Award-Winning Horticulture Education Resources to Check Out

2020-2021 Penn State Tree Fruit Production Guide: The publication’s goal is to provide growers a one-stop information source on the production, regulatory, and social complex of producing tree fruit.  Color images depict some common problems growers may see in their orchards. Labor regulations are included to keep orchards in compliance with state and federal DOL regulations. A unique aspect of the guide has been the inclusion of a section on marketing that provides information about the social characteristics of customers, new electronic methods to reach customers, and market layout suggestions. The precision agriculture section is new and covers aspects of precision irrigation as well as weather data collection for monitoring orchard environment.  

Florida Citrus Production Guide: The annual publication is aimed to assist commercial citrus growers with their management plans. The guide continues to be a free resource for growers. Last year 2,400 copies of the guide were distributed, with expectations of 2,500 being distributed in 2020. The guide includes 41 chapters that are divided into six sections: 1. General Information; 2. Horticultural Practices; 3. Mites, Insects, and Nematodes; 4. Diseases; 5. Weeds; and 6. Pesticides. Each chapter provides general information about the topic and recommended management practices, including pesticide charts with University of Florida recommendations.  

Protecting Perishable Foods During Transport by Truck and Rail: “The importance of protecting perishable foods from loss of quality during transport has long been recognized. Thus, an updated version of this handbook has been long overdue, addressing both the advances in technology and the importance of food safety considerations in the transport of perishable foods.” — Brian MacGregor, USDA-AMS.  

Huanglongbing (HLB; Citrus Greening) and Nutrient Deficiency Identification: Learning to identify the symptoms of Huanglongbing can be challenging. It is often misdiagnosed with nutrient deficiencies in leaves. This document was created to show a comparison of HLB symptoms and nutrient deficiencies. A simple tool to help an individual determine the difference between the two symptoms is the pen test. A description of the pen test, tools, instructions, and diagnosis are included to aid individuals in learning to properly identify symptoms. This leaflet has been  one of the most popular documents, with more than 1000 copies distributed in the last 4 years among both commercial industry personnel and homeowners  

Survey of Strawberry Production Practices in Virginia: The survey provides a broad overview of the current practices followed by strawberry growers in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the directions to pursue in strawberry research and outreach. This is the first documentation of production practices for strawberry growers in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  

Pomegranate — How to Juice with a Juicer: Pomegranate is a healthy fruit, high in antioxidants and vitamins. However, many people around the world,  especially western culture, are not familiar with how to eat this fruit. This video shows how to access the delicious fruit and juice the results. Since 2018 the video has been viewed more than 6,000 times.  

Establishing a Cider Apple Orchard for Mechanized Management: The fact sheet outlines a management plan for an orchard that is to be mechanically pruned, thinned, and harvested. The bulletin also provides a first-hand account of the authors implementing the detailed plan under maritime climate conditions. The agricultural sector of numerous states has been plagued by labor shortages for multiple years, and long-term strategies for managing this issue has included increasing investment in mechanization. The authors have heard from apple growers across the country (e.g., in local meetings, regional workshops, and national conferences) regarding the value of the publication to their operational success.

Five New Peach and Nectarine Varieties for New Jersey Commercial and Home Orchardists: The content of FS1300 was shared with 426 fruit grower subscribers of the Rutgers Plant and Pest Advisory newsletter. The content was also presented to 322 fruit growers at the Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids, MI; Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey, PA; and New Jersey tree fruit meetings. FS 1300 has been read/downloaded 944 times from the Rutgers NJAES website. These promotions resulted in more than 25,000 trees of these new varieties being ordered for shipment by the Adams County Nursery (ACN), an exclusive licensee for all varieties developed by the Rutgers Tree Fruit Breeding Program.  

Low-Chill Stone Fruit Website: The University of Florida has developed high-quality, low-chilling, early-maturing peach and nectarine cultivars that can be grown in Florida as well as in subtropical climate region around the worlds. Low-chill peach cultivars are those that require fewer chill units (100-250) than those cultivars that originate from temperate climates. The low-chill stone fruit website is the one online resource that features cultural practices about stone fruit production in subtropical climates. The website was updated in 2018 and has been viewed more than 100,000 times. The fact sheet has been viewed more than 19,000 times.  

Purdue Horticulture Business: The website provides long-term pricing reports for the specialty crop industry. The website  has published more than 170 weekly price reports of more than 500 specialty crops sold at Indiana farmers markets. The website has reached more than 31,000 unique page visitors, including farmers, food buyers, and consumers, who now have access to real-time prices and product availability to begin making decisions.

Citrus Nutrition Box Program: A collaborative program between University of Florida and growers was established to demonstrate usefulness of quarterly leaf nutrient analysis to adjust fertilizer for Huanglongbing-affected trees (whose nutrition requirements are different from healthy trees). One-hundred-fifteen growers participated in the program, and each was provided with a box that contained information and supplies to collect leaf and soil samples. The grower would collect the samples, send to the lab, and the UF citrus nutrition team would provide customized recommendations. The year-long program is designed to demonstrate that no one nutrition program fits all, and individualizing citrus nutrition programs can improve tree health.  

2019 Quarterly Publication of Almond, Walnut, and Prune Sacramento Valley Newsletters: Amid increasing orchard acreage and reduced University of California Cooperative Extension orchard advisor appointments, advisors in the eight counties of the Sacramento Valley formed collaborative newsletters to increase their impact. Quarterly newsletters for almonds, walnuts, and prunes provide a compelling model to better serve the approximately 1 million acres of tree nuts and fruit crops in the Valley. The team has created a sustained connection, with more than 5,000 newsletter recipients, and together published more than 50 articles in 2019 alone. These articles reached an even greater impact through publishing on the SacValleyOrchards.com website and frequent reprints from agricultural media.