Lake Ontario Fruit Program Enrollment

Program Areas

  • Food Safety
  • Variety Evaluation
  • Market Development
  • Pest Management
  • Cultural Practices

Enrollment Benefits

  • Telephone / Email Consultations
  • Fruit Newsletter?
  • Direct Mailings
  • Educational Meetings & Conferences
  • In-Field Educational Opportunities
  • On-Farm Research Trials

Enrollee Login

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  • Issues of Fruit Newletters
  • Helpful Diagnostic Tool:
      What's wrong with my crop?

Planting Sites

Planting site information can be located through the following links.




Relevant Event

2024 LOF Advisory Committee Meeting - WNY Winter Fruit Conference Topics

December 6, 2024
Rochester, NY

Pawpaws in New York

Last Modified: October 27, 2021

Are you a fan of pawpaws? These custardy fruits can be hard to come across, so this guide provides information on how to grow your own pawpaw from seed, and how to care for grafted seedlings.  Pdf on growing now available.


Lake Ontario Fruit Webinar Recording & Video Links

Last Modified: July 10, 2020

Check Out Details for Links to recent LOF webinar recordings & video series.


LOF Fruit Bites

Last Modified: July 10, 2020

See details to check out quick "how to" videos on a variety of fruit and orchard topics.


What Herbicides control which weeds ?

Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: March 29, 2016

This guide is used to identify the most effective herbicides to target specific weeds in tree fruit.  First identify the weed, or weeds, then find those weeds across the top of the spreadsheet.  For each weed, make a list of herbicides that are effective on the label.  Then you will need to double check the label to determine 1) if the tree fruit crop is labeled, 2) if the tree age is appropriate for use,3) what rate is needed for specific weeds and any soil limitations that might impact those rates.  You can go to the Bureau of Pest Management - Information Portal to find the labels to determine specific application requirements including the rates, timing, any adjuvants necessary, and any precautions to ensure crop safety. 

Black Stem Borer Trap Data

Last Modified: January 22, 2016

Black stem borer traps are set all over the state of NY.  See trap data here.

Apple IPM for Beginners

Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: September 17, 2015
Apple IPM for Beginners

Pest management can be a complex system in perennial crops such as apples and other tree fruits.  "Apple IPM (Integrated Pest managment) for Beginners" is an excellent guide for new growers who want to grow apples, or want to be more familiar with managing pests in apple plantings.  Even growers who have been farming all their lives may know someone coming into the business that can learn from this guide and improve the quality of apples produced.  This 42-page guide will help new apple growers protect apple orchards from pests, in fact sheet format. This series of fact sheets is available in printed color format (see order form below), or in .pdfs https://blogs.cornell.edu/treefruit/ipm/apple-ipm-for-beginners/  It will help you address the major apple pests, but does not guarantee perfect fruit. These fact sheets and scouting guides are a compromise between the most accurate, complex information researchers have to offer and the amount of information a beginner can take in. Read the first four chapters carefully to start this new venture. Then follow the Scouting Calendar as apple stage of growth advances week-by-week. "Apple IPM for Beginners" was partially funded by Federal Smith Lever Funds. Additional full color printed copies can be ordered from CCE-Lake Ontario Fruit Program.


The Benefits of Orchard Mechanization for the Tall Spindle Orchard System

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: December 24, 2013

NY apple growers are rapidly adopting the Tall Spindle planting system which has higher yields than traditional systems and is allowing them to adopt motorized labor positioning platforms to reduce pruning, hand thinning and summer pruning costs. In the future pruning costs may be reduced even further with mechanized summer side-wall shearing. To take full advantage of these advances in mechanization, new orchards should be established at a spacing of 2.5-3ft x 11-12 ft.

The Pros and Cons of an On-Farm Nursery

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: December 24, 2013

The increasing acceptance of high-density orchards and specifically the Tall Spindle Planting System to improve orchard profitability has made orchard replanting more expensive than previously. Our data from Cornell and that of many leading NY growers indicates that the increased planting cost of a tall spindle orchard is offset by much higher early and mature yields than we had previously achieved.

The Use of Feathered Nursery Trees combined with High Planting Densities

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: December 24, 2013

The use of feathered trees combined with high planting densities and minimal pruning has resulted in a significant improvement in yield of new orchards over the first 5 years. The larger the initial caliper of the tree at planting, the greater the growth and yield in the first 4-5 years. The greater the number of feathers at planting, the greater the yield especially in the second and third years.

An Important Pruning Reminder

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: December 23, 2013

Planning Ahead with MidSummer Grasses

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: December 23, 2013

Growers who are planning to plant a new orchard site (or a replant site) next year can consider the use of cover crops before planting an orchard. Their benefits are numerous.

