Orchard Outlook

In this episode, I forecast that you’ll learn a lot about weather stations. Their components. How to site them for reliable results. Installing and maintaining them. I sense a clear conversation about collecting weather information with our guest, Jonathan Buffet.

Guest: Jonathan Buffett is the founder and manager of the Cape Breton Mesonet, a network of community-owned and operated weather stations in Cape Breton and the eastern mainland. Jonathan also works as a Meteorological Inspector for Environment and Climate Change Canada by day. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, he is extremely passionate about our local climate, focusing mainly on data collection at the mesoscale/micro-climate level.

Show notes:

Cape Breton Mesonet: www.capebretonweather.ca

In this podcast, Perennia representatives mention the Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station but it is neither an endorsement of the technology nor a suggestion that similar technologies are ineffective.

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

This episode is Part 2 of 2 on effective and efficient spraying. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 you should give it a go first. In Part 2 now, the stories about spraying continue, with our guest Dr. Jason Deveau. He will answer confusing questions about spray concentration and then explain crop-adapted spraying.

Guest: Dr. Jason Deveau is the application technology specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, or he is more commonly known as spray guy. Jason has literally written the book on airblast spraying and he joins us after recently publishing the second edition with colleagues.

Show notes:

Airblast 101 book: https://sprayers101.com/airblast101/

Sprayers 101 website: https://sprayers101.com

Micron woman comic book: https://sprayers101.com/micronwoman/

Exploding sprayer myths videos: https://sprayers101.com/articles/multimedia/myths/

Snapcard app: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/grains/snapcard-spray-app

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

In episode Part 1 of 2, our guest Dr. Jason Deveau blasts through common questions about spraying. Don’t let your thoughts drift through the air as we cover goodies like pesticide labels, leaf area coverage, product concentration, and the practicality of making adjustments. We certainly won’t drench you with information. We’ve got our eye on the target, and that’s effective and efficient spraying.

Guest: Dr. Jason Deveau is the application technology specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, or he is more commonly known as spray guy. Jason has literally written the book on airblast spraying and he joins us after recently publishing the second edition with colleagues.

Show notes:

Airblast 101 book: https://sprayers101.com/airblast101/

Sprayers 101 website: https://sprayers101.com

Micron woman comic book: https://sprayers101.com/micronwoman/

Exploding sprayer myths videos: https://sprayers101.com/articles/multimedia/myths/

Snapcard app: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/grains/snapcard-spray-app

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

There is a real science to disrupting fertilization to keep early flowers and remove late flowers. Yes, the timing is uncomfortable, and the results can be inconsistent, so we’ll explore one way to improve our confidence with this process – the pollen tube growth model (PTGM).

Guest: Michael Basedow is the Tree Fruit Specialist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension and part of a regional program called the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program. Michael was recently featured in an article for his work on trialing a decision-support tool for blossom thinning.

Show notes:

Article by The Good Fruit Grower “Thinning decisions by the numbers”: https://www.goodfruit.com/thinning-decisions-by-the-numbers/

Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA): http://newa.cornell.edu

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

Today’s guest is going to filter through the horticultural information to give us a taste of growing fruit for hard cider. In this episode we’ll focus on the production challenges and economics of growing specialized cider varieties. The information might be refreshing or sobering!

Guest: Dr. Gregory Peck is an assistant professor of horticulture at Cornell University in the School of Integrative Plant Science. A common thread across his research is to facilitate economic sustainability in the tree fruit industry. He was awarded Grower Advocate of the year in 2018 by the American Cider Association.

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

Bernard came recommended for his research on climate resilience in food systems. He has heard from our local growers in Eastern Canada and is interested in grower-led solutions. Prepare to value your local knowledge and learn what you have to offer in climate discussions.

Guest: Bernard Soubry is a writer, a researcher, and a hiatused farming apprentice torn between Oxford, UK, and Eastern Canada. His current research focuses on how food systems can adapt to climate change.

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

Dr. Denise Neilsen understands root architecture and she uses that knowledge to help explain the precision management of water and nutrients. She explains the effect of drought stress and why the timing and frequency of irrigation matters.

Guest: Dr. Denise Neilsen is a retired Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Summerland, British Columbia. She was the co-recipient of the IFTA Research Award in 2014 and the distinguished Carlson Lecturer.

Website: www.perennia.ca

Host: Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

Dr. Agnello joins us at a time when orchards full of tender young leaves are susceptible to damage by potato leafhopper. He brings an entomology lens to the issue and isn’t fooled by hopperburn.

Guest: Dr. Arthur Agnello is the Tree Fruit Extension Entomologist at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York – and you might recognize him as the editor of the Scaffolds newsletter. His interest in insects led him to his longstanding role in research and extension.

Website: www.perennia.ca

Follow us on Twitter: @nsperennia @nstreefruit

Connect with us on: Instagram: @nsperennia Facebook: @nsperennia

Music: A Sunny Day by J. Tones

Logo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.

Email us at: [email protected]

Dr. Peter explores the fuzzy fungi that cause powdery mildew and a slew of summer rots including black rot and bitter rot. Then shifting our focus from fungal diseases to bacterial, she explains how to curb the spread of a tumour-like growth known as crown gall and infamous fire blight infections.

Dr. Kari Peter is an Associate Research Professor of Tree Fruit Pathology who loves to help with a burning question about tree fruit diseases! She is located at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, Pennsylvania.

Tom shares insights from his research program that is focused on replant management for perennial fruit crops and the ecology and management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Tom explains exactly who is taking microscopic munches out of your root systems and feeding on productivity.

Dr. Tom Forge is a research soil ecologist and nematologist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. He’s captivated by the diversity of micro-animals in the soil – especially nematodes that are economically important plant parasites.