ISHS Acta Horticulturae 347: II International Symposium on Integrated Fruit Production
LOW INPUT PRODUCTION OF PEACH (PRUNUS PERSICA CV. 'NEWHAVEN') |
| Authors: | J.A. Flore, E. Hansen, J. Johnson, J. Wisse, M. Whalon, G. Bird, A. Jones |
| Abstract:
Three systems of growing peach (conventional chemical input: moderate level of chemical input: and low level of chemical input) have been established with the following objectives: 1) to compare crop quality and yield, tree growth, and insect and disease control between systems, and 2) to monitor soil and fruit chemical residues to determine the environmental impact of each system. In 1990, six plots each of 0.41 ha were established at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, Benton Harbor, MI., with ½ of the plot planted in the center of each plot. Plots were separated by at least 200 m, and each of the three treatments were replicated two times. Conventional chemical input (clean cultivation, ground application of conventional herbicides), moderate level of chemical input (fescue ground cover, dormant pruning, fertilizer and nematicide through the drip irrigation, pesticide application based on trap counts, and conventional herbicides), and low level of chemical input (endophytic rye ground cover, summer pruning, horse manure instead of commercial ferilizer, straw mulch and no herbicides, pheromone disruption of oriental fruit moth, perticide application based on trap counts, and biological control of nematodes) were established. In phase 1 of the project (1990), insect and disease, as well as growth (reproductive and vegetative) monitoring was begun. AIn phase 2 (1991), soil and ground water monitoring was begun. Fruit residue, data was begun in 1992. In this paper we will discuss the materials and methods of the project, and some of the preliminary horticultural data. | |
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