2026 Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars
Cornell Winter Fruit Webinar Series 2026
These webinars will provide updates on fruit-related topics and research happening at Cornell University.
Webinars hosted by NYSIPM, CCE Harvest NY, CCE LOFP, and CCE ENYCHP.
If you missed a webinar or just want to review one you've all ready seen the recordings can be found at the yearly Winter Fruit Webinars playlist on the Cornell IPM Program YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Corne...
NYSDEC Pesticide Recertification credits will be offered for indicated sessions. If you would like DEC Credits, please send a copy of your photo ID to Anna Wallis (aew232@cornell.edu) To receive credits you will need to attend the entire webinar on your own computer/device, and complete the required Google Form survey at the beginning and again at the end of the webinar.
Event Details
Date
January 22, 2026
Time
11:00am - 12:30pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramAnna Wallis
email Anna Wallis
Blueberry Pruning and Soil Health to Minimize Pests and Maximize Yield
Week 1: Blueberry Pruning and Soil Health to Minimize Pests and Maximize Yield
Speaker: Dr. Marvin Pritts (Cornell CALS), Cheyenne Sloan (MSU Extension)
Register: http://tiny.cc/2026-wfw-week-1
Event Details
Date
January 29, 2026
Time
11:00am - 12:30pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramAnna Wallis
email Anna Wallis
Cost of Production for Fruit Crops
Week 2: Cost of Production for Fruit Crops - A new tool for tree fruit, updates on berry production in NY, and strategies for tracking and using expense data.
Speakers: Chris Bardenhagen (MSU Extension), Allan Pinto (Cornell IPM), Liz Higgins (CCE ENYCHP)
Register: http://tiny.cc/2026-wfw-week-2
Event Details
Date
February 12, 2026
Time
11:00am - 1:00pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramAnna Wallis
email Anna Wallis
Fire Blight Management Updates
Week 3: Fire Blight Management Updates - Pathogen Biology, Defense Inducers, Biopesticides, and Pruning Therapies
Thursday February 12, 2026 11:00AM-1:00PM
Speakers: Tianna DuPont (WSU Extension), Dr. Kerik Cox (Cornell AgriTech), Dr. George Sundin (Michigan State University)
2.0 DEC credits available
Register: http://tiny.cc/2026-wfw-week-3
Event Details
Date
February 19, 2026
Time
11:00am - 12:30pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramAnna Wallis
email Anna Wallis
Pink and Petal Fall Insecticides - Can We Strike the Right Balance?
Week 4: Pink and Petal Fall Insecticides - Can We Strike the Right Balance?
Speakers: Dr. Julianna Wilson (Michigan State University), Amy Irish-Brown (Valent USA), Vaughn Gingerich (Lake Ontario Ag Consulting), Kathleen Leahy (Polaris Orchard Management), and Andy Vega (New England Fruit Consultants)
1.5 DEC credits available
Register: http://tiny.cc/2026-wfw-week-4
Event Details
Date
March 12, 2026
Time
11:00am - 12:30pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramAnna Wallis
email Anna Wallis
Inoculating Orchards with Mycorrhizal Fungi
Week 5: Inoculating Orchards with Mycorrhizal Fungi
Presented in English (first half 11am - 11:45am), then in Spanish (second half 11:45am - 12:30pm)
Speakers: Mike Basedow (CCE ENYCHP), Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE LOFP)
Register: http://tiny.cc/2026-wfw-week-5
Attention WNY fruit growers interested in virtual Spanish-language training for employees:
The second half of this webinar will be repeated in the Spanish language by Mario Miranda Sazo of LOF. Mike Basedow will present the first part of the webinar in the English language.
If you would like to provide this training opportunity to your Spanish-speaking employees but are unable to offer a virtual connection at your farm, they may attend in person at one of the following host locations in the LOF region:
- Orleans County (hosted by Liz Tee)
- Wayne County (hosted by Janet van Zoeren)
To register or for more details please call or email Mario (315-719-1318, mrm67@cornell.edu) to let him know by March 10th:
- How many employees you plan to send, and
- Which location they will attend
About the webinar: Mycorrhizal fungi provide apple roots water and nutrients, but can we inoculate orchards with these fungi to decrease our irrigation and nutrient inputs? In this webinar, Mike Basedow will discuss the results of SARE funded field trials with four commercial fungi blends at three orchard sites across the northeast (New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire). This year the main results will be presented by Mike Basedow during a webinar as part of the "Cornell winter fruit webinars' on March 12. He will discuss other strategies for getting a planting off on the right foot during the establishment phase. The second half of this webinar will be repeated in the Spanish language by Mario Miranda Sazo, LOF.
Event Details
Date
March 19, 2026
Time
11:00am - 12:30pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramAnna Wallis
email Anna Wallis
St. Peachtrick's Day - Cherry Pruning Strategies and Plum Varieties for the Northeast
Week 6: St. Peachtrick's Day - Cherry Pruning Strategies and Plum Varieties for the Northeast
Speakers: Jimmy Larsen (USU Extension), Jay Freer
Register: http://tiny.cc/2026-wfw-week-6
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
2026 Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings
April 30, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 1
Webster, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
May 28, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 2
Oswego, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
June 25, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 3
Medina, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
2026 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series
February 27, 2026 : Session 1 - The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons Learned
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 Dr. Terence Robinson with 40+ years in tree fruit research—and explore the latest orchard technologies and practices.