Research done on farms or on institutional land can be reported here. To provide information on your organic research project, please e-mail OTFA.

The research projects known to date in the Upper Midwest are those at Michigan State University's Clarksville Horticulture Experiment Station on apples, Iowa State University on apples, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Peninsular Research Station near Sturgeon Bay is establishing research plots on tart cherry and apples.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has an organic apple orchard at its research station at Dixon Springs in the southern tip of the state. While not necessarily in the "upper" Midwest, information on this project is also included because of the useful information it is generating.

Penn State University and the University of Vermont have each been awarded research grants in 2006 to start organic apple orchard projects. Cornell University in New York also has a relevant project. Links and updates for those projects are in the Other Research Projects section as information becomes available.

Upper Midwest Research Project Updates and Reports:

New Research

Organic Hops for MI Apple Orchards. Matthew J. Grieshop, Ph.D., and Jim Koan. June 25, 2009. Brochure presented at the Network field day at Jim Koan's Al-Mar Orchard on the potential for hops as a crop complementary to the skills and resources of high-density apple producers. http://www.opm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Hops_handout_6_25.pdf

Hog Impact on Codling Moth and Weeds. Matt Grieshop, David Epstein, Krista Buehrer, (MSU Entomology) and Jim Koan (AlMar Orchards). June 25, 2009. Brochure produced for a field day at AlMar Orchards on the impacts being measure when integrating organic pork and hog production. http://www.opm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/HOG-handout-11_08.pdf

Beneficial Nematodes for Managing Codling Moth. David Epstein, Matt Grieshop, Larry Gut, Nate Walton (Michigan State University Entomology) http://www.opm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Koan_CM_NEMA.pdf

Michigan State University

Clarksville Organic Apple Orchard Report. This orchard is an ongoing project that was started in 1999 with soil quality and fertility research. Download the report.

Plum Curculio Control Strategies for Apple and Tart Cherry.  Poster given at the 4th Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium, March 4-6, Michigan State University. http://whalonlab.msu.edu/organic.html

Plum Curculio Suppression in Organic Orchards with Insect Pathogenic Fungus; Suppression of Northern Strain Plum Curculio with OMRI-Certifiable Biopesticides http://whalonlab.msu.edu/biopesticides.html

"Sweet Cherries: High Tunnels Change Just About Everything"
This is a poster presented by Gregory Lang, Ph.D. of Michigan State University on his continuing research on sweet cherry production.  The findings suggest a potential role for high tunnels to aid in organically producing sweet cherries. More research is needed.  
http://www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/langg/Cherry_PP/Tunnel%20Poster%202006_2.pdf
Prof. Lang's webpage www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/langg.

Functional Ecology: Developing Measures of Sustainability.
http://www.functional-eco.msu.edu/index/htm

Mites as an Ecological Sustainability Indicator in Orchards http://whalonlab.msu.edu/ecology_mites.html

Michigan State University Whalon Lab Organic Tree Fruit Project
Summaries, Plans, Presentations, Product Info, Links, and more. http://whalonlab.msu.edu  

Michigan State University Whalon Lab Organic Project Update,
Just Picked Summer 2006 Issue and Spring 2007 Issue

"Evaluation and Incorporation of the Fungus Beauvaria Bassiana, for Control of Plum Curculio in Commercial Tart Cherry and Apple Production" - Mark Whalon, Michigan State University. http://ir4.rutgers.edu/Binars/biopesticide%20list.pdf

Research on Habitat for Beneficial Insects. Michigan State University. Includes information on the project, why native plants and biological control, project results, plant fact sheets, and field days. http://imp.msu.edu/plants/home.htm

Michigan Organic Apple Production. Abstract. Implementation Whalon.pdf

Organic Apple Project 2004 Report

Diversity Strip Perennial Plants

Border Row Attract-and-Kill for Control of Plum Curculio in Apples

2005 Organic Apple Spray Program
Michigan State University-Clarksville Horticulture Experiment Station

CHES Organic Apple Project: Pest and Disease Management http://whalonlab.msu.edu/organic/Clarksville_Organic/pests_and_disease.htm

Plum Curculio TrapOut Studies
http://whalonlab.msu.edu/organic/PC_TrapOut/PC_TrapOut.htm

Iowa State University

Developing and implementing a web-based Risk Management System for organic apple growers in the eastern. U.S.

