Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Fruit tree growers, including organic fruit tree growers, growers in transition to organics, and conventional growers with potential interest on transitioning to organics, and organic vegetable growers with a potential interest in growing fruit trees. Researchers Extension agents General public Changes/Problems:During the project, there were some years that we could not use the field trials in some locations because their crop was destroyed by freeze damage. Nevertheless, we always had other orchards in other states that were not impacted. In 2020, we could not perform in-person consumer surveys but we did them online using social media outlets and were successful at reaching out to an appropriate number of participants and collect the information we needed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Throughout the duration of this project, we have had several presentations to growers such as those given at the UF/IFAS Emerging Agricultural Enterprises Summit: Crops, Livestock and Aquaculture, and stone fruit field days, Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, or the Organic Agriculture Research Forum (organized by the Organic Farming Research Foundation). Students also presented their research as seminars to Extension agents and other graduate students to educate them and train them about this practice. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to communities of interest through an eOrganic article, presentations at the Organic Agriculture Research Forum, the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference, the UF/IFAS Emerging Agricultural Enterprises Summit, and scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science (both national and regional conference, several years). Furthermore, results have been disseminated through research articles, blogs, factsheets and press releases, as described in the Products section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The addition of paper bags to the farm's pest management program could allow organic farmers to grow peaches profitably and sustainably in the southeastern U.S. Paper bags are a physical barrier that can significantly reduce incidence and severity of damage caused by insect and disease pests, especially for those that farmers do not have efficacious OMRI approved formulations. Using paper bags, high-quality organic peaches can be produced even under the high pest and disease pressure conditions of the southeast. Bags do not increase tree yield but increase the percentage of marketable fruit as they reduce the amount of fruit injured by pests and diseases. While bagging increases labor costs, we are seeing how the main impediment in adoption of bagging as a strategy used at large commercial peach farms is not labor cost per se but the availability of labor. Our consumer surveys indicated consumer willingness to pay for bagged organic peaches (i.e. peaches that have not received organic pesticides after bags were placed, about a month after bloom) allows the grower to cover costs (including labor) and sell at a higher price than non-bagged peaches; however, most large commercial peach growers in the southeastern U.S. do not have the workers needed to bag a large acreage as they mostly depend on H2A laborers, and they do not decide the number of H2A laborers needed just for one activity (in this case, bagging) but for the entire crop season. On the contrary, we saw how small growers that run family-owned farms are much more open to adopt this strategy, as they can bag fruit based on local labor that is hired for specific periods of time. For the same reason, and also because of the consumer interest in this type of product seems to be greater at farmer markets, we foresee bagged peaches can preferentially reach local farmer-markets where growers can also get a better price for their produce. Research was conducted at the University of Florida (UF), University of Georgia (UGA), and Clemson University (CU). These research studies included on-farm projects and consumer surveys carried out throughout these states. As a result, one doctoral dissertation (UF), one master's thesis (CU), scientific papers, numerous student presentations at scientific and grower conferences (some of the students received awards for their presentations), blogs and news releases in different outlets throughout the southeastern U.S. were produced. While the project already ended, a factsheet is also currently being produced.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Campbell, D., Brecht, J.K., Sarkhosh, A., Liburd, O. and Treadwell, D. 2021. Photoselective-light impacts on fruit bagging microclimate, quality, and nutrients of peach. HortScience, 56(11): 1354-1362
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Campbell, D. Optimization of cultural practices to improve tree fruit quality and yield in Florida. University of Florida. March 2021.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2021/10/25/uf-study-place-bags-on-peaches-to-help-keep-pests-diseases-away/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Article in a trade (grower) magazine: https://www.growingproduce.com/fruits/letting-a-healthy-peach-crop-out-of-the-bag-literally
