Progress 10/01/22 to 09/30/23
Outputs Target Audience:The primary target audience for this reporting period is commercial growers, crop consultants and representatives of allied industries in Utah and the Intermountain West. The secondary audience is the broader horticultural research community, both in the U.S. and internationally. Changes/Problems:None to report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three graduate students were employed on this project during the reporting period focusing on orchard mapping and precision management (objective 1b). These students were trained in soil sample analysis, GIS, spatial data analysis and use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in agriculture. Two additional undergraduate students also assisted with this project and received training in soil sampling and sample analysis. The three graduate students participated in the 2nd International Symposium for Precision Orchard and Vineyard Management in Tatura, Australia, where they each presented a paper, and interacted with the international scientific community. A research technician was trained in field plot research techniques, fruit quality evaluation and mechanical harvesting. One undergraduate student had the opportunity to prepare and present a research poster on the alternative crop work (elderberry and chokecherry, Obj. 2) at a poster session of the Utah Extension Annual Conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations on the digital cherry management project were prepared and presented to fruit growers in Utah (Utah State Horticulture Association) and Grand Rapids Michigan (Northwest Michigan Orchard and Vineyard show). Demonstrations were also made at an invitation-only research farm open house (11 participants) at the USU Kaysville Research farm. The audience at these presentations represent cherry orchards in Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Utah and Idaho. Four research presentations were made to the international scientific community, including one presentation at the American Society for Horticulture Science, and three at the 2nd International Symposium for Precision Orchard and Vineyard Management. Associated with these presentations, three papers were submitted for peer review to be included in a peer-reviewed conference proceedings (Acta Horticulturae). Progress on the native fruiting work was presented to county and regional Extension professionals at their Extension Annual Conference. This presentation was made by a student intern working on the project. Research results were also reported to a national conference of elderberry growers held in Columbia, Missouri. Progress on high tunnel berry production was reported at two high tunnel workshops hosted by University of Idaho Extension (Caldwell, 6 April; Rigby, 23 March; 121 contacts). Presentations on high tunnel strawberries was also made as part of the Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference (22 Feb, virtual) and a public field day hosted by the USU Student Organic Farm (25 Aug, North Logan, 15 contacts). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The remaining high-density orchards will be monitored through the 2023 season. We are currently working on writing up results from the 2010 planting for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The digital cherry management project will continue in 2024 with the focus shifting from initial mapping to analyzing correlations among mapped parameters. One student involved in this project is planning to conclude her graduate studies in June and her thesis chapters will be submitted for journal publication. The alternative crop work will focus on continued evaluation of elderberry selections and on propagation. As mentioned above, we will begin the evaluation of seedling variability from among the Utah native selections. Active research on high tunnel production in 2024 will be limited to cooperation on strawberry trials conducted by the student organic group, as well as dissemination of earlier results.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1a. Training and pruning of HD cherry orchards. During the 2022 season, we collected growth and productivity data from three different high-density tart cherry plantings. Two of these three orchards are part of an NC-140 coordinated rootstock trial and results are reported in detail under a separate CRIS project. The other planting is a comparison of in-row spacings and renewal pruning strategies. During this reporting cycle, pruning treatments were carried out where appropriate, and all three orchards had both hand and machine harvests for yield. Data were also collected on plant growth and fruit quality. Results from a previous planting terminated in 2022 have been compiled and are currently being analyzed for publication in 2024. Objective 1b. Methods for digital cherry mapping. During the 2023 reporting period, electro-magnetic sensors were used to map soils across 6 orchards in Utah and Idaho, in addition to the 8 orchards mapped in 2022. Soil samples to calibrate these digital maps indicated strong correlation between EM measurements and soil texture. Several of these orchards were also mapped for tree growth based on intercepted sunlight (ceptometry) as well as imaging both from UAV- and satellite-mounted sensors. Analysis across multiple orchards also produced useful contrasts. Our maps show significant correlations between soil characteristics and relative tree vigor. However, the nature of this relationship changes from one orchard block to another, indicating that constant rate management (fertility and irrigation) may be affecting the strength of orchard growth, where a strong soil under one management regime may not be strong under different management. During the reporting period, a completely new unit-based prototype yield mapping system was designed and built using sonar-based sensors. Five of these prototype devices were field tested during 2023 on 7 different harvesters, mapping yield variability across 9 tart cherry blocks in Utah. Results from these yield maps still need to be compared to maps of soil and canopy variability. Since the beginning of this project, we secured a large SCRI grant (UTAO1629) to expand this work, and a more detailed overview of accomplishments under this objective can be found in that report. Objective 2. Developing native fruiting species as alternative crops. Utah elderberry selections, along with commercial standard cultivars were evaluated in a common planting at the Kaysville Research Farm (obj. 2b). Kaysville-based technician Kaitlyn Reich has taken an interest in alternative crops and collected detailed data on flowering time, harvest season, yields and fruit quality. Research is continuing on developing improved propagation practices for both elderberry and chokecherry (obj. 2c), with continued evaluation of the effects of mother plant condition, location and size of cuttings, including shoot and root cuttings. With the ongoing challenges with clonal propagation, work was initiated to evaluate seedling variability from open pollinated mother plants. Seeds were collected from four different plants previously identified for superior quality. These will be germinated in 2024 and then field evaluated. High tunnel testing of raspberry production systems was discontinued after the 2022 season, but work continues on evaluating strawberry cultivars suitable to a high-tunnel environment. This work is being conducted in conjunction with a WSARE grant to Dr. Jennifer Reeve and involves both commercial farms and the USU Student Organic Farm.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/21 to 09/30/22
