Life Sciences Commons^™

Harvest And Post-Harvest Management, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Cranberries are harvested by two basic methods, dry harvest and water harvest. The dry harvest fruit is destined primarily for the fresh market while the water harvested fruit is processed. Growers manage cranberry plantings to facilitate these harvest methods and fruit uses. Ideally, the fruit are harvested at full maturity with good color (anthocyanin content) but prior to the fruit becoming over-ripe. Timing of harvest is important for fresh-market fruit so that the berries are sufficiently red but retain good storage quality, while fruit for the process market ideally has maximum color. Cranberry marketing companies produce ‘no color added’ products, …

Frost Management, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Cranberries, like many other temperate crops, are sensitive to below-freezing temperatures during the active growing season. This sensitivity is an important factor in cranberry management. Cranberry bogs have traditionally been placed in lowland areas such as swamps and marshes, compounding frost concerns since the temperatures on cranberry bogs tend to be lower than those in surrounding lands. In recent years bogs have also been constructed in upland areas on mineral soils. However, all bogs are constructed with the planted area at a lower level than its adjacent surroundings. This arrangement contributes to the development of ‘frost pockets’ on the bogs. …

Flood Management, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

No abstract provided.

Managing Animal Damage, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler, David Nolte

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Certain wildlife species may cause damage to agricultural property at various times during the year. The Animal Damage Control (ADC) program, part of the Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS), recommends using integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce wildlife damage. Animal or varmint IPM may involve adjusting management practices, dispersing animals, and/or removing specific individuals. Residents of Massachusetts may wish to consult CMR 131:37, which details the exception to the game laws when property damage is occurring.

Erosion And Sediment Control, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

No abstract provided.

Mineral Soil Bog Construction, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Regulatory restrictions on development of new cranberry bogs in wetlands have resulted in a limitation on the sites where bogs may be constructed. While renovation of existing wetland cranberry bogs is permitted, new acreage is restricted to non-traditional settings, typically uplands. In either setting, an ample supply of good quality fresh water, adequate drainage of the bogs, and the ability to hold a flood to cover the cranberry vines are essential to successful cranberry production.

In traditional wetland bogs, nutrients and pesticides are retained in the soil of the bog largely due to the high organic matter content of the …

Irrigation, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler, Bruce Lampinen

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

The water requirement of cranberries during the growing season can vary from 0.4 to over 1.5 inches per week. Because of this variability, it is essential to adjust water management practices based on soil moisture monitoring to avoid deficit or excess conditions. In periods of low rainfall and high demand, cranberries must be supplied with additional water through irrigation. During periods of high rainfall, adequate drainage must be supplied to avoid damaging anaerobic conditions in the root zone. In general, cranberries are irrigated by manipulation of the water table or through the use of low-gallonage sprinkler systems or some combination …

Renovating Producing Cranberry Acreage, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Over the course of time, conditions may arise on the bog (e.g., weed infestations, invasion by nonproductive mongrel vines, etc.) that may become severe enough to necessitate renovation of the bog. Renovation is a costly procedure in both time and money. Thoroughly consider the implementation of all other available remedial activities before initiating renovation of the bog. If positive outcomes are not obtained within a reasonable time frame, then consider renovation.

Pesticide Mixing And Loading, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Mixing and loading may be the most hazardous activities associated with normal pesticide use. Because of the concentrations and quantities of pesticides involved, accidental releases of pesticides at a mixing and loading site pose a high risk of ground and surface water contamination. Also, when you mix and load, you handle a pesticide in its most concentrated form and experience the greatest potential for exposure. To prevent pollution and safeguard human health, the mixing and loading of pesticide and the washing and rinsing of equipment should be conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible fashion.

Water Resource Protection And Enhancement, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Cranberry growers manage water on bogs to ensure sufficient moisture and adequate drainage for optimum plant growth. Water management practices on cranberry bogs differ from those used for other forms of agriculture because of the variety of ways that water is used in cranberry culture. Water is used for disease and insect control, frost and heat protection, sanding, harvesting, and protection from winter desiccation and cold injury. Because of the periodic need for sizable amounts of water, impoundment of water adjacent to the bogs is a normal farming practice in cranberry production. In addition to storage ponds and sumps, components …

Pesticide Application, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Pesticide use is typically recommended as part of an overall management plan for controlling pests that cause crop damage or loss. Pesticide applications in Massachusetts are generally made through chemigation systems, by aerial applications, or by ground rig. Be sure your application system complies with both state and federal laws. It is a violation of Federal law to introduce pesticides into an irrigation system through the suction side of the pump.

Pesticides that may be used during the course of a growing season include herbicides, insecticides, miticides, and fungicides. Pesticides should be used within the context of an integrated pest …

Water Control Structures, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Commercial cranberry management requires the ability to manipulate water during the course of the season. Activities that rely on diking systems and water control structures include flooding the beds, impounding water, manipulation of the water table in the bed, and drainage functions. Dikes are used to separate the cranberry beds into manageable units for flood harvest.