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kule, A.K. Fruit Bagging: a Small-Grower and Consumer Horticultural Practice across The Southeastern United States. Clemson University. November 2020.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Kim, J., Melgar, J.C., Adhikari, K. and Chavez, D.J. Comparing Bagged Organic Peach to Regular Organic Peach in the Southeastern United States through Consumer Responses. HortScience.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Kule, A.K. and Melgar, J.C. Consumer Perception and Willingness to Pay for Organic Bagged Peaches. Journal of Extension.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Campbell, D., Sarkhosh, A., Brecht, J., Gillett-Kaufman, J.L., Liburd, O., Melgar, J.C. and Treadwell, D. 2020. Bagging Organic Peaches Reduces Physical Injuries and Storage Decay with Minimal Effects on Fruit Quality. HortScience, 56(1): 52-58.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Fruit tree growers, including organic fruit tree growers, growers in transition to organics, and conventional growers with potential interest on transitioning to organics, and organic vegetable growers with a potential interest in growing fruit trees. Researchers Extension agents General public Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Furthermore, a presentation titled "Organic Peach Production" was given at theUF/IFAS Emerging Agricultural Enterprises Summit: Crops, Livestock and Aquaculture on 9 December 2019 in Gainesville, FL to 45 UF/IFAS Extension faculty and agents who participated in the organic track. The UF Stone fruit field day that was originally scheduled for April 28, 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19, but we look forward to participating at future field days. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to communities of interest in 2019-2020 through the eOrganic article, presentations at the Organic Agriculture Research Forum, the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference, the UF/IFAS Emerging Agricultural Enterprises Summit, and scientific conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?An article titled "Comparing bagged to unbagged organic peach in the Southeastern United States through consumer responses" will be submitted to HortScience by the end of August or the beginning of September, 2020. This work was primarily carried out at the University of Georgia by a graduate student under the supervision of Co-PI-Chavez. An extension fact sheet "Organic Peach Production in Florida" written for small and mid-size producers who are certified organic or who desire to use organic practices is in development for submission to the UF/IFAS Extension fact sheet library (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/). All EDIS publications are subject to blind peer review. PI-Melgar and Florida Co-PI-Treadwell met with their graduate students on 14 May 2020 by videoconference to discuss best practices to present peach bagging research to small producers and backyard growers. PI-Melgar and graduate student will write a fact sheet on the use of paper bags in organic peach production. Co-PI-Treadwell and graduate student are planning to provide programming via short videos for stakeholders in Florida that are interested in organic peach fruit production.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The addition of paper bags to the farm's pest management program could allow organic farmers to grow peaches profitably and sustainably in the southeastern U.S. Using paper bags, high-quality organic peaches can be produced even under high pest and disease pressure conditions of the southeast. Bags do not seem to increase tree yield but increase the percentage of marketable fruit as they reduce the amount of fruit injured by pests and diseases. While bagging increases labor costs, we are seeing how the main impediment in adoption of bagging as a strategy used at large commercial peach farms is not labor cost per se but the availability of labor. Our consumer surveys indicate consumer willingness to pay for bagged organic peaches (i.e. peaches that have not received pesticides after bags were placed, about a month after bloom) allows the grower to cover costs (including labor) and sell at a higher price than non-bagged peaches; however, most large commercial peach growers in the southeastern U.S. do not have the workers needed to bag a large acreage as they mostly depend on H2A laborers, and they do not decide the number of H2A laborers needed just for one action (in this case, bagging) but for the entire crop season. On the contrary, we are seeing how small growers that run family-owned farms are much more open to adopt this strategy, as they can bag fruit based on local labor that is hired for specific periods of time. For the same reason, and also because of the consumer interest in this type of product seems to be greater at farmer markets, we foresee bagged peaches canpreferentially reach local farmer-markets where growers can also get a better price for their produce. Major activities completed, data collection, and highlighted results: Research was conducted at the University of Florida, University of Georgia, and Clemson University. At the University of Florida, research was conducted by a doctoral candidate on-station, and on-farm for two projects investigating the effects of white paper bags with and without color inserts on peach fruit. Data collected included fruit quality, arthropod pest and pathogen injury, insect attraction, temperature/relative humidity inside the bag, and anthocyanin content. Laboratory analysis continued through July 2019. A manuscript covering results from the two-year on-farm experiment conducted on a USDA certified organic peach orchard has been prepared and will be submitted to HortScience in August 2020. A second manuscript on the colored bag study is nearly ready for committee review. Furthermore, the candidate successfully passed his oral Ph.D. qualification exam in February 2020 and was awarded one of six university-wide