Fall Planting of Apples

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: November 20, 2013

In recent years, fall planting has become the norm for a few Western NY growers who have successfully planted in the fall for several consecutive years. These new orchards have shown a strong growth the first year compared to spring planted trees.



more crops
Apples

Apples

Apricots

Apricots

Asian Pears

Asian Pears

Blueberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Cherries

Currants

Currants

Gooseberries

Gooseberries

Nectarines

Nectarines

Peaches

Peaches

Pears

Pears

Plums

Plums

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries

Strawberries

Strawberries

Unusual Fruit

Unusual Fruit

more crops

Upcoming Events

2024 LOF Advisory Committee Meeting - WNY Winter Fruit Conference Topics

December 6, 2024
Rochester, NY

Please join us for our winter advisory meeting, join the team and provide input for the 3rd Annual WNY Tree Fruit Conference on February 4-5 in Rochester. Please pre-register by December 2th.

View 2024 LOF Advisory Committee Meeting - WNY Winter Fruit Conference Topics Details

Save the Date - Western NY Fruit Conference - February 4-5, 2025

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 4 - February 5, 2025 : Western NY Fruit Conference
Rochester, NY

For the 2nd year in a row, we'll be having the Western NY Fruit Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Rochester!  It will be another 1 1/2 day conference. Stay tuned for program and registration info as we get closer.

View Save the Date - Western NY Fruit Conference - February 4-5, 2025 Details

Announcements

NERME Farm Grant Interest Survey - HMR & Audit/UL

NEED FREE HELP WITH HRM AND AUDIT/ULP COMPLIANCE ON YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! Just take click the link and fill out the survey.
https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7WFe9dfU4dfct8y

Save the Date! - Scroll down for Upcoming Events

Have you missed a meeting recently? Scroll down for available recordings or pdf links or visits our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeOntarioFruitProgram

2024 Events:

22-23 Oct - Farm & Food Workers Relief Program Application - Online & In Person, Apply Now

6 Dec - Lake Ontario Fruit Program Advisory Committee Meeting - more details to come 

Feb 4-5, 2025 - Western NY Fruit Conference - DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Rochester



Webinar Recordings & Additional Meeting Materials

Check out the recordings of some recent webinars and/or conference materials from in person events: Recordings and Playlists are available at https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeOntarioFruitProgram

Recording of Precision Apple Cropload MANagement PACMAN technologies at the 2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour. https://youtu.be/yE6thvf4z0E

2024 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series - Water Wisdom: 
1/4 - Trends In Water Availability
2/4 - The Role of Water In Tree Fruit Physiology & Quality
3/4 - Smart Watering: Practices for Irrigation Management
4/4 - Water Wisdom Unplugged


2024 8-12 mm Thinning Meeting

2024 Capital Region & Western NY Petal Fall Thinning Meeting

2024 Statewide Pink Meeting

2024 Cornell Statewide Frost Protection Webinar

2024 Winter Fruit Webinars playlist on the NYS IPM Program YouTube Channel

2nd Annual Lake Ontario Fruit Program's Winter Fruit Conference - 2024 pdfs

PACMAN Details and Resources, Meeting Recording Links below:
Developers Conference for Precision Crop Load Management of Apples Playlist - 2024
PACMAN Briefing - 2023








Scaffolds podcast

Many of you probably read Art Agnello's statewide tree fruit updates and recommendations newsletter, "Scaffolds". Dr. Monique Rivera is bringing it back, but in a new audio version. Episode one was recorded this week, and is now available for free online at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scaffolds


NYS Tree Decline Survey

Your answers could help find the solution to tree decline in the orchard.
NYS Tree Decline Survey


Food Safety Virtual Office Hours

Cornell Institute of Food Safety "Virtual Office Hours", Tuesdays Noon to 1pm https://cals.cornell.edu/institute-for-food-safety/resources/virtual-office-hours

Past recorded virtual office hours can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZJs5b7KUuvfcquH3ZtQHo5dSmF2m5MdQ


Pollinator Resouces

Now available Pollinator Resource Links


Meeting Recordings Now Available

Did you miss the recent meeting?  Check and see if we recorded it and added it to our website or Lake Ontario Fruit Program YouTube Channel.

Honeycrisp Meetup recordings available here.

Why are my trees growing so poorly? recording available here.

Additional Recorded Webinars listing with recording and resource link are available at
https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=838&crumb=crops|crops|apples|crop*38



New Publication on Growing Pawpaws

Are you a fan of pawpaws? These custardy fruits can be hard to come across, so this guide provides information on how to grow your own pawpaw from seed, and how to care for grafted seedlings. Pdf on growing now available.​ https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=799&crumb=crops|crops|unusual_fruit|crop*50

New Weed Management Technology Survey

Want to move away from herbicide reliance? Are you using novel technologies to manage weeds? We want to know about it to inform our weed science research. A team of weed scientists from University of California Davis, Oregon State University, and Cornell University are asking berry, tree fruit, tree nut, and vine crop growers to take 5 to 10 minutes and answer this short and anonymous survey. Weed Technology Survey link: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEpfAijoP7puQDP

For more information on this survey please visit http://blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2020/12/02/new-weed-management-technology/


Pollinator Webinar Series - Summer 2020

The Pollinator Webinar Series presented by Penn State cover bee health and pollination services.



Bloom Pesticides for Pollinator Health

A reference table created by Janet van Zoeren and Anna Wallis, is now available at https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=711&crumb=pests|pests.

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