Fruit Science Commons^™

Effects Of Spatially Targeted Fertilizer Strategies On Canopy Growth Across Contrasting Tart Cherry Orchard Sites, Kurt Wedegaertner, Brent Black, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Variable-rate fertilization is increasingly promoted in perennial orchard systems, but its effectiveness remains difficult to predict because tree responses are often inconsistent and strongly conditioned by site-specific constraints. To address this, we evaluated soil-based and vigor-based zoning frameworks across four commercial tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) orchards representing contrasting soil conditions, canopy structures, and management histories. Within each orchard, management zones were defined using either soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) or satellite-derived canopy vigor. Fertilization strategies were implemented by varying fertilizer application timing among zones using split-application approaches while maintaining a constant total fertilizer rate. Tree-level canopy structure was …

Improved Management Strategies For Botrytis Fruit Rot, Macrophomina Root Rot, And Verticillium Wilt In California Strawberry Production, Joseph A. Ramirez

Master's Theses

Strawberry production in California is limited by plant diseases such as Macrophomina root rot (MRR) caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, Verticillium wilt (VW) caused by Verticillium dahliae, and Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) caused by Botrytis cinerea. Current disease management strategies are compromised due to fumigant regulations or ineffective disease management practices. This thesis investigated methods to potentially improve the management of these three diseases. Two host plant resistance evaluations for MRR and VW were conducted for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 growing seasons. Sixty-three strawberry genotypes were screened in both years. All plants were exposed to the pathogen via artificial …

Citrus Fruits Maturity Parameters 2025-2026, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Viticulture research reports

Under Biosecurity and Agricultural Management (Agricultural Standards) Regulations 2013 Part 5.

Citrus Gall Wasp Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Citrus gall wasp (Bruchophagus fellis) is an Australian native insect from northern NSW and Queensland and is now established in most Perth suburbs. It affects all citrus species, particularly lemons and grapefruit, and will be an ongoing pest to manage for Perth gardeners, like other common pests. It has not been found in commercial citrus orchards in Western Australia yet.

Value Of Horticulture Industries In Western Australia 2022-2023, Manju Radhakrishnan, Rohan Prince

Horticulture published reports

The horticulture sector in Western Australia (WA) produces high quality fruit, vegetables, nuts and amenity horticulture. Western Australians benefit from consuming this steady supply of diverse, affordable and sustainably grown fresh fruit and vegetables. Amenity horticulture, in the form of parks and gardens, adds a great richness to the quality of life in WA.

It is estimated that WA produced $1.75 billion worth of fruit, vegetables, nuts and amenity horticulture in 2022–23. The real value1 of production at the wholesale level increased by 4% when compared to the 2020 figures presented in the report, Situation analysis of horticulture in Western …

Developing Holistic And Reduced Fertilization Guidelines For Southeastern Peach (Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch) Orchards, Richardson Bien-Aime

All Theses

Peach production in the southeastern United States requires optimizing fertilization practices to balance economic sustainability and environmental health. Current guidelines may overlook rootstock-specific nutrient requirements and fail to align with orchard-specific conditions, often resulting in overfertilization, increased costs, and environmental risks. This study, conducted at Clemson University’s Musser Fruit Research Center during 2023 and 2024, aimed to refine fertilization practices through two complementary experiments. The first experiment investigated how three rootstocks, ’MP-29’, Lovell, and Guardian, influence nutrient dynamics of ‘Carored’ peach trees. Nutrient concentrations were measured in various tree organs, including leaves, pruned wood, thinned fruitlets, and harvested fruits, along …

Cherry Powdery Mildew In Utah, Marion Murray, Christina Lilligren, Megan Kast

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on powdery mildew, a common problem in commercial tart and sweet cherry orchards in Utah and throughout the western U.S. Hosts, disease biology, symptoms and signs, and management are covered.