Graduate School Mentoring Awards in April 2020 for service mentoring undergraduate and high school students during his graduate education. The study at the University of Georgia compared consumer perception of bagged vs. unbagged organic peaches based on consumer panels. In addition, instrumental analyses were made between samples to characterize if major differences were present between samples. Compared to the control peaches, the bagged peaches were statistically smaller in size with less weight (although the difference in size did not reflect a change in grading category for the grower), a higher L* value for the lighter side of the skin, greater Kramer shear force required to slice, and a higher aroma liking score (p ≤ 0.05). However, there were no differences in the total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, compression, puncture, and rest of the liking scores (appearance, flavor, sweetness, sourness, and texture). Majority of the consumers considered buying peaches from the nearby/local areas as important and considered appearance (absence of blemishes), firmness, and more aroma as the key characteristics for peaches, in general. Most of the consumers (69%) had not heard about 'bagged peaches.' After being informed about definition, advantages, and disadvantages of bagged peach, ~63% of the consumers expressed positive attitude toward bagged peaches and ~60% indicated that they would become consumers of bagged peaches, and 47% were willing to pay more for them in the market. Bagged peaches have the potential to be competitive in the market provided that the consumers are made aware of enhanced quality of the fruits due to the bagging process. At Clemson University, this year we focused on two aspects: (1) consumer surveys and (2) composting of bags. Surveys were carried out with real customers at real farmers markets. A graduate student interviewed consumers at farmers markets in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Data showed that more than 50% of consumers buy organically grown peaches sometimes and, while there were differences based on the demographics and location of the farmer's market, consumer would be willing to pay up to $0.85 (average) extra per pound of peaches. Our cost-benefit analysis determined that a grower would cover costs if consumers pay $0.10 per pound more than the average cost of non-bagged peaches. Also, we have seen how removal and destruction of used bags may be a limitation for certain growers, as bags cannot be recycled at most local paper-recycling facilities. When consumers were asked about it, more than 90% of the consumers considered composting these bags instead of burning them or sending them to the landfill was important. Thus, a graduate student has started looking at composting them and this work is expected to provide valuable data within the next year. Key accomplishments: An eOrganic article on peach bagging titled "How to use paper bags to protect organic peaches from insects and diseases in the southeastern United States" has been published eXtension. The article was published on December 11, 2019, is open-access, and can be found at https://eorganic.org/node/25727 (see citation 1) Preliminary findings on the colored bag experiment were presented by the doctoral candidate at the University of Florida in a poster at the 2019 ASA, CSSA and SSSA International Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX on 12 November 2019 (citation 2). This graduate student also presented final results for the bagging experiment in an oral presentation at the 2020 Southern Region American Society of Horticultural Sciences in Louisville, KY on 1 February 2020, and was awarded first place in the Warren S. Barham Ph.D. Graduate Student Paper Competition (citation 3). A three-minute student presentation and entry in the graduate student Scholars Ignite competition (citation 4) was presented virtually at the American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference in August 2020.The graduate student at the University of Florida also presented final results of the colored bagging experiment (citation 5) virtually at this conference. A Clemson University graduate student presented results of the consumer preference studies at the Organic Agriculture Research Forum 2020 (organized by the Organic Farming Research Foundation; citation 6), and the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference (citation 7), held in Arkansas in January 2020. This student also gave a presentation on the use of paper bags by a growing sector of the population with an interest in growing peaches organically: backyard growers (citation 8)
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Campbell, D., Treadwell, D., Melgar, J.C. and Chavez, D. 2019. How to use paper bags to protect organic peaches from insects and diseases in the Southeastern United States. eOrganic https://eorganic.org/node/25727
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Campbell, D., Sarkhosh, A., Brecht, J., Gillett-Kaufman, J. and Treadwell, D. 2019. Effects of altered light transmission environments on quality and anthocyanin content of bagged peaches. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA International Annual Meeting. Nov. 8-11. San Antonio TX. Poster #1311 https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2019am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/118459
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Campbell, D., Gillett-Kaufman, J., Sarkhosh, A., Brecht, J. and Treadwell, D. 2020. Efficacy of bagging as an alternative insect and disease management tool for peach (Prunus persica L.) in Florida. Oral presentation. Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Sciences Annual Conference. Louisville, KY. Jan. 30- Feb. 2, 2020 http://srashs.org/MeetingPrograms/2020%20Louisville/Program%202020%20200109%20Final.pdf