Outputs Target Audience:Commercial fruit producers, small-acreage part time farmers, value-added fruit processors. Changes/Problems:None to report What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Four graduate students were employed on this project during the reporting period. Three of these were focusing on orchard mapping and precision management (objective 1b). These students were trained in soil mapping, GIS, spatial data analysis and use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in agriculture. The fourth graduate student was employed in developing management systems for high tunnel raspberries and received training in field plot techniques, data analysis and research writing. One undergraduate intern was trained in field plot techniques and fruit quality evaluation. A second undergraduate intern received training in propagation techniques as well as field evaluation of cultivar performance. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?An overview of the digital cherry management project was prepared and presented to fruit growers in Utah (Utah State Horticulture Association) and Grand Rapids Michigan (Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo). These panels were made up of commercial cherry growers from 6 different tart cherry producing regions (Northwest Michigan, West Central Michigan, Southwest Michigan, Utah, Wisconsin and Idaho, with over 200 growers in attendance. Results and recommendations from the high tunnel work were published in two extension documents. One USU fact sheet compared raspberry cultivars for adaptability to a high elevation high tunnel production system. The second publication was an in-depth extension bulletin on high tunnel strawberry production that was produced in conjunction with cooperators from Oregon State University and published by OSU Extension. In addition to published fact sheets, multiple presentations were made on high tunnel fruit production at the Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference, and subsequently on a Greenville Farm field day held in March. The conference was held virtually and had record attendance of nearly 100 individuals from throughout the Intermountain West. In-person attendance at the follow-up field day was 60 individuals from Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The remaining high-density orchards will be monitored through the 2023 season. We are currently working on writing up results from the 2010 planting for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The digital cherry management project will continue in 2023 with continued mapping of orchard variability as well as imposing variable rate management inputs. The alternative crop work will focus on continued evaluation of elderberry selections and on propagation. With the ability to hire a student focused solely on this project, the work will intensify considerably. Active research on high tunnel production will likely conclude in 2023, but significant effort will go towards disseminating the results of this work, including both research publications, extension fact sheets and grower presentations.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1a. Training and pruning of HD cherry orchards. During the 2022 season, we collected growth and productivity data from five different high-density tart cherry plantings. These experiments are designed to be run for a minimum of 10 years. The earliest of these experiments planted in 2010 was terminated in 2022. We also completed data collection from the 2013 experiment during this reporting period. This planting is hosted on a commercial farm, and the grower is planning to remove that orchard this winter. Four of the five plantings were machine harvested in 2022. Fruit set in the fifth planting was very light due to repeated spring frosts, and so only hand harvesting was carried out to determine total yields per tree. Overall productivity of these orchards continues to lag behind well-managed conventional orchards. Objective 1b. Methods for digital cherry mapping. For the 2022 growing season, 8 commercial orchards were selected for mapping activities. The focus of four of these sites was to evaluate baseline soil conditions and tree growth in order to impose differential fertilizer treatments starting in 2023. The focus for the other sites was to monitor for pest (spider mite) and disease outbreaks as well as to map other orchard characteristics. All 8 locations were mapped for soil variability (bulk EC), canopy light interception (ceptometry) as well as aerial imaging both from UAV-mounted sensors and satellite images. Data from these multiple sources are currently being analyzed. A second generation yield monitor was also developed and tested, but this prototype was not available in time for the fruiting season. Objective 2. Developing native fruiting species as alternative crops. No additional collections of materials were made during the 2022 growing season (obj. 2a). However, previous selections along with commercial standards were evaluated in a common planting at the Kaysville Research farm (obj. 2b). An undergraduate intern collected evaluation data throughout the season, including flowering time, harvest season, yields and fruit quality. We also plan to have a new student take on this research and transition to an MS thesis project during 2023. Research continues to improve propagation practices for both elderberry and chokecherry (obj. 2c). A second student intern conducted experiments to evaluate propagation practices for both chokecherry and elderberry. This work will also be taken on by the new student mentioned above. Evaluation of raspberry cultivars for adaptability to a Utah high tunnel environment continued in 2022. Of the cultivars tested, 'Polka' continues to be the best. The next best is a numbered selection from the USDA-Oregon State University joint breeding program, followed by 'Mapema' a European cultivar.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Rauter, S., Stock, M., Black, B. L., Drost, D. T., Dai, X., & Ward, R. A. (2022, December). Overwintering Improves Ranunculus Cut Flower Production in the US Intermountain West. Horticulturae, 8(12).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Sulivan, C., Black, B. L., Davis, A., & Sanchez, N. (2022). Day-neutral Strawberry Production in Central Oregon. (vol. EM9375, pp. 18 pages). Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Extension Service.