University of Minnesota

NEW! What We Know About Insects in Minnesota Orchards, Emily Hoover, Ph.D

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Peninsular Agriculture Research Station - Matt Stasiak and Dick Weidmen are establishing organically managed tart cherry and apple orchards. More Info

Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems - Don Schuster is working with the Eco-Fruit Project to develop an apple budget spreadsheet.  For more information contact Michelle Miller at mmmille6@wisc.edu

Organic Production of Tart Cherries - Prof. Patricia McManus and doctoral student Barrett Gruber are doing research on the effects of copper on controlling cherry leafspot and the impact of copper on the leaf's photosynthetic capacity.  Barrett Gruber showed his research at the Network's field day on August 22, 2007, and provided the attached handout with their preliminary findings.

Midwest Apple Improvement Association
This Association of growers and university researchers aims to produce economically viable varieties for the lower Midwest that include qualities such as resistance to fireblight and scab. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/maia/default.html

The PRI disease resistant apple breeding program is cooperative among Purdue University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the University of Illinois.  Check out their webpage for the many interesting varieties they produced and the history of this project, which formally ended in 1990. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/pri/default.html

Grower Projects
Michael Phillips, author of The Apple Grower, says "apple growers are invited to join in this community effort by sharing innovative research and bouncing around unconventional ideas. Comparison trials among growers targeting similar apple varieties on soil-focused orchard sites will prove very insightful to us all."

David Sliwa, An Evaluation of Inter-Planted/Mulched Orchard Rows. North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher grant project FNC01-343 Decorah, IA. http://www.sare.org/reporting.Maury Wills, Wills Family Orchard, Iowa. Evaluating Alternative Pest Management Strategies for Organic Apple Production, 2004. North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher grant project FNC03-469. http://www.sare.org/reporting.NEW! Jim Koan, Al-Mar Orchard, Michigan. "Integrating Organic Pork and Organic Apple Production." One-year Pilot Study funded by the USDA Integrated Organic Program in April 2007.  Read an overview of this project and an update, both of which are in the Spring and Summer issues (respectively) of Just Picked.  The early months of this one-year project are also described in the August 2007 issue of the Michigan Farmer magazine.Jim Koan, Al-Mar Orchard, Michigan. A Novel Approach for the Control of the Dreaded Plum Curculio: Biological Extermination Using Guinea Fowl. Awarded Fall 2003 by the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Dan Kelly, Blue Heron Orchard, Missouri. Controlling Plum Curculio Using Prairie Grass Management, 1995, North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher Grant Project. Project #: FNC95-116 http://www.sare.org/reporting.Top

Other Research Projects Updates and Reports

Ohio State University
Marketing Apple Diversity
Diane Doud Miller, Ph.D. Project leader. An interesting new array of apple varieties, which are diverse in genetic traits (flavor, texture, disease-resistance) could be grown by Midwest fruit growers (organic, sustainable and conventional), with even more interesting diversity in the variety development pipeline. Growers are concerned, however, that the marketing of these varieties will be limited by consumer unfamiliarity with the variety names. In this project we will determine if consumers will purchase apples based on labeling by fruit characteristics, (such as mildly sweet; spicy-tart; predominately tart), production method (sustainable), and/ or growing area (locally grown), with or without variety name.

If so, this knowledge will greatly facilitate introduction of new varieties, reduce pesticide use and allow an evolution to more adapted and interesting local varieties in the Midwest US.  Consumers in this project will be college students (future customers), natural food market customers, and conventional grocery Store customers.  Outcomes will be grower and consumer awareness of new apple variety attributes and increased demand pulling increased production of environmentally friendly varieties.  Results and updates will be presented to growers in the Midwest annually using a range of communication technologies, including the Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network.  Evaluation will include surveys of attitude changes, number of farmers and consumers involved and their review of information, increased planting and marketing of new varieties.  This project will also help determine new variety selection criteria for the apple breeding project of Midwest Apple Improvement Association (MAIA), a regional not-for-profit.  The Fruit Growers Marketing Association and a multi-state board of MAIA members will advise and oversee the project. 

