vine decline, yield loss, and vine death typically occurs within two to three years of infection. Management efforts are focused on…

    Posted in:
  • Hand with sensors harvesting a ripe blackberry

    By Andrea Myers, M.S. Graduate Student, and Dr. Renee Threlfall, Research Scientist, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Food Science Department Introduction Fresh-market blackberries (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson), known for health promoting benefits, are hand-picked to maintain quality from harvest to consumption. As value and demand grows for fresh-market blackberries, harvest labor shortages…

    Posted in:
  • By Johan Desaeger, Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Services Nematodes are one of the most underestimated agricultural pests,and this is no exception in strawberries. Particularly damaging and difficult to manage is the sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus, literally ‘long-tailed arrow-like plague’). Sting nematodes are native to the…

    Posted in:
  • 2022 Fumigation Training

    Fumigation and biologically based strategies to manage soilborne pests in vegetables and strawberry The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable In-Service Agent Training was held January 5-6, 2022, in Savannah, Ga. Funded by USDA-NIFA Methyl Bromide Alternatives Program and Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium, the Fumigation Training was organized by Frank Louws, Tika Adhikari, Jayesh Samtani…

    Posted in: