Growers of Honeycrisp are familiar with the fight to prevent bitter pit development. Although Honeycrisp is arguably the most well-known variety with bitter pit issues grown today, “it also happens in many other varieties,” Bernardita Sallato, Washington State University, said during her presentatio...

Kurt Babcock, aerial ag tech and Rantizo Application Services contractor, based in Iowa City, Iowa, asked those in attendance at the Great Lakes Expo “Is drone spraying the future of agriculture?” before answering his own query. “It’s a trick question,” he replied. “It is the present of agriculture....

One of the challenges of growing floriculture crops in a controlled environment is ensuring proper nutrition throughout their growth cycles. Because every species of plant has individualized nutritional needs to obtain optimal growth, a one-size-fits-all approach to fertility doesn’t work unless you...

In the sphere of apple orchards, the use of exclusion netting may result in more than one positive outcome. The netting not only keeps pests away, it can also reduce thinning needs as well as fruit set. This topic was researched by Mokhles Elsysy and Todd Einhorn of the Department of Horticulture at...

A good picture can remind someone who is already familiar with your farm to buy something. A great photo will sell it to someone who knows nothing about you. Our customer base for cut flowers very much lives on Instagram and Pinterest so engaging new buyers requires a proficiency in the language of ...

Bunzi was the goddess of rain in Kongo mythology; Horus, the god of weather in Egypt; Freyr, the Norse god of rain and sunshine; and Tohil, the Maya god of sun and rain. Ancient societies prayed to them for good things. Today, we have satellites and expert science to help us predict what the weather...

Agriculture has fed humanity throughout recorded history, but it must continue to evolve alongside technological advances if it is to meet current worldwide food needs. That was the overarching theme of “Utilizing Ground Based Rover Technology Across Fields to Aid in its Management,” a discussion pa...

It was great to attend the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in February. It gave me a chance to catch up with old friends, Extension/research colleagues and growers. I especially wanted to gather information on drip irrigation for this column. I know that growers understand why timel...

Visibility constitutes a key element of any marketing strategy and is often centered around person-to-person brand education. Direct marketers are familiar with brand ambassadors who work with trade associations to bring visibility to an industry. While brand ambassadors may be geared to regional or...