Fruit and Vegetable News

Authors: Hailey Shanovich, Dr. Arthur Vieira Ribeiro, Dr. Robert Koch, Dr. Bill Hutchison, Annie Klodd, Natalie Hoidal Research on the impact of Japanese beetle (JB) in Minnesota apple orchards is ongoing. A research team at UMN has been studying infestations of JB in apple orchards and whether JB prefer some apple varieties over others. This article discusses the current research findings and reviews the habits of JB in apple orchards. JB is an invasive insect in the U.S. that has become a significant pest of turfgrass and ornamental, horticultural and agricultural plants in the eastern and midwestern states. JB is considered a “generalist” insect, meaning it can feed on many different plants, over 300 plant species. As larvae, JB feeds underground on turfgrass roots including lawns, athletic fields and golf courses. Adult JB mainly feed on leaves of plants, leaving a characteristic “skeletonized” or “lacey” appearance. Adult JB can also feed on flower petals, including roses, and on ...

Annie Klodd, UMN Extension Educator; John Thull, researcher, UMN Grape Breeding Program; and  Matt Clark, Assistant Professor of Grape Breeding Minnesota grape growers are familiar with the need to establish new cordons on spur-pruned vines. Not only do we do this when pruning newly-planted vines, but we also have to replace mature cordons when they are injured or killed by winter cold spells or disease. With proper planning and know-how, maintaining fruitfulness on each arm of every vine improves yields across the vineyard. Photo: A grapevine with newly established cordons, near Mankato, MN. In very general terms, the process of establishing a new cordon on spur-pruned vines is to find a strong cane from the previous growing season and tie it onto the trellis wire so that it will become the new cordon. We will call this cane the “renewal cane” for the remainder of the article. While this is the basic process, there is more to consider if it is to be done well.  We typically d...