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Fruit - Tree Fruits, Nuts and Berries

Feature Article - Growing Organic Cherries

Overview information

Overview of Organic Fruit Production (ATTRA)
A Transition To Certified Organic Apple Budget (BCMAFF '02/pdf)
Tree Fruit Production with Organic Farming Methods (WSU)

Your Soil
Soil Testing Labs & Services (Canada and U.S.A)

Weather

The Weather Network Farmzone
Wateright - Water advisories and tutorials
Environment Canada Weather Office - BC Page
14-Day Soil Moisture Outlook for Canada and Alaska
BC Evapotranspiration - Schedule Irrigation Calculator (Farmwest)
Calculate Your Corn Heat Units (Farmwest)
Growing Degree Days (Farmwest)

Tree Fruit Production (except cherries)

Consideration in Organic Apple (Apples) Production (ATTRA/pdf)
Orcharding in an Arid Climate (COG '02/pdf)
Organic Fruit Production (NSW/slow to load)
Organic Pear (Pears) including Asian Pear Production (ATTRA)
Organic/Low-Spray Peach (Peaches) Production (ATTRA)
Low Spray & Organic Plum (Plums) Production (ATTRA)
Organic And Low-Spray Apple Production (ATTRA)
Index of Fruit Insect Pest Photographs (WVU)
Index of Fruit Disease Photographs, Biology, Monitoring Info (WVU)
Mustard Cover Crops in Apple Orchards in California, USA (Agroecology)

Can We Commercially Produce Certified Organic Cherries in Canada?
July 28, 2003
Cherry fruit fly has been a major barrier to expansion of organic cherry production in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the United States. Recently a new insect control product has come to the table that is effective against Cherry Fruit Fly, maybe making growing organic cherries possible. Success is registered in Canada (but contains inert materials disallowed for organic production). Entrust carries OMRI approved, but is not yet available in Canada.

Both Success and Entrust are Spinosad based products. Spinosad an antibiotic product of a soil actinomycete (explanation) (image) demonstrates rapid contact and ingestion activity in a variety of insects. The mode of action of Spinosad is characterized by excitation of the insect nervous system, leading to involuntary muscle contractions, prostration with tremors, and paralysis. Spinosad also has effects on GABA receptor function that may contribute further to its insect activity. To read more about Spinosad read "Development of Spinosad and Attributes of A New Class of Insect Control Products".

The Dow Chemical Company is currently considering pursuing registration of Entrust in Canada. If they decide to do this they will begin the efficacy trials needed - at least for cherry fruit fly in 2004.

Canadian label for Success (258 kb/pdf format). US label of Entrust (193 kb/pdf format).

An excellent biological review read "Western cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis Indifferens Curran) and its management in the Pacific Northwest United States".

Nut Production (walnut, chestnut, hazelnut, almond)

Organic Controls for Walnut Husk Fly Developed (UCANR)
The Chestnut Grower's Primer (SING/pdf)
Chestnut Market Opportunities (UNL)

Berry Production

Organic Blueberry (Blueberries) Production (ATTRA)
Using Insect Parasitic Nematodes - cranberry (OARCD)
Organic Grape (Grapes) Production (ATTRA)
Organic Viticulture (Yahoo group)
Organic Culture of Bramble Fruits (ATTRA - blackberry, raspberry, tayberry)
Strawberries: Organic and IPM Options (ATTRA)
Strawberry Production Systems (Cornell)
Using Insect Parasitic Nematodes - strawberry (OARCD)
HORT 442 Berry Crops Culture and Management (Cornell)
Small Fruit Diseases (WVU)

Pest Control Concepts

Goto Pest Management for production specific pest guides
Identifying and Harnessing HIPPOs for Hop and Grape Pest Management (WSU)
Practices & Materials Permitted in some Organic Certification Programs (NCSU)
Understanding the Timing of Pest Activity (PennState)
Phenology Web Links: (1) Sequence of Bloom, Floral Calendars, What's in Bloom; (2) Birds, Bees, Insects and Weeds (ATTRA)
Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control (ATTRA)
Plant Disease Management For Organic Crops (UCDavis/pdf)
Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America (Cornell)

On-Farm Efficiencies

Streamlining Your Sales Area (WISC-HFHP)
A Strap-on Stool for Field Work (WISC-HFHP)
Try a Long Handled Diamond Hoe for Weeding (WISC-HFHP)
A Specialized Harvest Cart for Greens (WISC-HFHP)
Plans for a Specialized Harvest Cart (WISC-HFHP)
Roll Produce on a Narrow Aisle Platform Truck (WISC-HFHP)
Narrow Aisle Platform Truck Schematic Drawings (WISC-HFHP)
Narrow Pallet System (WISC-HFHP)
Motorized Lay-Down Work Carts (WISC-HFHP)
Stretch out your season with hoophouses (WISC-HFHP)

Water Quality

Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Agricultural Water Uses (pdf)
Water Quality Criteria for Microbiological Indicators (BCMAFF 1998)
Protecting Water Quality on Organic Farms (ATTRA/pdf)
Best Management Practices - Robocow (PFRA/.fla - flash player needed) It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's RoboCow. Able to leap tall silos in a single bound, this animated environmental advocate uses her ground-scan radar vision to detect on-farm perils. Like the best of all superheroes, she maps out solutions to hazards like improperly stored chemicals, pesticide run off and stream contamination.
Wellhead Protection (BCMAFF/pdf)
Filtration: how does it work? (PFRA/.fla - flash player needed)
Polishing Methods To Improve Water Quality (PFRA/.fla - flash player needed)Protocols for Deriving Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Agricultural Water Uses (Irrigation and Livestock Water) (Environment Canada)

Harvesting and Storage

Fresh Fruit Inspection Manuals (CFIA)
Production Practices that Impact on Quality (ATTRA)
Harvest Handling (ATTRA)
Postharvest and Storage Considerations (ATTRA)
Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality (UCDavis)
Storage Conditions for Vegetables and Fruits (ATTRA)

Shipping, Transport and Labelling

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Regulations - PART II Labelling (CanLii)
Nutrition Labelling and Claims Regulations - FAQs (Health Canada)

Organic Seeds Available in Canada (Internal link)
Pertinent Federal (Canadian) & Provincial (BC) Regulations
Farm Equipment
Marketing Your Product
Organic Prices (fruit and vegetables)
Organic Certification
On-Farm Food Safety
Small Scale Food Processing
Composting
Pest Management

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