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Progress 07/01/21 to 09/30/21
Outputs Target Audience:Commercial fruit producers, small-acreage part time farmers, value-added fruit processors. Changes/Problems:None to report What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students employed as interns were employed on this project during the reporting period. They received experience and training in field data collection, fruit quality and yield evaluation, plant propagation, and data analysis and summary. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?An overview of the digital cherry management project was prepared and presented to research advisory panels meeting in in Payson, Utah and Grand Rapids Michigan. These panels were made up of commercial cherry growers from 6 different tart cherry producing regions (Northwest Michigan, West Central Michigan, Southwest Michigan, Utah, Wisconsin and Idaho. The elderberry selection that was named and released previous to the start of this progress is generating interest from commercial nurseries. During this year, plants of this selection were distributed to a commercial nursery in Oregon for propagation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The 2010 HD orchard will be evaluated through 2022 and will likely be discontinued at that point. The 2013 HD cherry orchard will be evaluated in 2022 and 2023 and possibly terminated at the end of the 2023 season. As a result of extramural funding received during the current reporting period, the digital cherry management project will be expanded significantly during 2022. We are currently recruiting graduate and undergraduate students that will be involved in collecting field data during the 2022 - 2024 growing seasons. The primary focus of 2022 will be to assemble and test sensor packages and then collect initial field data in select orchards. The alternative crop work will focus on establishing additional elderberry selections at the Kaysville site and continued evaluation of these and other selections. Evaluation of propagation protocols for both elderberry and chokecherry will continue in 2022. We also hope to collect additional selections from Central Utah, with specific emphasis on areas that were previously inaccessible as a result of range/forest fires in 2018 and 2019.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1a. Training and pruning of HD cherry orchards. We currently have 5 high density tart cherry plantings established. These experiments are designed to be evaluated for a minimum of 10 years. During the reporting period, all plantings were evaluated for machine harvestable yields. Several were also hand gleaned to determine total yields. The 2010 orchard has had some die out due to a Western X disease outbreak, but we continue to monitor for the disease and track yields. The 2012 and 2013 orchards are used to compare pruning timing and severity. All five orchards were evaluated for machine harvestable yields in 2021. Several were also gleaned by hand to approximate total yields. Although yields in 2021 were better than in some previous years, the overall productivity of these orchards continues to lag behind well-managed conventional orchards. Objective 1b. Methods for digital cherry management. No field mapping was completed during this 6-month reporting period. Efforts focused on trouble-shooting the existing yield monitor, and gearing up for more intensive measurements starting in the 2022 season. We are now in the process of building a second ceptometer. We have been in discussions with a private company that builds yield monitors for other types of harvesters (grain, potatoes) regarding adapting their systems to tart cherry harvesters. We also were successful in attracting significant extramural funding to expand this project for the next 4 years. We are currently interviewing graduate students that will work on this project under the extramural funding, using the equipment and orchards associated with this project. Objective 2. Developing native fruiting species as alternative crops. No additional collections of materials were made during this 6-month reporting period (obj. 2a). However, selections made previously were planted out at the Kaysville Research farm for further evaluation (obj. 2b). Some of the materials planted in 2021 included named cultivars of black elderberry for comparison to Utah blue elderberry selections. An undergraduate intern, Stephanie Nehiba, spent significant time evaluating the existing planting for flowering time, harvest season, yields and fruit quality. Research continues to improve propagation practices for both elderberry and chokecherry (obj. 2c). A student intern, Evan Christensen, evaluated a vertical root cutting technique for chokecherry during this reporting period and initiated the next phase of cutting experiments for elderberry. Plants of one elderberry selection were shipped to a cooperating nursery in Oregon for commercial propagation.
Publications
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