Lure Specificity, Phenology, And Damage Caused By Epiphyas Moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) In Western Australian Apple Orchards, Maryam Yazdani, Elliot T. Howse, Wee Tek Tay, Helen Spafford, Rieks Van Klinken

Horticulture Research Articles

Multiple Epiphyas species inhabit southwestern Western Australia, including Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a globally significant, polyphagous pest. This study evaluated the efficacy and specificity of lures designed for 3 Epiphyas species: E. postvittana, Epiphyas pulla (Turner), and the undescribed Epiphyas sp. (1) (Common). Additionally, the study sought to determine the presence and distribution of Epiphyas species in 3 significant apple-growing localities. Trapping, together with partial sequencing of the mitochondrial COI gene, found LBAM to be restricted to the Perth Hills and E. pulla, to apple orchards near Manjimup and Pemberton. This geographic …

Harvesting, Packing And Storing Bananas In The Oria (Ord River Irrigation Area), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Horticulture factsheets

For bananas on the Ord River Irrigation Area, length of time to emergence and harvesting depend on air temperature, planting time and sucker management. Ratoon crops are much slower to reach maturity than new crops.

Field Evaluation Of Female- And Male-Targeted Traps For Ceratitis Capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), Elliot T. Howse, Rieks Van Klinken, Nicholas J. Beeton, Helen Spafford, Kim P. James, Matthew P. Hill

Horticulture Research Articles

Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a globally significant economic pest for which lure based trapping can be used to monitor established populations and for surveillance. Either female- or male-targeted traps can be used; however, recommendations on which to apply are inconsistent and many programs rely on male-targeted traps. Here, we compare the performance of male-targeted traps (Lynfield Trap with Trimedlure) and female-targeted traps (Biotrap Globe trap with the 3-component lure—TMA Plus) in apple orchards in south-west Western Australia over 2 years (September 2019 to September 2021). Male-targeted traps caught more Medflies overall than female-targeted traps, …

Effect Of Harvest Season On The Physical Properties, Fatty Acid Composition, And Volatile Compounds Of Roasted Cacao Beans, Amornrat Chumthong, Nuttarisa Limjumrern, Chutikarn Saensano, Pornthep Teerawattanapong, Aekkaraj Nualla-Ong, Adirek Rugkong, Rawee Chiarawipa

Makara Journal of Science

The prevailing climate is an important factor affecting the development of the physical quality and flavor of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) beans. The influence of harvest seasons on the physical, chemical, and flavor characteristics of cacao beans from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand, was assessed. Among cacao beans, those harvested in the rainy season (R) had the highest fresh and dry weights and the lowest bean count per 100 g (87.00 ± 2.83). Although the overall fat content remained relatively constant across harvest seasons, cacao beans harvested in R exhibited a significantly higher fatty acid (C16:0, C18:1, and …

A Spatio-Temporal Modelling Approach To Understand The Effect Of Urban Fruit Fly Outbreaks On Peri-Urban Orchards, Andrew Broadley, Rieks Van Klinken, Dean R. Paini, Matthew Hill, Elliot T. Howse

Horticulture Research Articles

Urban areas are well-known sources of fruit fly introduction and unmanaged populations pose a high risk of dispersal to surrounding agricultural areas. Although management of urban fruit fly populations is recognised as being important for area-wide control programmes, its relative importance is rarely quantified. Identifying possible sources of fruit fly populations is important to the success of area-wide programs, as well as to on-farm management. We developed a modelling approach to analyse the spatio-temporal connectivity of fruit fly across urban-agriculture boundaries. For a case study, we examine Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, outbreaks in two fruit growing …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Analysis And Installation Of A Demonstration Agroforestry Orchard For Californian Mediterranean Plant Communities, Brandon Hurd

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Climate-appropriate agroforestry can provide low-input food security and ecosystem services for local Californian Mediterranean climates, while conserving natural resources (e.g., water, nitrogen, etc.). This project showcases a variety of agroforestry methods for five common plant communities of California and other analogous Mediterranean climates at the CAFES Experimental Farm on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Plant community species and their ethnobotanical uses were analyzed to mimic and incorporate aspects of native flora. Agricultural plants were also characterized to represent each of the five selected plant communities. GIS was used to assess the project site for soil, slope, and …

Propagation Of Bananas, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Horticulture factsheets

Tissue culture is the best method for propagating bananas. It ensures they are true to type and free from pests and diseases.

Check with Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development quarantine officer before bringing tissue culture material into Western Australia.

However, planting with bits is cheap and guarantees that new diseases are not introduced.

