Spring Meeting Resources

Resources from the 2020 spring meetings in pdf, recorded webinar, and video format will be linked here as they become available.
For Upcoming Meeting in this series please check https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=1429
Pruning Honeycrisp for Annual Production Video - Precision pruning is a strategy to reduce the flower bud number per tree to a pre-defined flower bud number through pruning. This video explains how to manage Honeycrisp flower bud load with an optimum of 1.8 flower buds (left after pruning) relative to final fruit number. Honeycrisp growers should use flower bud counts before and after pruning to precisely leave an optimum number of flower buds to guarantee annual production (and reduce biennial bearing) every year. The video also shows how to dissect and identify a Honeycrisp floral bud from a vegetative bud. This video focuses on Honeycrisp, however it contains basic pruning techniques that can be applied to all tall spindle orchards.
Spring Pink Meeting Videos held on May 11: Recording on YouTube is separated into 6 individual videos based on the topics below. See related slides in pdf file below.
Topics/Speakers:
- Counting flower buds/readjusting bud load via pruning at pink, and blossom thinning considerations - T. Robinson and M. Miranda Sazo (live from a Honeycrisp orchard at VanDeWalle Fruit Farm in Wayne County)
- Foliar sprays/ground applications/protocol for Peel SAP analysis of Honeycrisp - L. Cheng and M. Miranda Sazo
- Early 2020 Season Disease Update - K. Cox
- Spring insect management priorities - A. Agnello
- Factors to consider to optimize pollination this spring - J. van Zoeren
- Questions and answers
Spring Bloom Meeting Video held on May 21: Recording on YouTube. See related slides in pdf file below.
- Dr. Terence Robinson will be providing recommendations for bloom thinning in biennial varieties (plus Gala), with up-to-date information based on assessments of freeze damage across the region.
- This meeting is being sponsored by Andrew Dulude at OESCO INC. PO Box 540, 8 Ashfield Road (Rte 116), Conway, Ma. 01341 (413)369-4335 (w), (800)634-5557 (Toll free), adulude@oescoinc.com
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Recommendations Meeting Part 1 held on May 27. See related slides in pdf file below.
- Presentation/Recommendations from Dr. Terence Robinson, Cornell University
- Additional Info from Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF
- Q & A
- This meeting is sponsored by VALENT USA & VALENT BIOSCIENCES
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Recommendations Meeting Part 2 Videos held on May 29. See related slides in pdf files below.
Welcome - Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management, CCE-LOF
Pest Management/Pollination Updates - Intros by Janet van Zoeren, IPM Specialist, CCE-LOF
- Insect Update by Art Agnello, Cornell AgriTech
- Diseases Updates by Awais Khan and Kerik Cox, Cornell AgriTech
- IPM Update by Julie Carroll, Cornell Agritech
- Pollination Update by Maria van Dyke, Cornell University
Labor/Crop/Business Management "COVID-19" Updates - Intros by Mark Wiltberger, CCE-LOF
- Additional Pest Management Q&A
- Labor Update - Paul Baker, Executive Director, New York State Horticultural Society and Mark Wiltberger, CCE-LOF
- COVID-19 Updates- Important Info for your Farm with the Re-opening (NY Forward) and Beyond by Mark Wiltberger, CCE-LOF
- US Crop Update - Matt Wells, US Apple Sales
- Additional Labor/COVID-19/Crop Update
Thinning Recommendations & Conclusion
- Additional Thinning Questions as a Follow up to May 27 Webinar and Recommendations in Fruit Facts- Mario Miranda Sazo
- This meeting is sponsored by VALENT USA & VALENT BIOSCIENCES
Spring 10-13mm Thinning Spray Recommendation Meeting held on June 5: A recording of the webinar is avialable on YouTube. A pdf of the ppt slides from webinar are available below.
- Thinning Recommendations by Terence Robinson
- Questions & Answers by Terence Robinson & Mario Miranda Sazo
PDFs linked that contain slides from presentations provided in Spring Meeting Series Webinars below:
- Table containing minimum temperatures registered for days in April & May as of May 10, 2020. Hours below the minimum critical temperatures before apples experience cold damage. See pdf below.
- Slides presented by speakers during the Spring Pink Meeting webinar.
- Bloom Pesticides for Pollinator Health
- Slides presented by speakers during the Spring Bloom Meeting webinar.
- Slides presented by speakers during the Spring Petal Fall Thinning Recommendations Meeting Part 1
Minimum Temperatures registered as of 10 May 2020 (pdf; 151KB)
- Minimum temperatures registered on April 16-17 & May 5,9,&10
Spring Pink Meeting Powerpoint Slides (pdf; 6958KB)
Spring Bloom Meeting Slides (pdf; 1621KB)
Bloom Pesticides for Pollinator Health (pdf; 588KB)
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Recommendations Meeting Part 1 (pdf; 2503KB)
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Meeting Part 2 - Pollination Update (pdf; 1232KB)
- by Maria van Dyke
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Meeting Part 2 - Petal Fall Disease Update (pdf; 1645KB)
- by Kerik Cox
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Meeting Part 2 - Insect Update (pdf; 6092KB)
- by Art Agnello
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Meeting Part 2 - Apple Disease Research Update (pdf; 1007KB)
- by Awais Kahn
Spring Petal Fall Thinning Meeting Part 2 - IPM Update (pdf; 679KB)
- by Juliet Carroll
Spring 10-13mm Thinning Spray Recommends (pdf; 2166KB)
Upcoming Events
2025 Wayne County - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training
March 13, 2025 : DEC Certified Applicator Pre-Exam Training Day 1
Newark, NY
This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.
March 17, 2025 : DEC Certified Applicator Pre-Exam Training Day 2
Newark, NY
This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.
Introduction to Tree Fruit Production
February 27, 2025
March 6, 2025
March 13, 2025
March 17, 2025
March 20, 2025
March 24, 2025
March 27, 2025
April 3, 2025
Thursdays: February 27 - April 3, with two additional Monday webinars on March 17 and March 24
Tree fruit are an important component of the agricultural and homeowner landscape. This course, which offers eight live webinars for its 2025 offering, trains beginning tree fruit growers in fundamental concepts in orchard planning and management.
Cornell Fruit Winter Webinars
January 17, 2025 : Week 1: Digging into Pruning and Soil Health
Speakers: Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE LOFP) and Dr. Debbie Aller (Cornell CALS)
January 31, 2025 : Week 2: Cider Apples - Mechanized Harvesting and Sweet Cider Food Safety
Speakers: Dr. Greg Peck (Cornell CALS) and Dr. Randy Worobo (Cornell CALS)

February 14, 2025 : Week 3: The Value of "Eco-Friendly" Marketing - OMRI Certification, Red Tomato, EcoApple, NYS Grown
Speakers: Liz Higgins (CCE ENYCHP), Josh Morgenthau (Fish Kill Farms), Jim Bittner (Bittner-Singer Orchard, and Kevin Clark (Rose Hill Farm)

February 28, 2025 : Week 4: Biopesticides and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for Berries
Speaker(s): McKenzie Schessl (Cornell AgriTech) and Samantha Willden (Cornell AgriTech)

March 14, 2025 : Week 5: St. Peachtrick's Day: Stone Fruit Insect and Disease Management
Speakers: Dr. George Sundin (Michigan State University) and Brett Blaauw (University of Georgia)