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Campbell, D., Sarkhosh, A., Brecht, J., Gillett-Kaufman, J., Liburd, O. and Treadwell, D. 2020. Improving organic peach fruit quality in Florida. American Society for Horticultural Sciences Annual Conference, Aug. 10-13, 2020. Virtual presentation. HortScience. 55(9) Sxxx-Sxxx (page number not available at the time of writing this report)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Campbell, D., A. Sarkhosh, J. Brecht, J. Gillett-Kaufman, O. Liburd and D. Treadwell. Effects of altered light transmission environments on microclimate, nutrient composition, and quality of bagged peaches. American Soc. Horticultural Sciences Annual Meeting, Aug 10-13, 2020. Virtual. HortScience. 55(9) Sxxx-Sxxx (page number not available at the time of writing this report)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kule, A.K., Melgar, J.C., Vincent, E. and Chavez, D. 2020. Consumer perspectives on fruit bagging: a small grower horticultural practice for southern organic tree orchards. Oral presentation. Organic Agriculture Research Forum 2020. Little Rock, AK. January 23, 2020.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kule, A.K., Melgar, J.C., Vincent, E. and Chavez, D. 2020. Consumer perspectives on fruit bagging: a small grower horticultural practice for southern organic tree orchards. Poster. Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. Little Rock, AK. January 23-26, 2020.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kule, A.K. and Melgar, J.C. 2020. Using paper bags for growing peaches in backyard gardens: a new horticultural practice in the United States. Poster. Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference. Louisville, KY. Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2020.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Fruit tree growers, including organic fruit tree growers, growers in transition to organics, and conventional growers with potential interest on transitioning to organics, and organic vegetable growers with a potential interest in growing fruit trees. Researches Extension agents General public Changes/Problems:We were not able to use two of the organic peach orchards we planned (SC and GA) this year because of cold damage caused by freezing temperatures in March. Nevertheless, since this is a multistate grant with field plots in several organic farms, we were able to have enough fruit from these other orchards. Next year, we plan to use all the organic orchards described in the proposal, provided there is no damage. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Several graduate students have been trained on organic practices in fruit tree orchards, including bagging. Growers, researchers, extension agents, students and the general public weretrained on the use and applications of fruit bags as an alternative method to control insect and disease incidence in peach trees in the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Stone Fruit Field Day. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The graduate students involved in this project, PI and Co-PI'sdiscussed the use of paper bags as a strategy to increase organic peach production with growers, extension agents and researchers at the field day described above, and at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our results from the field studies regarding fruit production and quality are being consistent year after year. Nevertheless, next year we plan to have another field study to produce more economic data on net returns and better understand the advantages and disadvantages of bagging at small-scale vs. big-scale fruit tree farms. Likewise, we will continue performing consumer surveys to understand what are the most important fruit quality characteristics for them, and how much they are willing to pay for it, and translate their responses to our farmers. Our results will be presented again to growers, researchers and extension agents at local, regional and national conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The addition of paper bags to the pest management program or organic farms could allow farmers to grow fruit trees profitably and sustainably in the southeastern U.S. This year results have shown that high quality organic peaches can be produced using bags even under the high pest and disease pressure conditions of the southeast. Once again, our results this year show bags did not increase tree yield, but they significantly reduced the amount of fruit injured by pests and diseases and, increased marketable yield. For objective 1, this year we conducted an on-farm trial at a commercial organic farm in Florida, and analyzed data collected from a farm trial in South Carolina. At the organic farm in Florida, 24 trees were used. The orchard was harvested in May. Results showed that no differences in total yield, fruit size, firmness, total soluble solids or acidity, although bagged fruit was slightly less red (both skin and flesh) than non-bagged fruit. Bagged fruit also showed less "scab-like" lesions due to the protective effect of the bags. Because bagged fruit received less pesticides, we evaluated post-harvest disease incidence of fruit left at room temperature for three days and seven days after harvest. There were no significant differences by the third day after harvest but bagged fruit showed a significantly higher disease (brown rot) incidence seven days