This page contains diverse informational materials for organic tree fruit production and marketing. If you would like to suggest additional materials to post on this webpage, please e-mail the Network Coordinator or call 608-967-2362.
Overview
Soil Health
Apples
Pears
Stone Fruits
Other
Resources and Books
OVERVIEW
- Uncommon Fruit: Delectable, pest-resistant, exotic and attractive. by Lee Reich, who writes: “Most growers gravitate toward the familiar when considering what fruits to plant. But grow these fruits and you’re competing on the world market... ” http://www.newfarm.org/features/2006/0906/uncommonfruit/reich.shtml
- Tree
Fruits: Organic Production Overview - ATTRA,
32 pages
- "Seasonal
Checklist for the Home Orchardist" by Michael Phillips,
3 pg. http://www.herbsandapples.com/orchard/seasonal_checklist.html
- "The Community Orchardist"; the newsletter of Michael Phillips. "This newsletter is written for commercial orchardists who ponder the healthiest ways to grow good fruit for their local community." To be on the e-mailing list contact Michael@HerbsAndApples.com
- The Backyard
Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home
Garden. Stella Otto. Otto Graphics. 1993.
- Bio-Intensive
Integrated Pest Management, ATTRA
- Organic
Orchard, Vineyard, and Berry Crop Documentation Forms - ATTRA,
~22 pages
- Fruit,
Berry and Nut Inventory:An Inventory of Nursery Catalogs Listing
All Fruit, Berry, and Nut Varieties. Seed Savers Exchange.
3rd Ed. http://www.chelseagreen.com/2001/items/415
- Fruit
Crop Ecology and Management Book. MSU Extension Bulletin Office.
517-353-6740. http://www.emdc.msu.edu.
$16 plus S&H.
- "Food
Quality: A Comparison of Organic and Conventional Fruit and Vegetables." This study conducted in Europe focused on food quality differences
in apples.
FoodQualityFinal.pdf
SOIL
HEALTH
- Sustainable
Soil Management - ATTRA
- Alternative
Soil Testing Labs - ATTRA
- Alternative
Soil Amendments - ATTRA
- Sources
for Organic Fertilizers and Amendments - ATTRA
APPLES
General
- "Organic Apples.” The web-based Agricultural Marketing Resource Center has two pages of links on trends, markets, marketing, processing and manufacturing of hard cider, production, businesses and case studies on organic apples. http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/fruits/apples/organicapples.htm
- “A future for organic apple growing in the Northeast.” by Laura Sayre of New Farm. The Midwest shares many of the same apple insect and disease issues with the Northeast. Includes “Sample spray schedules for organic apple production in the Northeast” and information on new (2004) disease and insect pest management tools. http://www.newfarm.org/features/0504/apples/orchard.shtml
- “Hard times for a big organic orchard. One New England farmer shares some of the struggles and triumphs of going organic.” by Eesha William. December 23, 2004. http://www.newfarm.org/features/1204/apples/index.shtml
- "Orchard
Links" by Michael Phillips.
- The Apple Grower: A Guide
for the Organic Orchardist. Michael Phillips, new 2005
edition. Chelsea Green Publishing. A full-color edition, revised
and expanded, with all the latest cutting-edge information on
organic orcharding. More than 70 new pages were added to the 1998
edition, including many informative charts. To buy "The Apple
Grower" directly from Michael and have your book inscribed,
send a check or money order for $40 -- (free shipping) -- to Heartsong
Farm, 859 Lost Nation Road, Groveton, NH 03582. Remember to tell
him how you would like the book inscribed. www.HerbsAndApples.com
- Organic
Apple Production Manual. Sean L. Swezey, et al. 2000.
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Publication
3403. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu,
1-800-994-8849. 72 pg. $18 plus $4 shipping and handling.
