Most fungicide sprays applied to apple orchards in the New England states are targeted at the management of apple scab. Researchers have developed action thresholds that aid in decision-making on whether early spring fungicide applications could be eliminated without a significant increase in the incidence of fruit scab at harvest. To facilitate grower adoption of these thresholds, a simplified, sequential sampling technique in autumn to determine the “scab risk” of an orchard for the following spring was proposed in the scientific literature. However, this technique had not been evaluated in the field. In autumn 1999, 2000, and 2001, orchards were evaluated using the new sequential sampling technique to determine scab risk. Risk ratings were compared with those obtained by the original, nonsequential procedure in each orchard. Data also were examined using a simulation sequential sampling computer program to determine whether or not risk ratings would change if different trees or shoots were used. In two of the assessed orchards, “delayed-spray” experiments involving two treatments (a delayed-spray and full-spray treatment) were conducted in 2000 and 2001. Delayed-spray replicates were to receive no fungicide sprays until after the third primary infection period (but before the fourth) or until the pink stage of bud development, whichever came first; full-spray replicates received fungicide sprays starting at the green-tip stage of bud development. The sequential sampling technique provided scab-risk ratings consistent with the original, nonsequential procedure, at potentially significant time savings. Also, following the delayed-spray strategy in low-risk orchards did not result in significant differences in fruit scab at harvest compared with initiating spraying at the green-tip phenological bud stage.
Vermont and other cold regions of the U.S. which experience winter temperatures below-20°C produced virtually no winegrapes before the mid-1990s. Cultivar and planting system adoption have changed rapidly in the past two decades as cultivars with increased cold hardiness and wine quality potential have become available. In the mid-1990s, the first commercial vineyards were established in the State of Vermont, and consisted of French hybrid and 'hardy' vinifera as well as cold-hardy releases from public and private breeding programs. Training systems included mid wire cordon and Geneva double curtain. Private and public breeding programs located primarily in the upper midwestern U.S. released cold-hardy winegrape cultivars in the late 1990s, continuing releases into the 21st century, resulting in increased vineyard establishment. 'Frontenac' and ''La Crescent' were the first of these cultivars to be planted in any quantity in Vermont, followed by 'Marquette'. Training systems adopted for newer cold-hardy cultivars include predominantly high wire cordon, with mid wire cordon and Geneva Double Curtain used to a lesser degree. Continued releases of new cold-hardy cultivars having greater potential for quality wine and trials of advanced selections have facilitated increased vineyard plantings and replanting of older, less desirable cultivars.
Cold climate winegrape production is an emerging "new" crop in the diversification of agriculture in Vermont and northern New England offering significant value-added and agri-tourism economic opportunities. Before the availability of cold climate winegrape varieties, commercial grape production was not recommended in northern New England because of problems with winter survival of the vines. More than 75% of Vermont has an average minimum cold temperature below-29 0 C and in the remainder of the state, the average minimum cold temperature is between-26 0 C to-29 0 C (Perry, 2003). In Burlington, VT, the lowest winter temperature can fall between-28 0 C to-34 0 C (NOAA, 2008). Vermont's low winter temperatures are well below the temperature tolerated by many winegrape cultivars (Pool, 1999; Bordelon et al., 1997).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.