Tree fruit sessions at the 2024 Great Lakes Expo

Lindsay Brown<brow1111@msu.edu>, Erin Lauwers<lauwerse@msu.edu>, Derek Plotkowski<plotkow5@msu.edu>, Nikki Rothwell<rothwel3@msu.edu> and Emily Lavely<lavelyem@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - November 22, 2024

Learn about integrated pest management, drones, cider and more this December at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo.

The upcoming Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo on Dec. 10-12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has an exciting array of tree fruit focused sessions. You can review all 70+ sessions here.

Apple I

The first apple session on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 10, will focus on postharvest apple management from a pathology, horticulture and industry perspective.

Rapid, Early-season Growth of Honeycrisp Apples Predisposes Fruit to Bitter Pit Development
2:00 p.m. - 2:25 p.m.
Todd Einhorn - Michigan State University

Optimizing Management to Limit Postharvest Apple Rots While in Storage
2:25 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Kari Peter - Pennsylvania State University

Environmental Factors Affecting Apple Quality and Storability
2:50 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Randolph Beaudry - Michigan State University

Postharvest Industry Panel
3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Jim Schaefer - Storage Control Systems
Eric Roossinck - Roossinck Fruit
J a.m.ie Kober - Riveridge Produce

Apple II

The second apple session on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 11, has an entomology focus with talks on codling moth, developing Michigan pest concerns, natural enemy management and pollinator protection.

What's Bugging Apples? All the Tiny Things!
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Julianna Wilson - Michigan State University

From the Bottom to the Top: Orchard Floor Management to Conserve Natural Enemies in Orchards
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Rebecca Schmidt - Jeffris-USDA ARS

Protecting Pollinators While Controlling Pests in Apples
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Meghan Milbrath - Michigan State University

Developing Challenges with Management of Codling Moth
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Grzegorz Krawczyk - Penn State University

Peach and plum

The peach and plum session will be on Wednesday morning, Dec. 11. Come hear speakers provide updates for pest and disease management for major challenges to peach and plum production including brown rot, oriental fruit moth and bacterial canker. This session will also include new insights into the application of the plant growth regulator, Accede.

How the Colonization Strategies of Bacterial Pathogens of Fruit Trees Affects Management Decisions
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
George Sundin - Michigan State University

Bacterial diseases are common in tree fruit, but not all bacteria interact with trees in the same way. George Sundin, PhD, will discuss plant/pathogen interactions for common tree fruit diseases such as bacterial canker, bacterial spot and fire blight to share what is known about these pathogens and how their infection strategies impact disease management.

Management Refinements for Brown Rot and Powdery Mildew in Stone Fruit
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Kari Peter - The Pennsylvania State University

Kari Peter, PhD, will discuss new chemicals, optimizing timing for brown rot and powdery mildew control in stone fruit, and other nuggets of wisdom.

New Approaches in Management of Insect Pests in Stone Fruit
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Greg Krawczyk - Penn State University

In this presentation, Greg Krawczyk, PhD, will discuss management for common stone fruit pests such as oriental fruit moth and scale. He will share fundamentals and updates about effective pest monitoring and new information about pesticide efficacy.

A Comprehensive Guide to Accede PGR for Optimal Peach Yield, Quality, and Harvest Timing
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Amy Irish-Brown - Valent U.S.A. LLC

Amy Irish-Brown will provide updates for using the plant growth regulator (PGR) Accede for chemical bloom thinning in peaches. This presentation will include recommendations for application timing and effects on yield and peach quality at harvest.

Cherry

The cherry session on Wednesday morning, Dec. 11, will focus on spotted wing drosophila and cherry leaf spot. This will be a discussion of the critical integrated pest management (IPM) issues currently facing the Michigan cherry industry.

Keeping Up with the Spotted Wing Drosophila: What We Learned in 2024
9:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
Julianna Wilson - Michigan State University

What is Going on with Cherry Leaf Spot?
9:40 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
George Sundin - Michigan State University

Cherry Leaf Spot Control in 2024: Grower Panel
10:20 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Jim Nugent - Sunblossom Orchards
Pete Nelson - HortSystems LLC
Gerrit Herrygers - Wilbur-Ellis

Sweet and hard cider

In this session on Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, we will hear about the effects of crop load on juice flavor and nutrition, hear from growers with practical experience in running both a hard and sweet cider business, hear from award winning cider producers, and receive updates from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Cider Association.

MDARD Cider Mill Inspection Report
9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Kevin Halfmann - MDARD

Michigan Cider Association Block Grant Report
9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Paula Englin - Michigan Cider Association

Using Crop Load to Manage Juice Attributes and Nutrition in Apples
9:30 a.m.-10:20 a.m.
Shanthanu Krishna Kumar - Penn State University

Shanthanu Krishna Kumar, an assistant professor of tree fruit at Penn State University, will speak on juice nutrition and the effects of crop load management on juice attributes, including polyphenols, sugars and acids. He will talk about how these affect production of sweet and hard ciders.

Operating a Business with Both Sweet and Hard Cider
10:20 a.m.-10:40 a.m.
Bill Robinette - Robinette's Apple Haus and Winery

Robinette's is a Grand Rapids farm that has been in the family since 1912. In addition to a thriving cider mill, the farm has been operating winery with ciders and wines since 2006. Bill Robinette will talk about how sweet and hard cider play an important role.

Making Award Winning Cider at Hill Bros. Orchard
10:40 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Chris Swaggerty - Hill Bros. Orchard

Cider maker Chris Swaggerty will talk about his experience working as the cider maker at Hill Bros. Orchard, which won the most recent edition of the Michigan Apple Cider Contest in 2023.

26th annual Michigan Apple Cider Contest

The cider contest will judge the best ciders produced by Michigan cider makers (only Michigan cider producers are eligible). Here are some important details for the contest.

To enter, cider producers must submit two 1-gallon cider jugs at the exhibitor registration desk in the Grand Gallery concourse in DeVos Place on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon. No entries will be accepted after noon on Wednesday.

Cider samples must be thawed by 1 p.m. on Wednesday (this is the responsibility of each cider producer, not the contest coordinator).

Cider contest judging will be on Wednesday afternoon. Judging will be held in one of the main-level Grand Gallery meeting rooms and will be open for viewing starting at 1:30 p.m.

The top five winners will be notified prior to the EXPO Social so they can be in attendance. Winners will be announced at the EXPO Social on Wednesday evening. First place receives a plaque and a traveling trophy. Second and third places receive a plaque.

In addition to the tree fruit specific sessions, these other sessions may benefit you as well.

Tuesday, December 10

Wednesday, December 11

Thursday, December 12

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).