Modern Stone Fruit Training Systems Webinar
Event Details
Date
March 16, 2021
Time
11am-1pm
Cost
Register online : $20.00
(addl attendee $20.00 ea.)
Host
Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program
Event Registration

Cost: $20 per attendee
Registration: https://enych.cce.cornell.edu/...
While yields of stone fruits planted to traditional orchard systems have been lagging behind our modern apple plantings in the northeast, research is actively being conducted to utilize improved rootstocks and modern, narrow training systems to increase productivity and reduce labor costs in peach and cherry systems.
In this webinar, we will be joined by Dr. Jim Schupp, Dr. Greg Lang, and Dr. Terence Robinson, as they review modern strategies for growing peaches and cherries in the northeast.
Agenda:
11:00am: Welcome and Introductions - Mike Basedow - Cornell ENYCHP
11:05 - 11:40: Future Directions for Peach Training Systems - Dr. Jim Schupp - Penn State's Fruit Research and Extension Center
Peaches are a labor-intensive crop, but peach yields per acre lag those of other fruit crops. Gains in orchard productivity and production efficiency are needed if peaches are to remain an important part of a fruit grower's portfolio. Intensive peach systems warrant our attention, as we search for more labor efficient methods of growing fruit, and for systems that can readily adapt to mechanization and automation. This presentation provides an update on two recent studies to evaluate tree density and rootstocks in high density peach systems.
11:40 - 12:15: The Evolution of Sweet Cherry Production Systems - Dr. Greg Lang - Michigan State University
Sweet cherry canopy architectures and training systems for fresh market production have evolved over the past two decades, accelerated by the advent of vigor-controlling and precocity-inducing rootstocks. Training systems are dynamic and continuously evolving, as every grower and orchard site is different, with inherent traits that lead to subtle modifications of initial ideas and training concepts that can significantly affect their ultimate degree of success. It is important for growers to understand their orchard vigor factors, target markets, the fundamental aspects of sweet cherry growth and fruiting, and how the techniques used in different training systems affect those fundamentals.
12:15 - 12:50: New Rootstocks and Training Systems for Peaches and Cherries, Plums and Apricots in the Northeast - Dr. Terence Robinson - Cornell University
Dr. Robinson will discuss improved rootstocks for peach that can be combined with closer tree spacings to achieve greater productivity in northeast orchards. On the cherry side he will also discuss new rootstocks and how they can be combined with closer spacings, and will provide management recommendations to achieve early and sustained production.
12:50 - 1:10: Grower Comments, Q & A, Final Wrap-Up
Upcoming Events
2026 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series
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The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons from 2025 - The first meetup will be conducted live on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 10:30pm (PST)/1:30pm (EST). The webinar will last 90 minutes. The format will include brief presentations by two SPARC scientists, followed by a packer/grower panel of industry leaders across North America. The meetup will conclude with an open discussion in a very inclusive virtual format. Viewers are invited to share solutions, ask questions, and interact with scientists and panelists. The program is free of charge.
June 11, 2026 : Session 2
Details to follow.
June 18, 2026
Details to follow.
June 25, 2026 : Session 4
Details to follow.
Cornell Fruit Field Day
July 30, 2026
Geneva, NY
Join Cornell researchers in Geneva for Fruit Field Day, returning after 10 years, to tour research plots, learn from experts—including Terence Robinson with 40+ years in tree fruit research—and explore the latest orchard technologies and practices.