- Organic and Integrated Fruit Production Home Page; Washington State
University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.
http://organic.tfrec.wsu.edu/OrganicIFP/Home/Index.html. Includes
Proceedings from the National Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium,
orchard floor management studies, organic statistics page, and information
on apple replant disease, soil management, pest management, marketing,
organic tree fruit research priorities, Peshastin Creek organic pear
project, and organic tree fruit production in general. While focused on
western growers, there is information valuable to the midwestern grower.
- Cost of
Production Analysis of Conventional vs. Integrated vs. Organic
Apple Production Systems.
2001. Jerry Glover et al. http://farm-mgmt.wsu.edu/PDF-docs/treefruits/xb1041.pdf
- Organic Apple Production Guide for
Nova Scotia. 1991.
http://www.organicagcentre.ca/DOCs/OACCappleGuide.pdf.
19 pg.
- "Organic
Growing is Best" by Emily Green, Times Staff Writer.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/orgapples.cfm.
This is a press article,
probably 1999, on Prof. John Reganold's comparative study of organic,
"integrated", and conventional production of apples
in Washington.
- Current
Trends in Organic Tree Fruit Production;
D Granatstein, E Kirby - http://organic.tfrec.wsu.edu/OrganicIFP/Home/Introduction.html
- Organic Apples Overview By Malinda Miller, content specialist, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Iowa State University. July 2005 http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/fruits/apples/organicapples.htm
Rootstocks, Cultivars and Orchard Setup
Top
Managing Pests
General:
- Considerations
in Organic Apple Production - ATTRA,
24 pg.
- Organic
and Low-Spray Apple Production - ATTRA,
49 pg.
- Apple
Happy: Growers Share Secrets of Organic Fruit Protection. The Organic Broadcaster. November
- December 2003, Volume 11, Number 6. Newsletter of MOSES
Diseases:
- “Evaluation of antagonistic bacteria, alternative antibiotics, and non-traditional products in the management of fire blight on apples” – Identifying useful alternatives to streptomyocin. Herbert S. Aldwinckle, Nicole A.Werner, NYSAES. Cornell University, Geneva, NY, naw26@cornell.edu, 315-787-2367.
- Disease-resistant apple varieties from the Purdue–Rutgers–Illinois (PRI) research project. http://www.hort/purdue.edu/newcrop/pri/coop32.html
- Disease
Management Guidelines for Organic Apple Production in Ohio; http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/organic-apple.html;
22 pg.
- Fact Sheets,
Ohio State University Extension:
1) Scab of Apple and Crabapple; http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3003/html;
3 pg.
2) Fire Blight of Apples, Crabapples and Pears; http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3002/html;
5 pg.
- "Apple
disease control alternatives"; Research Brief #60; CIAS
UW-Madison, CALS; http://www.cias.wisc.edu/archives/2002/02/01/
- "Holistic
Disease Management" by Michael Phillips; http://www.herbsandapples.com/orchard/disease.php;
3 pg.
Insects:
- "Beneficial
insect habitat in an apple orchard-effects on pests";
Research Brief # 71; CIAS UW-Madison, CALS; 2 pg.; http://www.cias.wisc.edu/archives/2004/09/01/
- "The
Kaolin Clay Strategy for Orchards" by Michael Phillips; http://www.herbsandapples.com/orchard/kaolin.php;
3 pg.
- "Kaolin Clay Insect IPM
in Apples Reduced-Risk Pest Control Factsheet"; http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/kaolin-clay-apples.pdf 4 pg.
- Biological
Control of Insects and Mites: An Introduction to Beneficial Natural
Enemies and Their Use In Pest Management. Daniel L. Mahr,
Nino M. Ridgeway. North Central Region Publication 481. September
1993. Check with the publications office of the Cooperative Extension
Service in your state.
- "Seasonal
Integrated Pest Management Checklist for Orchards." Orchard*A*Syst.
FAS 105. December 2001. Michigan State University Extension. 7
pg.
- Mites
as an Ecological Sustainability Indicator in Orchards http://whalonlab.msu.edu/mites/Mite_Website/Mites.htm
- Mites
as Ecological Indicators (PDF) Michigan State University,
Center for Integrated Plant Systems, East Lansing, MI, Oregon
State University, Department of Entomology, Corvallis, OR.