Banana Management In The Ord River Irrigation Area (Oria), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Horticulture factsheets

The Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) is suitable for growing bananas. However, due to the local climate, management is slightly different to other Western Australian growing regions such as Carnarvon.

There are many considerations when planning to establish a banana plantation. A summary of these practices is given below. For more specific information on each practice see the other documents in this series.

Evaluation Of Warm Season Vegetables Using Sustainable Production Practices, Jacob Arthur

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable practices were evaluated for the production of two warm season vegetable crops, tomato and chile peppers. The first study investigated the plant vegetative growth, fruit production timing, yield components and fruit quality of three hybrid and three heirloom tomato cultivars grown in a high tunnel using grafted and non-grafted plants. Grafting the selected tomato cultivars with the two rootstock types did not alter total marketable yield of any cultivar, but affected overall stem diameter, fruit color, and β-carotene concentrations of tested tomato cultivars. The second study evaluated the plant growth, yield, and fruit quality of nine heirloom chile pepper …

Understanding The Influence Of Excessive Fertilization And Water Relations On Peach (Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch) Skin Bronzing, Sydney Lykins

All Theses

This project evaluated possible causes of peach skin bronzing, a brown-blotchy skin discoloration on mid to late-season peaches that causes drastic decreases to grower incomes in the Southeastern U.S. It is known that there is no bacterial, insectile, viral, or fungal cause of bronzing; thus, these studies focused on potential nutrient imbalances within the peach. On the ‘PF23’ variety, factors of irrigation, potassium fertilization, and transpiration-inhibiting sprays were tested to see the various effects on the incidence and severity of bronzing. The hypothesis was that excessive irrigation and excessive soil potassium concentrations would induce a higher incidence and severity of …

Muscadine Grapes: Identifying Unique Attributes And Postharvest Practices, John Cody Rawls

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas has a long history of grape and wine production, and muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.), a native disease-resistant grape, are an important part of that industry. Muscadine grapes can be sold as a fresh-market grape or made into juice, wine, and other products. Additionally, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA System) breeding program has a focus on creating new muscadine cultivars with commercial potential. The objectives of this research were to evaluate muscadine grape genotypes (cultivars and breeding selections) for fresh market consumption and wine production in 2020 and 2021. 33 seeded and seedless genotypes of …

An Investigation Of Factors Affecting The Rooting Ability Of Hardwood Muscadine Cuttings And Genetic Diversity Of Wild And Cultivated Muscadine Grapes (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx.), Kenneth Buck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia) is a grape species native to the southeastern United States. Muscadines are one of three grape species in subgenus Muscadinia with a chromosome number of 2n=40 (V. rotundifolia, V. munsoniana, and V. popenoei), making them genetically distinct from the European wine and table grape (Vitis vinifera) and other species in subgenus Euvitis. Rooting hardwood cuttings from muscadine vines has traditionally been considered an exceptionally difficult task. Many previous studies observed almost no root formation, leading to a general consensus that muscadines should either be propagated by softwood cuttings or vegetative layering. However, the …

Extreme Development Of Dragon Fruit Agriculture With Nighttime Lighting In Southern Vietnam, Shenyue Jia, Son V. Nghiem, Seung-Hee Kim, Laura Krauser, Andrea E. Gaughan, Forest R. Stevens, Menas Kafatos, Khanh D. Ngo

Institute for ECHO Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Dragon fruit is widely grown in Southeast Asia and other tropical or subtropical regions. As a high-value cash crop ideal for exportation, dragon fruit cultivation has boomed during the past decade in southern Vietnam. Light supplementing during the winter months using artificial lighting sources is a widely adopted cultivation technique to boost productivity in the major dragon fruit planting regions of Vietnam. The application of electric lighting at night leads to a significant increase of nighttime light (NTL) observable by satellite sensors. The strong seasonality signal of NTL in dragon fruit cultivation enables identifying dragon fruit plantations using NTL images. …

Temperaturas Críticas De Primavera Para Yemas De Los Árboles Frutales, Michael Pace, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Esta publicación enumera las temperaturas primaverales críticas para las yemas de árboles frutales cuando el 10% y 90% de las yemas mueren en diferentes etapas de desarrollo después de 30 minutos de exposición.

