Oliver May of Discovery Vineyard in Central Washington rigged up subsurface irrigation for replanted Cabernet Sauvignon vines by using a drip irrigation emitter to divert water directly to the roots via a PVC pipe inserted in the ground. The method is helping the young vines, replanted in 2022 after rogueing for grapevine leafroll disease, catch up to their mature neighbors that were planted in 2005. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower) A method of irrigating wine grapes belowground is catching on. Several vineyards in Washington and other grape-growing areas in the American West are putting to use ..read more

University of California, Santa Cruz, assistant professor Colleen Josephson is developing an inexpensive soil moisture sensor that uses radio frequency. (Source: Colleen Josephson/University of California, Santa Cruz; Jared Johnson/Good Fruit Grower) A California researcher is developing a remote soil moisture sensor that uses radio signals and would be many factors cheaper than those currently on the market. Colleen Josephson, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of California, Santa Cruz, has built a prototype of a passive radio-frequency tag that ..read more

Bindweed in a Michigan tart cherry orchard. Bindweed, Canada thistle and other perennial weeds are more likely to infest orchards and vineyards, which have long-term structures such as trees and vines that aren’t rotated annually. (Courtesy Karen Powers/Michigan State University) Growers need multiple methods of weed control, because even though herbicides are highly effective, their overuse leads to resistance, said Michigan State University assistant professor and weed scientist Erin Burns. Burns, who normally works with row crops, discussed integrated weed management — a subset of integrate ..read more

California cherry growers expect to harvest a 10.2-million-box crop with relatively normal timing, according to the crop estimate released by the California Cherry Board this week.  Harvest is expected to start in late April, according to the estimate, with peak volumes between May 15 and June 6.  Northwest Cherry Growers plans to release its first-round estimate after the five-state meeting on May 15. Northwest packers report plans to start shipping in late May or early June.  —by Kate Prengaman The post California Cherry Board releases crop estimate first appeared on Good Frui ..read more

This map of snowpack across Washington as of April 16 shows the snow water equivalent falling far below normal. This led the state’s Department of Ecology to issue a drought emergency on April 16. (Courtesy USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) On April 16, the state of Washington declared a drought emergency for almost the entire state, citing snowpack at 68 percent of normal and warm, dry conditions in the forecast. “There is simply not enough water contained in mountain snow and reservoirs to prevent serious impacts for water users in the months ahead,” according to a news release fr ..read more

This state-of-the-art fertigation system was an investment for Sauk Farm, a 20-acre organic tree fruit farm in Washington’s Skagit Valley, but grower Griffin Berger says it’s a critical part of his approach to “build resiliency in the trees.” (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower) No recipe exists for regenerative organic apple growing in the western foothills of Washington’s Cascade Range, a world away — climate-wise — from the apple industry’s epicenter east of those mountains.  “We don’t have the luxury of five generations of knowledge,” said Griffin Berger, who co-owns Sauk Farm with his fat ..read more

A wood chipper makes quick work of a removed orchard block near Quincy, Washington, in March. This process marks the first step for a new industry partnership known as The Soil Center, which aims to transform ag waste products from orchard and livestock operations into carbon-rich soil amendments. (Courtesy The Soil Center) In Royal City, Washington, hungry worms happily munch on wood chips and dairy waste — filtering water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and giving a second life to ripped-out orchards.  The success of the worm farm system at Royal Family Farming inspired its owners, t ..read more

Overhead irrigation of blueberries during bloom in late May 2023 at Michigan State University’s Trevor Nichols Research Center in Fennville. During periods of extreme heat at bloom, MSU researchers recommend overhead watering to help protect pollen from heat damage. (Courtesy Rufus Isaacs/Michigan State University) Until recently, Michigan blueberry growers didn’t have to worry too much about extreme heat during bloom. May temperatures in Michigan generally range from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But in two of the past six seasons — 2018 and 2022 — temperatures reached higher than 90 degrees i ..read more

Washington and Oregon cherry growers are eligible for emergency loans following crop losses in 2023. In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Oregon’s request for a natural disaster designation after the state’s cherry growers lost an average of 35 percent of their crop.  The designation cites two weather events in July that caused crop loss: excessive rain in Hood River County and a drought and heat event in Wasco County, according to a news release from the Oregon governor’s office. Under this designation, growers in the primarily impacted counties and neighboring counti ..read more

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from the April 1 print edition to reflect that the launch of the new cost-of-production calculator website has been delayed.  Trent Ball, a Yakima Valley College professor, discusses the wine industry’s updated cost-of-production calculator in February at the WineVit conference in Kennewick, Washington.(Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower) It costs a lot more to operate a vineyard than it did in 2011. So, the Northwest grape industry is updating an online cost-of-production calculator and wants growers to put it to the test. Funded with a Specialty ..read more