April 2024 | Volume 15, Issue 1
Inside this issue:
- UMD Plant Diagnostic Plant Laboratory Director Retires!
- Nematode Sampling
- 2024 Fruit and Vegetable Production Meeting Summaries and Slides
- 2024 Strawberry Twilight Tour
- EPA Warns Farmworkers about Risks of Dacthal
- Peach Bronzing: Insights into a Troublesome Skin Disorder
- Maryland Pesticide News, Volume 14
UMD Plant Diagnostic Plant Laboratory Director Retires!
Dr. Karen Rane, Director of the University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, will be retiring on April 30, 2024. In order to have enough time to complete diagnostic samples, samples will be accepted until April 15, when the lab will be temporarily closed until a new Director is in place. In the interim, the diagnosticians at universities in neighboring states have graciously agreed to accept commercial plant problem samples from Maryland growers, landscapers and extension professionals. Home gardening inquiries from Maryland clients will continue to be served by the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center’s Ask Extension website: https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-resources/program-areas/home-and-garden-information-center/ask-extension/
The following University labs will accept Maryland samples from commercial clients and extension professionals. Please contact your local extension office and the laboratories prior to sending samples. Fees vary based on the lab.
- University of Delaware: https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/sustainable-production/plant-diagnostic-clinic/
- Penn State University: https://plantpath.psu.edu/about/facilities/plant-disease-clinic
- Virginia Tech: https://spes.vt.edu/affiliated/plant-disease-clinic.html
The search has begun for a new Director of the University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Lab, and we anticipate that the lab will re-open sometime this summer
2024 National Agritourism Survey Seeking Input From Farms That Welcome Visitors
U.S. agricultural and aquaculture operators who welcome visitors — whether for on-farm education, direct sales, entertainment, recreation, special events and more — are invited to provide input about the forms of support they access and the challenges they face via an online survey, which will remain open until April 30, 2024. This survey is part of a collaborative project led by Penn State with the University of Vermont, Oklahoma State University, the University of Maine, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, and other partners across the country. The goal of the project is to develop research-based information and guidance for farmers looking to diversify their incomes through agritourism activities. If you work with agritourism or aquatourism operators, please help spread the word. Below is some text you could share with your networks. Thank you for your assistance!
Apple Maturity Assessments
Video Length: 5:54 | Date: September 19, 2023
Description: In this video, two graduate students at the #FarcuhLab, at @agnrmaryland demonstrate how to determine apple harvest maturity and optimal harvest dates by using different maturity indices, including changes in fruit background and surface color, fruit firmness, starch contents, and soluble solids contents. This is important as an individual maturity index cannot explain the true maturity status of an apple. These indices should be monitored at least 4 weeks before the anticipated commercial harvest. Happy harvesting!
Vegetable & Fruit News, April 2024, Volume 15, Issue 1 (pdf)
Vegetable & Fruit News is a research-based publication for the commercial vegetable and fruit industry available electronically from April through October. Published by the University of Maryland Extension Agriculture and Food Systems team.
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EDITOR
Emily Zobel
University of Maryland Extension Agent - Dorchester County
501 Court Lane, Room 208
Cambridge, MD 21613
Phone: (410) 410-228-8800
Email: ezobel@umd.edu
Note: Registered Trade Mark® Products, Manufacturers, or Companies mentioned within this newsletter are not to be considered as sole endorsements. The information has been provided for educational purposes only.