after harvest. Results from the trial in South Carolina, including a consumer panel carried out by the University of Georgia, showed that even though there were no differences in fruit yield, size, soluble solids or acidity, overall consumers acceptability of bagged peaches was higher than control (not bagged) peaches, with significantly higher perception of aromatic compounds in bagged peaches compared to not bagged peaches. For objective 2: We calculated cost of bags, and bag installation and removal (assuming 148 fruit/tree and $12/h for labor), and together with the production cost provided by the growers, we estimated that bagging costs $688/ha more than the control (not bagged). However, because the increase in marketable fruit (77.1% for bagged fruit vs. 62% for not bagged fruit), and assuming the same product value, the estimated net return for the grower was higher for the bagged fruit ($15,688/ha) than for the not bagged fruit ($11,716/ha). Nevertheless, our growers highlight that other factors related to the amount of labor required for this activity is the main limitation for increasing the production of bagged peaches. At big scale commercial farms, growers have a limited number of workers since the majority of them are H2A temporary agricultural workers, and they cannot afford having a greater number of workers just for one activity such as bagging. On the other hand, small-scale family-owned farms (where most of the work is done by the family and a few extra workers) seem to be more receptive and willing to use bags. This year we also evaluated the consumer perception by surveying potential consumers in several farmers markets. Surveys were performed at seven farmers markets in Florida (1), South Carolina (4), and Georgia (2) throughout the summer. Results show that bagged peaches are very attractive to consumers in farmers markets. Most surveyees do not perceive and/or do not care about the slight difference in skin color of the bagged peaches, and when they learn about the fact that they have been produced inside bags and have been protected from pesticides, the majority of surveyees say they would prefer to buy bagged peaches, and they would be willing to pay extra for them. Since some of the surveys were performed in August 2019, and we were still analyzing the answers by the time this report is being written, we are not able to provide the average value that surveyees answered at this moment. For objective 3, we disseminated these results at a Stone Fruit Field Day held by the University of Florida, and at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference. Data will be available to the general public shortly at the website 'About peaches' managed by Clemson University.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Kim J, Melgar JC, Adhikari K, and Chavez DJ. 2019. Comparison of the consumer's perception and instrumental analyses of the bagged organic peaches in the Southeastern United States. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Las Vegas, July 22-25.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Kule AK and Melgar JC. 2019. Fruit bagging: a small grower and consumer horticultural practice across the U.S. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Las Vegas, July 22-25.
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Fruit tree growers (including organic fruit tree growers, growers in transition to organics, and conventional growers with potential interest on transitioning to organics) and organic vegetable growers (with a potential interest in growing fruit trees) Researchers Extension agents General public Changes/Problems:This year we were not able to use an orchard in GA because all the production was lost due to a late freeze. There is nothing that could be done in this case because freezes are rare but unavoidable. However, since we have cooperating farmers also in SC and FL, we were able to carry out the studies in these other states. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Several graduate students have been trained on organic practices in fruit tree orchards, including bagging. One of the students is the first author of the eOrganic publication. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI discussed the use of paper bags as a strategy to increase organic peach production with Hispanic growers, extension agents and researchers at the NCAT Hispanic Farmer and Rancher Conference held in Texas. Furthermore, the results of the first year of this research have been disseminated through an eOrganic publication that is going to be posted on the eXtension.org website shortly, and at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Next year we plan to carry out similar on-farm trials in SC, FL, and also in GA. We will continue getting data on the economic analysis by interviewing growers and determining how much bagging costed and what was the benefit of doing it. Furthermore, dissemination efforts include a Stone Fruit Field Day at the University of Florida, and a presentation at the Organic Agriculture Research Forum at the Organicology conference.