Pennsylvania Regional Organic Fruit Industry Transition

This project was initiated by request from growers for the exploring the possibility for organic transition within the commercial fruit industry in Pennsylvania. In response to this request, the Pennsylvania Regional Organic Fruit Industry Transition (PROFIT) team was initiated to improve the sustainability and profitability of small family apple farms through the implementation of sustainable and organic production practices and by differentiating apple products as certified organic. Key components of activities included: a) a case studies of the transition to organic production in demonstration/ research orchards managed by an ‘Orchard Management Transition Team’ including researchers and organic grower practitioners; b) scientific testing and evaluations of new and experimental tools and methods approved for organic production utilizing certified organic apple orchard located at the PSU FREC; c) development of an educational model for networking and information sharing among fruit industry, organic growers and the ‘Orchard Management Transition Team’ made up of local conventional IPM growers, experienced organic growers, apple processor, university researchers and extension educators.

Multiple outreach activities such as Grower Field Days and multiple hands-on grower meetings covered both conventional and organic insect, disease and weed management, as well as tree training and organic fruit thinning demonstrations. More than 500 growers interested in practical organic and/or alternative pest management practices attended the organic meetings. Other participants included crop consultants, students and university research and extension personnel.

Despite some challenges related to individual elements of the organic system, the results of this project demonstrated that high quality organic apples can be grown in the eastern United States with existing and alternative management tools currently available for organic fruit production. Also, the economic data collected from our PSU FREC organic blocks documented that yearly net profit is possible as early as in the 4th year after planting of new organic orchard.

Introduction:

In the last decade increased attention has been focused on the sustainability of organic and integrated pest management (IPM) food production systems in comparison to conventional pest management systems relying solely on synthetic chemical inputs. In conventional pesticide programs, pesticides have generally been chosen based on their efficacy or cost rather than on their potential environmental impact. Practioners of IPM also consider pesticide effects on known beneficial arthropods such as mite predators and use various pest monitoring techniques and economic thresholds to reduce the number of applications of conventional pesticides, but mostly for economic reasons. Some growers, however, and an increasing proportion of the public feel that only natural pesticides should be used in agricultural production systems because they are naturally occuring and are perceived to be less harmful to the environment.

Earlier in this decade the Pennsylvania tree fruit industry was at a point of transition. Although history, production region, family farms and research and education programs always favored fruit production in Pennsylvania, several outside factors have combined to make the business of fruit production more difficult and less profitable over the last 10 years. Cultural practices and pest control methods utilized over the last 40 years started to be replaced by new organic and alternative approaches to growing fruit and managing pests that were profitable for the growers, fresh fruit packers and processors while at the same time being environmentally sound and focused on meeting consumers’ expectations for food safety and quality. In 2004, an organic apple demonstration orchard was established at PSU Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, PA to provide researchers and growers with the opportunity to observe best organic practices for local, eastern US organic apple production. The first certified organic fruit from this orchard was produced and sold in 2006. The organic apple production project was named Pennsylvania Regional Organic Fruit Industry Transition (PROFIT).

Two apple cultivars, 'GoldRush' and 'Enterprise,' were selected for the 2 acre organic demonstration orchard based on their resistance to diseases and potential as processing or fresh market varieties. Disease resistant crops can lead to a significant reduction in pesticide applications (i.e. fungicides) in both conventionally managed orchards and those managed organically.

Management of more than two dozen arthropod pests in apple orchards in the eastern United States is a complex and difficult task, and IPM programs for these crops are perhaps the most complex of all cropping systems. For Pennsylvania commercial fruit growers, the most important insects are a complex of direct pests whose larvae feed internally within fruit (internal feeders), and include the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta, apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella, and plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar. In addition, at least two species of leafrollers (obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana, and tufted apple bud moth Platynota idaeusalis), along with the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, and various stink bug species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) also feed directly on fruit.

There are also many indirect arthropod pests that feed on the bark or foliage. These groups of pests include a complex of aphids, leafhoppers, leafminers, mites, and sesiid borers. This indirect damage can cause significant losses in crop value by reducing fruit size, quality, tree vigor and, under certain conditions, even the death of trees.

For almost 40 years, organophosphate (OP), carbamates and pyrethroids insecticides have been the cornerstone of conventional apple insect management programs however in recent years there have been a number of new, pest control tools that have become available to the organic tree fruit industry that have shown promise as alternatives to conventional insecticides. The naturalyte insecticide, spinosad (Entrust ®) provided excellent control of leafrollers and leafminers. Azadirachtin (Aza-Direct®) derived from the neem tree provides good control of apple aphid, spotted tentiform leafiner and suppression of codling moth and oriental fruit moth. Kaolin (Surround®) is a specialized mineral for use as an insecticide on many fruit crops. Surround has demonstrated activity against leafhoppers, plum curculio, apple maggot and Japanese beetle. Codling moth granulosis virus (CpGV) (Cyd-X®) provides excellent control of codling moth and possibly some suppression of Oriental fruit moth. Also, a number of horticultural oils: Spray oil 653-0055® and Organic JMS Stylet oil® are very effective in controlling mites and aphids on tree fruit.

Pheromone-based mating disruption is another promising technique for managing lepidopteran pests. Pheromone deployment for pest control in fruit crops currently relies upon evaporation from polymers (ropes) impregnated or filled with pheromone. These hand-applied dispensers must be placed within orchards at relatively high densities per unit area. Mating disruption has become a commercially acceptable option for control of some lepidopteran pests in orchards, especially for codling moth and Oriental fruit moth.

Coordinated research on pest and disease management as well as crop load management was initiated to support PROFIT and to generate information for the development of commercial recommendations for organic apple producers. Although some individual aspects of practical production of organic fruit were available previously, at the time of initiation of this project no practical set of recommendations existed for a successful, commercial scale transition from conventional into organic orchard.