Tree Fruit Research Symposia

3rd Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium (PDF 88 Pages)
Chelan, Washington State University, June 6-8, 2005

Proceedings of the 4th Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium (PDF 42 Pages)

Cornell University

Herb S. Aldwinckle, Professor at Cornell University. His research is to develop disease resistant apple varieties and rootstocks, to investigate the molecular basis of disease resistance in apple, to understand and manage the fire blight disease of apple, and to acquire and evaluate apple germplasm. One of his research projects addresses biological controls and alternatives to streptomycin to control fire blight.
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/faculty/aldwinckle

"Organic/Sustainable Apple and Grape Production" - Ian A. Merwin, Department of Horticulture, (im13@cornell.edu, 607-255-1777) has received three grants for research relating to organic and sustainable apple and grape production, including $497,000 from the USDA-IREE program for research on bio-based management and microbial mechanisms of apple replant disease.

See Hort-Science 2006 paper by G.M. Peck, et al, for more on this topic in the APPLE section below.
Also:  Multi-level Comparisons of Organic and Integrated Fruit Production Systems for 'Liberty' Apple in a New York Orchard. G. M Peck, Doctoral Candidate at Cornell University under Prof. Ian Merwin.

Henry Doubleday Research Association
The Henry Doubleday Research Association in England currently has a project titled, "Varieties and Integrated Pest and Disease Management Programme for Organic Apple Production." http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/research/ir_hortprod_org_apple.php

Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania Regional Organic Fruit Industry Transition (PROFIT). The
Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center is currently testing
alternative pest management strategies such as cultural management,
biological controls, and alternative materials that are proving highly
effective in reducing pest levels on fruit crops. 
http://fpath.cas.psu.edu/RESEARCH/PROFITdemoorchard.htm and
http://fpath.cas.psu.edu/RESEARCH/organic%20demo%20orchard.htm
Penn State was awarded a 2006 SARE Research and Education grant for PROFIT.
PA Regional Organic Transition Project

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rick Weinzierl, an entomologist at UIUC, does work relevant to all growers, including organic growers. Read our first article on his work in the January 2007 issue of "Just Picked." That article is based on:
1) his poster presented at the Entomological Society of America's national meeting in Indianapolis in December 2006, titled: "Effectiveness of Reduced-Risk and OMRI-listed Insecticides for Control of Codling Moth and other Insect Pests of Apples in Illinois"
A more detailed report in the 10th Annual Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Research Reports published this month. It is titled, "Insecticide Evaluations in Apples in Illinois, 2006." Weinzierl's 2005 work on control codling moth and European red mite included the use of Entrust as one of four insecticide treatments evaluated at the Urbana Pomology farm. (The formal citation is Weinzierl, R. 2006. Codling moth, San Jose scale, and European red mite control evaluations in apples, 2005, pp. 175-177, in: Ninth Annual Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Research Report. University of Illinois and Illinois State Horticultural Society. ISSN 0892-3477.)

University of Vermont
The University of Vermont is starting a project titled "Using Alternatives to Enhance the Adoption of Organic Apple Production through Integrated Research, Education, and Extension." http://orchard.uvm.edu/uvmapple/pest/#organic%/20Pest%20Management

"Orchard Observations" were posted throughout the 2008 growing season by Lorraine Berkett, OrganicA Project Coordinator at the U of VT. Her 'blogs' of observations are posted at http://www.uvm.edu/~organica/ListservesBlogs/listservesblogs.html

Case studies were done on organic orchards in the Northeast states. They can be found at http://www.uvm.edu/~organica/CaseStudies/casestudies.html

Other Research Reports

Tree Fruits In General
Apples
Cherries
Peaches
Pears

Tree Fruits in General

Cornell University's evaluation of Materials to Control Severe Apple Maggot Populations in apples in 2001.Efficacy of organic foliar amendments for control of fruit diseases in apple, cherry, peach, pear and grape-1994 Trials. Hans Wittig, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 1994. 16 pp. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Efficacy of organic foliar amendments for control of fruit diseases in apple, cherry, peach , pear and grape--1995 Trials. Hans Wittig, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 1995. 15 pp. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Fruit disease management testing program. Hans Wittig, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 1996. 21 pp. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Top

