Detailed Program

For Sponsorship Opportunities please contact Dan Donahue djd13@cornell.edu

Session I - Business Session I: Apple Industry Outlook and Regulatory Updates - Chaired by Mark Wiltberger, CCE-LOF

• U.S. Apple Outlook, Chris Gerlach, Director of Industry Analytics, US Apple.
• US Apple Advocacy Update, Diane Kurrle, Senior Vice President, US Apple.
• Regulatory Update for New York State, Jim Bittner, New York State Horticultural Society
• Apple Crop Insurance Policy 2023 Changes, John Fitzpatrick, Crop Growers.
 

Session 2  - Business Session II: New Technologies and Profitability in Orchard Systems, Chaired by Mark Wiltberger, CCE-LOF

• Analyzing Profitability of Your Orchards, Mark Wiltberger, Cornell University.
• Adopting New Technologies for Your Farm: Evaluating Orchard Management Systems, Mark Wiltberger, Cornell University.
• Retail Trends - Steve Lutz, Category Partners

Session 3  - Climate Change, Postharvest, and Marketing, Chaired by Craig Kahlke, CCE-LOF

• Featuring an introduction by Dr. Jason Londo, new Cornell Assistant Professor, his position will focus on Physiology of Fruit Crop Adaptation to Climate Change.
• A summary of several years of research on dynamic controlled atmosphere by Dr. Chris Watkins, Cornell.
• A New York Apple Association marketing update by Cynthia Haskins, ED of NYAA.

Session 4  - Integrated Pest Management I, Chaired by Janet van Zoeren, CCE-LOF - 1.25 NYS DEC credits

• A Brown marmorated stink bug update by Dr. Greg Krawczyk, Penn State University.
• Life history of native solitary bees by Maria van Dyke, Cornell University.
• An introduction by new Cornell Tree Fruit Entomologist, Dr. Monique Rivera, who will be housed at Cornell Agritech in Geneva.
• A presentation of how applied stress impacts tree growth in virus-infected apple trees by Dan Donahue, CCE-ENYCHP.
• A talk on fire blight susceptibility and resistance genes in apple by Dr. Ricky Tegtmeier, Graduate Student, School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, with the Khan lab at Cornell AgriTech. 

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Detailed Program

For Sponsorship Opportunities please contact Dan Donahue djd13@cornell.edu

Session 5  - Integrated Pest Management II, Chaired by Dan Donahue, CCE-ENYCHP - 1.5 NYS DEC credits

• A presentation of apple scab management with snow cover by Dr. Juliet Carroll, of NYSIPM.
• A fire blight grower panel, featuring growers from across all of NY's commercial apple growing regions and an introduction by Dr. Kerik Cox of Cornell University. Panelists confirmed include Mark Russell & Rich Breslawski (Western NY), Andy Vega (Hudson Valley), Jessie Mulberry (Champlain Valley), and Jim Eve (Western NY and Champlain valley).
• Bitter rot management by Dr. Kari Peter of Penn State University.

Session 6  - Maintaining High Quality Orchard Soils, Chaired by Mike Basedow, CCE-ENYCHP - 1.25 NYS DEC credits

• Mike Basedow and Janet van Zoeren will discuss their commercial field trials on pre-emergent herbicide timings and their herbicide trunk deposition studies.
• Dr. Greg Peck (Cornell) Dr. Mark Williams (Virginia Tech), and Dr. Hazem Sharaf (Virginia Tech) will discuss how mulch and composts can be used as alternative soil fertility amendments for apple orchards, and how these inputs affect the microbial communities in the soil.
• Dr. Deborah Aller of Cornell's Soil Health Lab will present on the use of wood chip mulch in Long island apple orchards.
• Tianna Dupont, Tree Fruit Extension Specialist, Washington State University will discuss soil health in Washington orchards.

Session 7  - Managing Apple Crop Load and Tree Fruit Nutrition for Improved Tree Growth, Mineral Uptake, Fruit Quality, Color Enhancement, and Storability, Chaired by Mike Basedow, CCE-ENYCHP

• Dr. Terence Robinson of Cornell will lead off this first of two thematically linked sessions to talk about precision crop load management as it relates to improving fruit quality, color development, and storability.
• Dr. Luis Gonzalez Nieto, PostDoc in the Robinson lab, will follow with a summary of their research on rain-exclusion studies and their effect on stem water potential, fruit size/weight, and color on Gala.
• Dr. Emily Lavely, of Michigan State University Extension, will present on soil physical and moisture conditions and their impacts on root growth and nutrient uptake. Dr. Lailiang Cheng of Cornell will round out this session with a talk on the influence of nitrogen management for improved fruit quality and color development. 

Session 8  - The Use of Reflective Fabrics and Pneumatic Defoliation to Improve Fruit Color in High Value Apple Varieties in NY State, Chaired by Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF

• Dr. Robinson will lead this second thematic session and final of the conference discussing the importance of diffuse scattering and factors that influence light interception, distribution, and reflection from the ground.
• Dr. Nieto will present a summary of their research on the use of ground cover materials to increase fruit color on Honeycrisp, NY1, NY2, and Evercrisp.
• Dr. Lee Kalcsits from Washington State University will present on the use of reflective materials and the pneumatic defoliation to increase red fruit color in WA state.
• The 2 final sessions will come together with a statewide grower panel on their experiences with fabrics and pneumatic
  defoliation machines in New York State. Growers confirmed include Rusty Lamb (Hudson Valley) and Chris Whipple, Jimmy Zingler, Brett Kast, and Kyle Wafler (all representing WNY region).

Thank You to Our Sponsors!