- Plum Curculio
and Look-Alike Beetles Plum_Curculio_and_Look-alike_Beetles.htm
- Apple:
Green Apple Aphid. University of California, Davis, IPM Online. Describes the pest, its damage, and management by biological
control, organically acceptable methods, and management decisions,
as well as synthetic chemical ones, which are not part of organic
production systems. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r4301611.html
- Apple:Rosy
Apple Aphid. University of California, Davis, IPM Online. Describes the pest, its damage, and management by biological control,
organically acceptable methods, including monitoring and timing
of treatments, as well as synthetic chemical ones, which are not
part of organic production systems. www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r4301511.html
- A Pocket
Guide for IPM Scouting in Michigan Apples. MSU Extension Bulletin
Office. 517-353-6740. http://www.emdc.msu.edu.
$14, plus S&H.
- A Practical
Guide to Scouting Apple Orchards (dvd format). MSU Extension
Bulletin Office. 517-353-6740. http://www.emdc.msu.edu.
$29.95 plus S&H
- Organic
Apple Production for Processing Pilot Project. 1991.
http://www.organicagcentre.ca/DOCs/res_proc_apples.pdf
Top
PEARS
General:
Insects:
- Pear - Codling Moth. University of California, Davis,
IPM Online. Describes the pest, its damage, biological control,
cultural control, and organically acceptable methods, such as
mating disruption, before discussing materials not allowed in
organic production. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r603300111.html.
Diseases:
- Pear - Fire Blight. University of California, Davis,
IPM Online. Comments on the disease, its damage, and management
including biological and cultural controls, organically acceptable
methods, and monitoring before describing chemical control. ; http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r603100211.html.
Top
STONE FRUITS
- Plum_Curculio and_Look-alike_Beetles
Plum curculio, an important insect pest of stone fruits. It is important to be able to identify this pest and distinguish it from other similar looking beetles.
- Peach IPM Program Introduced
The Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program at the University of California has released a year-round IPM program for peach production. The program recommends seasonal practices for a monitoring-based IPM program that reduces water quality problems related to pesticide use. The program recommends specific activities for each season, with links that provide information on how to monitor, forms to use, and specific management practices. Progress throughout the year is tracked on an annual checklist form.
Related ATTRA Publication: Organic and Low-Spray Peach Production
- A Pocket
Guide for IPM Scouting in Stone Fruits. MSU Extension Bulletin
Office. 517-353-6740. http://www.emdc.msu.edu.
$12 plus S&H.
- Organic and Low-Spray Peach Production Horticulture Production Guide By Steve Diver and Tracy Mumma, NCAT Agriculture Specialists. March 2003. Original by Guy K. Ames, 2000. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/peach.html
OTHER
RESOURCE & BOOKS
- The
Orchard Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to Healthy Fruit Trees.
Steve Page and Joe Smillie, Ag Access. 1995.
- Information
Bulletin. Organic Farming Research Foundation. www.ofrf.org.
831-426-6606. PO Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061.
OFRF has a competitive, small grants program to which farmers
are encouraged to apply. OFRF has funded at least 16 projects
on apple production, five projects general to tree fruit production,
five project on stone fruits, particularly peaches, one on pears,
and a 2004 grant awarded on ecological soil management in cherry
orchards.
Research reports are summarized in the Information Bulletin,
which is available without charge.
Full research reports of selected projects are available on
their website or by calling. A donation of $2 per report printed
and mailed helps to defray costs incurred.
- OrganicAgInfo.
On-line database of research reports, farmer-to-farmer information,
outreach publications, and more. Information can be accessed
free of charge. http://www.organicaginfo.org.
Also available from homepage of www.ofrf.org.
- How
to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee: As an Orchard Pollinator.
Jordi Bosch & William Kemp. Sustainable Agriculture Publications; sanpubs@uvm.edu, 802-656-0484.
$9.95 plus shipping and handling
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