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The addition paper bags to the pest management program or organic farms could allow farmers to grow fruit trees profitably and sustainably in the southeastern U.S. Based on preliminary results, high quality organic fruit can be produced using bags even under the high pest and disease pressure conditions of the southeast. Bags do not seem to increase tree yield, but results showed that bags significantly reduced the amount of fruit injured by pests and diseases and, as a consequence, increased marketable yield. This strategy also increases labor and material costs and, ultimately, the decision of using bags to help exclude pests and diseases could be based on factors such as packout yield, scale of farm, labor availability, increase in profitability, and existance of niche markets that are willing to pay for this type of product. During this year, the following accomplishments have been achieved: For objective 1: We conducted on-farm trials in two commercial organic farms, one in South Carolina and one in Florida. The bagging strategy was tested at two different production scales: 1) At the organic farm in South Carolina, all the fruit of a total 1,060 peach trees (almost 5 acres) were bagged. The orchard was harvested on the second and third week of July, and bagged fruit was compared to fruit from trees in adjacent rows that were not bagged. Yield, fruit quality, and pest and disease damage was assessed. Since harvest took place close to the deadline of the submission of this report, data analyses have not been finalized yet. 2) At the organic farm in Florida, 24 trees were used. The orchard was harvestd in May. Results showed that there were no differences in total yield, and although bagged fruit was slightly smaller than non-bagged fruit, these difference did not change the commercial category (peach fruit sizing is categorical, and these sizes fall in the same grading category: between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 inches). Total soluble solids were measured as Brix, and bagged fruit had significantly higher Brix than non-bagged fruit. Bagged fruit also had significantly less insect damage, as well as less scab-like lesions (5.7% for bagged fruit, 59.4% for non-bagged fruit) and brown rot presence at harvest (5.2% for bagged fruit, 17.2% for non-bagged fruit) and postharest (27.6% for bagged fruit, 41.7% for non-bagged fruit at 3 days after harvest; 46.6% for bagged fruit, 70.3% for non-bagged fruit, at 7 days after harvest). For objective 2: We calculated the amount of labor hours needed for bagging peaches at the farm in South Carolina. Bagging was performed by a crew of 35 people over three days, for a total of 850 labor hours. Thus, an average of 48 minutes per tree per person were used. We are currently working on the actual cost/benefit analysis for both production systems. For objective 3: This year, our work has been disseminated at a conference in Texas, through an eOrganic publication that is going to be posted on the eXtension.org website shortly, and at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
David Campbell, Danielle Treadwell, Juan Carlos Melgar, and Dario Chavez. 2018. How to use paper bags to protect organic peaches from insects and diseases in the Southeastern United States. eOrganic/eXtension (pending publication)
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience of this project during the first year was 1) the organic growers interested in participating in the project, and 2) the general public. Efforts included discussing the project goals and objectives, and planning measurements and field work with organic growers on one-on-one meetings, and releasing press articles on the impact of this project on peach organic production in the Southeastern U.S. Changes/Problems:In March 2017 we had three nights with freezing temperatures in the mid and low 20's (F) and that in some of the locations where we have experimental fields went down to 19 F. This happened after fruit had set, thus killed 90% of the fruitlets. As a consequence, we were not able to bag fruit. We are planning to request and no-cost extension to get one more year of data since this year we were not able to get them. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Outreach articles featuring this research have been written in different grower magazines, especially magazines for fruit tree growers, for instance in "The Peach News". What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Since we have not been able to collect much data this first year because of the freeze, we are planning to request a no-cost extension to make up for the data we have missed this year. In any case, next year we are planning to carry out the field experiments, measure fruit quality, marketable yield,effect on pest and disease reduction, consumer acceptance, and farm profitability. Likewise, we plan to continue doing outreach efforts to inform organic growers, growers in transition to organic production, conventional growers and general public on the possibilities of increasing peach organic production in the Southeastern U.S. by using paper bags for protecting the fruit.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Because of the devastating freeze we had in mid March of 2017in the Southeastern U.S. that caused peach crop losses of about 90% of the total production, most of the activities planned were not able to becarried out. Basically, we were not able to bag fruit for research because there was not fruit in the field.However, some data have been taken as part of the first objective, including data on temperature and relative humidity conditions inside bags versus outside bags. This data are key to understand the conditions where diseases thrive and why bagging has an impact under our climate.Furthermore, efforts regarding dissemination of this strategy to growers and the general public have been done (objective 3). We think this is important because growers will not be able to sell this product at a premium if the public is not well informed about what a bagged peach is and how they have been produced.
Publications
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