Hudson Valley Research Laboratory

Program Highlights

Evaluate new fungicides and new spray-timing strategies for controlling fungal diseases on apples and pears
Define interactions between fungicides and pathogen biology that will enable more efficient control flyspeck and sooty blotch diseases on apples
Identify better methods for controlling spread of fire blight during summer
Prevent apple decays that develop after harvest by optimizing our understanding of sanitation, fungicides and pathogen biology.
Assess the impact of tomato ringspot virus and X-disease on decline and mortality of stone fruit trees grown on new rootstocks.

Developing and testing cultural practices in orchard management systems for improving fruit yield and quality.
Field testing apple varieties and rootstocks in the Hudson Valley.
Improving apple fruit quality through cultural practices.
Using growth regulators to improve yield, fruit quality, to encourage return bloom and manage tree vigor.
Optimize nutritional applications for improved fruit quality and yield.

Integrate computer based extension outreach, weather forecasts, pheromone trapping events and insect developmental models to reduce insect related fruit damage to Hudson Valley apple. (Link)
Use video field reporting as an effective extension outreach tool for producers to use in pest management decision making. (Link)
Stink bug management on apple and pear. (pdf)
Study organic pest management for Hudson Valley apple production (pdf).
Develop organic pest management protocols for Hudson Valley pear production. (pdf)
Optimizing GBM pheromone traps: understanding regional variation in GBM pheromone trap captures (pdf)
Hudson Valley grape berry moth management using reduced risk insecticide programs. (pdf)