Four Highlights You May Have Missed At Great Lakes Expo

A record number of exhibitors and one of the largest groups of attendees on record converged in Grand Rapids, MI, for the 2014 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo. You’ll be reading in depth about much of the information we uncovered during the Expo in American and Western Fruit Grower and on GrowingProduce.com over the coming weeks and months. Here are just a few of the highlights.

1. Michigan Tree Fruit Commission Update
Over the last 10 years, Michigan’s fruit research stations have lost 50% of their funding. After a vote last summer, the state’s tree fruit industry has agreed to chip in and provide funds to help make up the difference. The newly formed Michigan Tree Fruit Commission expects to raise $800,000 over the next year to help with research through assessments on apples, cherries, peaches, and plums. The Commission will also be looking for matching funds from the state to support research and ensure that much needed work continues to help growers in Michigan and beyond.

The Phil Brown mechanical-assist apple harvesting machine as seen on the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo trade show floor. (Photo credit: Richard Jones)

The Phil Brown mechanical-assist apple harvesting machine as seen on the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo trade show floor. (Photo credit: Richard Jones)

Advertisement

2. Mechanical Harvesting Research
Even with recent developments in Washington, there seems to be no real end in sight to growers’ labor issues. With availability down and costs continuing to rise, research continues on ways to reduce or eliminate labor wherever possible through mechanical means. Michigan State University’s (MSU) Carlos Garcia-Salazar pointed out that harvesting is the most expensive part of blueberry production, running at up to 60% of a grower’s costs. He pointed out that his research with a number of different harvesters shows mechanical harvesting can cut costs from 60 cents/pound (for hand harvest) all the way down to 25 cents/pound. But with harvesting machines running upwards up $100,000, it’s not a simple change to make for most growers.

MSU’s Ron Perry shared his work on over-the-row mechanical fruit harvesting in tart cherries using a rotary-type blueberry harvester. To this point, the machines seems to be a promising option with the Montmorency variety with relatively little damage to the fruit. Perry says growers will need a relatively compact canopy to work with the equipment.

Top Articles
Equipment Updates Propel Davidian's Farm Market Into The Future

We also got a full look at the much-talked-about Phil Brown mechanical-assist apple harvesting machine on the trade show floor. The company expects to have the combination harvesting platform and vacuum unit in the field in 2015.

3. Precision Orchard Management
Rod Farrow, Lamont Fruit Farm, gave an excellent presentation on the goals and how-tos of precision orchard management. He points out that if you’re not taking advantage of these techniques to keep the right number of fruit on each tree, you’re leaving money on the table every season — a lot of it. The goal of prevision management is to identify the optimal number of fruit you want per tree. Hitting that number drives optimum fruit size and yield per acre, and maximizes income.By analyzing and consistently managing cropload, you can improve the quality of the apples you deliver to the packing house. “That is the single easiest way to increase your income,” Farrow says.

4. Biocontrols
Biopesticides and biocontrols continue to be a hot topic for produce growers. Ben Phillips, Vegetable Educator with MSU Extension led a morning-long workshop to walk fruit, vegetable, and greenhouse growers of all sizes through the basics — and more— of using biological pest controls in your crops. Attendees even got a container with various samples of biocontrols along with a hand lens to look at during the sessions and help with identification.

If you want to learn more about using biocontrols in your crops, you may want to consider attending the Biocontrols 2015 Conference and Tradeshow held March 2-5.

0