With research priorities set to support Michigan apple growers and industry success, the Michigan Apple Committee board approved $239,121 in funding for 13 projects in 2021.

MAC looks for projects that improve profitability and production, develop new markets and products, and identify consumer trends and facts.

The Michigan Apple Committee is a grower-funded nonprofit organization devoted to marketing, education and research activities to distinguish the Michigan apple and encourage its consumption in Michigan and around the world. For more information, visit MichiganApples.com.

MAC-funded research includes:

Randolph Beaudry. Apple Ripening After DCA Storage: Assessing the Risk of Flavor Loss, $25,203

Bitter Pit Characterization. Prediction and Mitigation in Honeycrisp, $21,307

Sushila Chaudhari. Advancing Sustainability in Apple Orchards with Site-Specific Weed Management, $15,000

Todd Einhorn. New Thinning Strategies to Improve Apple Profitability and Predictability, $43,387

Optimizing Tree Quality for Early Orchard Establishment. $14,914

Evaluation of Multi-Leader Training Systems. $15,856

Larry Gut. Management of Codling Moth Using Sterile Insect Releases, $19,000

Amy Irish-Brow. Apple Maturity Manipulation-Use of PGRs and Other Products, $10,125

William Shane. Coordinated Evaluation of Apple Germplasm for the Fresh and Processing Industries, $12,000

George Sundin. Fungicide Resistance Screening in the Apple Scab Pathogen Venturia Inaequalis, and continued work on shoot blight management, $25,000

Marianna Szucs. Biological Control of Brown Marmorated Stinkbug in Southwestern Michigan, $7,658

Julianna Wilson. BMSB Monitoring and Research in Apple Orchards, $10,000

John Wise. Rainfastness of Fungicides for Disease Control in Apples, $19,671

Register now for online hops course

The Hop Production in Midwest and Eastern North America online course is now open for registration, provided by the Great Lakes Hop Working Group. The course provides comprehensive presentations and resources that address all aspects of hop production from economic considerations to postharvest handling. The course was developed for beginner or prospective hop producers, but could also be used by more experienced hop growers.

Content for the on-demand course includes industry review, hopyard construction, cost of production, stages of production, horticultural practices, disease management, insect management, weed management, beneficial insects, pesticide considerations, harvest, postharvest and marketing.

The cost to register is $50 and includes all course content. Pesticide recertification credits are available for Michigan applicators. A certificate is available upon completion of all coursework. Register at canr.msu.edu.

Online mapping tool expands into Michigan to protect workers

FieldWatch Inc., a nonprofit company that promotes improved communication and stewardship among crop producers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators, is expanding its SeedFieldCheck registry into four states, including Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan for the 2021 growing season.  

SeedFieldCheck integrates into the existing FieldWatch crop and apiary registry and enables seed companies to communicate daily the location and presence of seed fieldworkers to pesticide applicators.

Users mark registered fields as “planned” or “occupied” to alert pesticide applicators. The information will be available in near real time, allowing seed companies the ability to make edits and update plans quickly.

These free mapping tools can be easily integrated into many technology platforms used in agriculture and enable crop producers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators to work together to protect fieldworkers, specialty crops and apiaries. Learn more about SeedFieldCheck at fieldwatch.com.

New leadership at Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board

Jamie Clover Adams, who brings with her more than 25 years of state and federal food and agriculture leadership and policy experience, is the new executive director of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.

Most recently, she served as farm production and conservation chief of staff under former USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. Clover Adams takes over from John Bakker, who is set to retire as executive director after serving the asparagus industry for nearly 20 years.

Insurance options for vegetable growers

Risk management programs can take the edge off major losses from lower yields, crop losses or prevented planting from weather events.

The latest publication from the Beginning Farmers DEMaND series explores risk management programs for vegetable producers. Offered through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency and Farm Service Agency, these programs seek to mitigate some of the production risk that producers face on an annual basis.

Download the latest bulletin in the Beginning Farmers DEMaND (Developing and Educating Managers and New Decision-makers) series at canr.msu.edu.

Conservation project gets $7.8 million for Western Lake Erie Basin

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has funded a multistate conservation program — to the tune of $7,780,799 — to protect natural resources, enhance soil health, improve water quality, and support landowners in the Western Lake Erin Basin region.

Titled the Lake Erie Conservation Partnership, the grant is for a five-year program and was awarded to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ohio State University, which will work together collectively to focus on nutrient management, erosion control, water management and more.

This funding will aim to steward new conservation programs in all three states and will be used for demonstration sites of soil conservation practices.

The conservation focus area for these efforts is in the Western Lake Erie Basin, which covers nearly 7 million acres, and it encompasses most of northwest Ohio, as well as portions of northeast Indiana and southeast Michigan. 

These funds from USDA-NRCS are part of a Regional Conservation Partnership program. USDA is investing a total of $23.2 million in three Regional Conservation Partnership programs in the Western Lake Erie Basin.

Register now for youth virtual livestock show

Ovid Elevator is teaming up with Kent Feeds to offer a Michigan Virtual Market Livestock Show. The virtual show will be free, and each youth exhibitor will be given a free shirt for participating.

Feedback will be given on each animal to help prepare for summer livestock shows and fairs. Each of the market species (goat, sheep, swine, beef, beef prospect, dairy beef and dairy beef prospect) will have an Overall Grand and Reserve Grand Champion. The Grand and Reserve prizes will be sponsored by Kent Feeds and Formula of Champions feed.

Each exhibitor (youth under 21 years old) will be able to enter and virtually show two animals per species. There also will be a fan favorite costume contest class.

Entries will be submitted from June 1 to 8 at Michigan Virtual Market Livestock Show – Ovid Elevator Co.

Videos will be uploaded on the virtual show Facebook group page at Ovid Elevator Michigan Virtual Livestock Market Show-facebook.