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Comprehensive Assessment of Organic Apple Production in Vermont: Experience from Two Orchard Systems, 2006-2013 Terence L

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Comprehensive Assessment of Organic Apple Production in Vermont: Experience from Two Orchard Systems, 2006-2013 Terence L University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM Graduate College Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2015 Comprehensive Assessment of Organic Apple Production in Vermont: Experience from Two Orchard Systems, 2006-2013 Terence L. Bradshaw University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis Part of the Agricultural Economics Commons, and the Horticulture Commons Recommended Citation Bradshaw, Terence L., "Comprehensive Assessment of Organic Apple Production in Vermont: Experience from Two Orchard Systems, 2006-2013" (2015). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 327. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/327 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate College Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF ORGANIC APPLE PRODUCTION IN VERMONT: EXPERIENCE FROM TWO ORCHARD SYSTEMS, 2006-2013 A Dissertation Presented by Terence L. Bradshaw to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Specializing in Plant and Soil Science May, 2015 Defense Date: March 25, 2014 Dissertation Examination Committee: Josef H. Gorres, Ph. D., Advisor Robert L. Parsons, Ph.D., Chairperson Lorraine P. Berkett, Ph.D. Sidney C. Bosworth, Ph.D. Cynthia J. Forehand, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate College ABSTRACT Despite substantial consumer demand and willingness to pay premium prices for organically grown fruit, apple growers in Vermont and other New England states have been slow to adopt certified organic practices. Barriers cited in the past to increased adoption of organic apple production in the region include susceptibility of traditionally grown cultivars to apple scab, lack of effective insect pest management materials, and few available effective options for fruit thinning. Recent changes in apple cultivar plantings in the region, introduction of new insect pest management materials, and advances in crop thinning justified an evaluation of organic apple production systems containing cultivars identified as important to the future of the apple industry. In 2006, two apple orchards were established at the University of Vermont Horticulture Research and Education Center in South Burlington, VT to comprehensively evaluate the five commercially-important apple cultivars of ‘Ginger Gold’, ‘Honeycrisp’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Macoun’, and ‘Zestar!’ over eight growing seasons in two organically-managed orchard production systems, including a newly-planted high-density orchard (Orchard 1) and in an existing, medium-density orchard which was top-grafted to the new cultivars (Orchard 2). Parameters for tree growth and survival, crop yield, disease and arthropod pest incidence on foliage and fruit, and long-term economic return, including a twenty-year projection of net present value (NPV) of each cultivar in the two systems were evaluated in this study. ‘Ginger Gold’, despite high incidence of some diseases on foliage and fruit, performed the best in both orchard systems overall. The cultivar was among the cultivars with the highest measurements of tree growth. ‘Ginger Gold’, along with ‘Honeycrisp’, had the highest cumulative net crop yield per tree in Orchard 1 and the highest in Orchard 2. Notably, apple scab on ‘Honeycrisp’ foliage and fruit and ‘Zestar!’ fruit in both orchards was at a level that was not significantly different from ‘Liberty’, a scab-resistant cultivar on which no scab was observed. However, ‘Honeycrisp’ had the highest incidence of fruit rots in both orchards, but it was not significantly different than ‘Zestar!’ in Orchard 1. Management of lepidopteran pests of fruit was a major challenge on all cultivars over the years of the study. For most of the tree growth parameters and cumulative net crop yield, ‘Liberty’ was among the lowest group of cultivars in both orchards. Cumulative net crop yield of both ‘Macoun’ and ‘Zestar!’ were also among the lowest in both orchards with the top-grafted ‘Macoun’ and ‘Zestar!’ trees having significant tree death compared to the other cultivars in Orchard 2. Harvested fruit were graded to commercial standards and cumulative gross and net income calculated from grade distribution, crop yield, and fruit price data. In Orchard 1, ‘Ginger Gold’ and ‘Liberty’ had greater cumulative gross income per hectare from 2006-2013, in excess of US$40,000, compared to ‘Liberty’. However, after management costs were deducted, all cultivars in Orchard 1 had negative cumulative net income of $-77,892 or less. In Orchard 2, all cultivars had positive cumulative net income for 2006-2013, and ‘Ginger Gold’ had the highest at $109,717/ha. The twenty-year projected NPV was negative for all cultivars in Orchard 1, but in Orchard 2, all cultivars had positive NPV with ‘Ginger Gold’ having the highest among the cultivars. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Twenty years ago while an undergraduate UVM Plant & Soil Science student, I answered a flyer in the stairwell of Hills Building advertising a summer job opportunity working for the Apple Research Team. Little did I know then that that job would lead to a long and fruitful professional career, and I owe Lorraine Berkett, head of the program for 31 years, my respect and gratitude for shepherding me along the way. Lorraine saw my potential as a researcher and educator well before I did, and her encouragement, support, and guidance as my supervisor, mentor, and advisor has been indispensable in my efforts. I also wish to thank Tom Vogelmann, Josie Davis, and Skip Fanus in the CALS Dean’s office and PSS Chair Deb Neher for seeing my potential to carry on the program after Lorraine’s retirement, and supporting my transition to a faculty role. The research associated with this dissertation was truly a team effort. The Primary Investigators of the OrganicA project, including Lorraine, Renae Moran, Elena Garcia, Heather Darby, and Bob Parsons, saw a unique research opportunity over ten years ago and have been instrumental in seeing this project through. My fellow technicians Sarah Kingsley-Richards, Morgan Cromwell, and Andrew Bessette contributed countless hours of effort to the project. I also wish to thank Joan Skelly and Alan Howard for statistical support, and the many undergraduate students who helped with orchard maintenance and research activities. Finally, none of this work would be worth doing if not for the Vermont apple grower community, for whom my work with tree fruit production systems is designed to support. Life is not defined solely by the work we perform at our jobs, no matter how important it is. The demands of an academic and administrative career while pursuing a graduate degree are not insignificant, and I have spent many hours secluded at my home office desk ‘after work’ in order to get it all done. To that point, I thank my wife Julie and daughter Alice for their tolerance for missed family events and my many distractions during this process, and for their support and encouragement along the way. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................... 1 Organic orchards in the U.S. ........................................................................................... 1 Principles of organic integrated pest management .......................................................... 3 Apple scab management in organic orchards .................................................................. 7 Phytotoxicity and organic apple scab management ...................................................... 12 Other apple diseases of concern in organic orchards .................................................... 16 Insect pest management in organic apple orchards ....................................................... 20 Horticultural challenges in organic apple orchards ....................................................... 23 Economic evaluations of organic apple production systems ........................................ 31 Literature cited .............................................................................................................. 42 THE ORGANICA PROJECT: A GENERAL OUTLINE FOR THIS DISSERTATION ........................................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 2: JOURNAL ARTICLE- TREE GROWTH AND CROP YIELD OF FIVE CULTIVARS IN TWO ORGANIC APPLE ORCHARD SYSTEMS IN VERMONT, USA, 2006-2013 ............................................................................................................... 59 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 59 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 60 Materials and methods .................................................................................................. 61 Tree survival
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