Apples

Efficacy and physiological effect of oil/lime sulfur combinations. Jim Schupp et al. Jim Schupp has done a lot of work with lime sulfur as a thinner. One of his most recent articles is at: http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/wtfrc/PDFfinalReports/2006FinalReports/AppleHort

Commercial organic apple production for New York: Progress Report 2002. Terence Robinson et al. http://www.organic.cornell.edu/research/tsfsumms/2001/pdfs/1apple.pdf.

Apple Orchard Productivity and Fruit Quality Under Organic, Conventional, and Integrated Management. G. M. Peck, P.K. Andrews, J. P. Reganold, and J. K. Fellman. 2006. Hort-Science 41, No. 1:99-107. [NAL Call # SB1 H6]

Insect Management and Fruit Thinning in Commercial Organic Apple Production Systems in New York. Terence Robinson, et al. Cornell University. OFRF project number: XXX. July 2003. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html

Evaluation of Kaolin-based Particle Film Coatings on Insect and Disease Suppression in Apples. Andrew L. Thomas, University of Missouri-Columbia. OFRF project number: 99-46. Dec. 2000. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html

Demonstrating the need for alternative apple fruit thinning methods for organic growers. Curt R. Rom. 2002. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) Research Series 494. www.uark.edu/depts/agripub/Publications/researchseries/494.pdf. pp. 24-25.

Effect of organic pest management practices on apple productivity and apple food safety. Iowa State University. http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/researchreports/apples.pdf.  Similar published version by Friedrich, H., Delate, K., Domoto, P., Nonnecke, G., & Wilson, L. (2003). Biological Agriculture and Horticulture, 21, 1-14.

Extension 21-Value-added agriculture program: Organic fruit for Southwest Iowa. 2003. Kathleen Delate and Deb Hall. Iowa State University. 515-294-7069; kdelate@iastate.edu.

The effect of weed management strategies on weed growth and fruit quality in a certified organic apple orchard. Renae Moran, University of Maine, Monmouth, ME. 2003. 10 pp, 150K. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html

Bird and arthropod predation of codling moth in organic apple orchards JoAnn Baumgartner, Santa Cruz, CA. 1999. (23 pp, 897K) www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html

Use of a Locally Adapted Female-only Strain of Trichogramma nr.platneri for Supplemental Control of Codling Moth. Sean L. Swezey, et al. University of California-Santa Cruz. 1996 OFRF Information Bulletin Summer 1999, No. 6, pp. 10-11. http://www.ofrf.org/research/reports.

Mass-rearing and release of a locally adapted female-only strain of Trichogramma nr. platneri for control of codling moth in coastal organic apple orchard. Sean Swezey, University of California Cooperative Extension, Santa Cruz. 1997. 9 pp. www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Development of improved monitoring and treatment techniques for leafroller control in organic apples. Kathleen Walker, University of California, Berkeley, CA. 1996. 8 pp. www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Cherries

Does Ecological Soil Management in an Organic Production System Improve Function of Sweet Cherry Tree? Anita Azarenko, Oregon State University. Awarded Fall 2004 by the Organic Farming Research Foundation. On-going.Top

Peaches

Peach brown rot control Carl Rosato, Woodleaf Farm, Oroville, CA, 1992. (11 pp, 2980K) www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html. Investigating the impact of green manures and weed mat on soil biota and tree growth in organic peach tree orchards. Rick Zimmerman, Western Colorado Research Center at Rogers Mesa, Hotchkiss, Colorado. 2002. (146K). www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Pears

Enhancing Biological Control in Mating Disruption and Organic Pear Orchards by Understory Management. David Horton, USDA-ARS, Wapato, WA. OFRF project number: 98-06. May 1999 www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.

Enhancing biological control in mating disruption and organic pear orchards by understory management . David Horton, USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Wapato, WA, 1998. (22 pp, 490K). www.ofrf.org/research/reports.html.