Assessing Freezing Effect On Kiwifruit Cultivars And Mapping Suitable Areas For Growing The Crop In Eastern Texas, Lais De Oliveira Machado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kiwifruit is a perennial vine originating from China where it has been grown for centuries. In the United States, green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is primarily produced commercially in California. They are fuzzy, green fleshed and well known in the marketplace. Kiwifruit plants require low to moderate soil pH, adequate winter chilling and adequate precipitation to guarantee plant development and good fructification. Actinidia chinesis or golden kiwifruit are smooth skinned, feature golden flesh and are a more recent introduction into the global market. Kiwifruit crops have attributes that favor production in east Texas, including low pest problems, current long …

Managing Vegetation Around Fruit Trees, Teryl Roper

All Current Publications

Fruit trees thrive along the Wasatch Front and in many other locations in Utah. Backyard fruit trees are very common in Utah, and producers quickly become attuned to insect and disease pests that can swiftly spoil substantial amounts of fruit. They are typically less aware of the detrimental effect of competing vegetation around fruit trees. This fact sheet describes the nature of vegetation competition and proposes management strategies to reduce or eliminate competition.

Economic Contribution Of Agriculture And Food To Arkansas’ Gross Domestic Product 1997-2020, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to Arkansas’ GDP. Agriculture contributes to the state economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities. The Agriculture and Food Sector, which is comprised of agricultural production, processing, and retail industries, promotes economic strength through various interactions with other industries. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy and thus plays a vital role in maintaining economic stability throughout the state. This report 1) compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with …

Australian National Mango Breeding Program, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Horticulture factsheets

The Australian National Mango Breeding Program was initiated in 1994 between four state, territory and federal agricultural organisations.

The first outputs are three new hybrid mango varieties, known as NMBP-1201, NMBP- 1243 and NMBP-4069. In 2022 Mango Road Pty Ltd (part of the Manbulloo Group) was awarded the management rights for the NMBP mango varieties.

They were renamed Yess! (NMBP 1243), Ahhh! (NMBP-1201) and Gee! (NMBP-4069).

The Australian National Mango Breeding Program (NMBP) was initiated in 1994. The project was a collaboration between agricultural agencies in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and CSIRO.

The purpose was to develop superior …

Identification Of Qtls For Berry Acids And Sugar In A Vitis Aestivalis-Derived 'Norton'-Based Population, Karlene Louise Negus

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Acidity and sugar content are among the grape berry quality traits that influence wine quality. Despite advantageous environmental tolerances of Vitis aestivalis-derived ‘Norton’, its acid and sugar concentrations often deviate from expectations set for V. vinifera. Identification of the genetic determinants of malic acid, tartaric acid, pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) can assist in the improvement of new hybrid cultivars. For this purpose, a ‘Norton’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ hybrid mapping population containing 223 individuals was used to construct a linkage map containing 384 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 2084 genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …

Barrenador Grande Del Durazno, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

El barrenador grande del durazno (orden Lepidóptera, familia Sesiidae) es originario de América del Norte, donde las cerezas y ciruelas silvestres son sus huéspedes nativos. Es una plaga esporádica en los frutales de hueso o carozo de Utah, pero si no se controla, puede ser lo suficientemente grave como para causar la pérdida del árbol.

Citrus Pruning, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Horticulture factsheets

Pruning is the cultural practice involving the removal of tree branches and limbs designed to enhance the performance and productivity of trees.

Ideally this is best done after harvest to prevent unwanted fruit loss. With citrus, correct pruning can improve yields, fruit quality, and make managing trees easier.

Projected Surface Water For Fruit And Vegetable Irrigation Under A Changing Climate In The Us, Marty Matlock, Greg Thoma, Kieu Ngoc Le, Eric Cummings, Zach Morgan, Andrew Shaw

Water Systems

Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, resulting in climate impacts, are raising concerns over the hydrologic cycle and its effects upon agricultural productivity. If rainfall patterns change, meeting an increased demand for fruits and vegetables will pose a challenge for domestic production regions in the United States (U.S.). Information on potential water supply scarcity in the current production regions provides decision makers with critical information for risk mitigation for future production. We used a hydrologic balance-based model of historic and future water availability to evaluate risk of available irrigation water to support major fruit and vegetable production the US. …