Whether you’re an organic or conventional orchardist — or anything in between — you need to know about the weeds that can harm your orchard and the various strategies for dealing with them before they take over. The best weed control strategy begins with knowing your weeds — the species, […]
The Pomegranate Sorting Technique that Went Viral on Twitter On June 26, 2020, a video posted by Vala Afshar on Twitter depicting a simple fruit-sorting system went viral. In the video, a man rolled individual pomegranates down a set of rods that increased in distance, dropping the pomegranates directly into […]
The greatest challenge of agriculture is producing a thriving, nutrient-rich crop without harming the workers, consumers, and the environment in the process. Spearheaded by the Noble Research Institute, new research into peptides for plant health looks promising as an alternative to conventional pesticides and antibiotics. What Are Peptides? Peptides are […]
There are two kinds of scales (a small insect) that settle on citrus trees in California, causing damage to fruit, leaves, and even the trees themselves. These are the California red scale (Aonidiella aurantii) and yellow scale (Aonidiella citrina). Currently, the California red scale or citrus red scale is a […]
Crop protection is an ongoing challenge for California’s fruit, vegetable, and tree nut growers. Unfavorable climate conditions, depleted soil, pests, and bacterial and fungal diseases can ruin part and even all of a crop — causing significant losses for growers and raising prices for consumers. At a time when many […]
Vernon Peterson, an organic grower at Abundant Harvest, quickly discovered after transitioning to organic agriculture that soil health was essential for growing healthy stone fruit. In an interview with Growing Produce, he explained: “In order to farm organic fruit, soil is your No. 1 concern,” he says. “If you get […]
Stone fruit diseases are many and varied, but they typically come from four main origins: Phytoplasmas Fungus Bacteria Unknown origin Knowing which kind of disease you’re dealing with can help you identify effective methods of prevention and control to protect your fruit and avoid a loss. Here, we’ll take a […]
Who doesn’t love biting into the soft, juicy flesh of a fresh plum? These early to late summer favorites make the perfect snack for picnics in the park, delicious plum pies, prunes, and prune juice for year-round enjoyment. In 2014, fresh plum crops in California were worth $68,475,000 without counting […]
If you were to stroll through the streets and laneways of the Parisian suburb of Montreuil in the 1870s, you would find yourself lost in a maze of 300 hectares of fruiting peach walls. The walls themselves were 2.5-3m tall and more than half a meter wide, covered in limestone […]
Frost damage can become a problem when cold temperatures occur suddenly in spring and autumn — killing shoots, buds, flowers, and bark and giving them a scorched appearance. Fortunately, new growth usually comes through by summer to replace the frost-damaged plant tissues. Here are some facts about frost damage and […]
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