Fruit & Nut Resources

College Station Hilton & Conference Center, Oct. 7th, 2015, Morning Session:

8:00 – Registration

8:30 – Growing Fruits and Vegetables from the Farm to Table, Bob & Cora Lamar, Oak Hill Farms, Poteet

9:00 – Rootstock Selection and High Tunnel Production with Grafted Tomatoes, Dr. Cary Rivard, Fruit & Vegetable Specialist, Kansas State University

10:00 – Break (visit with sponsors and exhibitors)

10:15 – Improving Crop Performance Using Drip Irrigation in Open Field and High Tunnels, Dr. Larry Stein, Extension Specialist, Horticulture

11:15 – Pesticide Laws & Regulations, Brad Tullis, Inspector V, Pesticide Division, Texas Department of Agriculture

12:15 – Lunch Provided (visit with sponsors and exhibitors)

Afternoon Session:  

1:00 – Integrated Pest Management for High Tunnel Strawberries, Dr. Cary Rivard, Fruit & Vegetable Specialist, Kansas State University

2:00 – How to Get the Most from Your High Tunnel,  Dr. Russ Wallace, Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

2:30 – Consumer Expectations for Growing Quality Commercial Strawberries, David Figliola –Business Development Manager, H.E.B., San Antonio

3:00 – Break (visit with sponsors and exhibitors)

3:15 – Promoting Insect Pollination in Tunnels and Beyond, Lauren Ward, M.S., Apiary Manager, Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab, Bryan

4:15 – Comparing Organic vs. Conventional Pest Control in High Tunnel Strawberries, Dr. Russ Wallace, Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

5:15 – Depart (Have a safe trip home!)

Presentation times could change, but content should include the following:

Make plans to attend the 4^th annual Texas Fruit Conference, October 5^th & 6^th, College Station Hilton & Conference Center, College Station, Texas

What is it? The Texas Fruit Conference is an educational program by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, aimed at bringing together commercial and recreational fruit growers from around the state to hear and discuss the challenges and successes of fruit growing in Texas.

New Faces: This year we are partnering with Southern Fruit Fellowship, a chapter of North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX) with members in several Gulf Coast States. SFF is holding their annual meeting at the Texas Fruit Fellowship and sponsoring two lectures on Tuesday (see details in the program schedule).

This program offers valuable information updates to seasoned fruit growers while also providing persons with no experiences in orchard management a place to learn how to get started.

This 4^rthFall Fruit Conference in Aggieland features exciting topics: –

¨  Opening session, Monday afternoon—Peach tree pruning, grafting, home orchard insecticides, more

¨  Networking reception, Monday evening, College Station Hilton & Conference Center

¨  Tuesday session—strawberries, kiwifruit, walnuts, honeybees,  brown rot management, organic fruit, more.

¨  Pomegranate fruit variety tasting! Sample some of the newest pomegranate varieties in Texas trials.

Featured Speakers:

• Dr. George Ray McEachern will discuss the fruit orchard’s foundation—site, soil and water
• Dr. David Byrne—protected culture of fruits in China
• Russ Studebaker, Studebaker Farms-Fredericksburg—Experiences in fruit growing and marketing
• Dr. David Creech, Stephen F. Austin University—Kiwifruit in Texas
• William D. ‘Bill’ Adams—Jujube

Southern Fruit Fellowship Lectures:

Dr. Ethan Natelson—Dwarf Severinia citrus rootstock, Mr. Randell Verhoek, Sustainable Beekeeping

AgriLife Extension Speakers:

Larry Stein, Jim Kamas, Monte Nesbitt, David Appel, Sheila McBride, Bill Ree, Andrew Labay

When is it? Registration begins 12 Noon, Monday, October 5^th, presentations 1:00 pm-5:00 pm; Tuesday October 6^th; presentations 8:30 am-5:00 pm.

Where is it? Hilton College Station & Conference Center, 801 University Drive East, College Station, Texas 77840, (979) 693-7500; http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/texas/hilton-college-station-and-conference-center-CLLCHHF/index.html

Guest Room Rates: $149; Deadline to reserve rooms –September 13th

Hotel Group Code: Hort15

How do I register? Online Registration is at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Horticulture

Cost $80.00/person online before 9/25/14. On-site registration $90.00

Or Combine registration with Texas High Tunnel Conference ($55/person), Wednesday October 7^th, for $125/person for both events

For more information? Contact Monte Nesbitt (979) 862-1218, MLNesbitt@tamu.edu

The Texas High Tunnel Conference (October 8^th ) and the Texas Fruit Conference (October 6^th & 7^th) will both be held this year at the Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Center in College Station.  The Hilton Garden Inn location allows us to continue to grow the number exhibitors and attendees.  Thanks to all those who supported the conferences last year; we had overwhelming positive comments from our attendees.

Pesticide CEU’s will be offered at both programs.

The two-day 3^rd Annual Texas Fruit Conference will provide timely topics and practical fruit growing and marketing information for new and experienced fruit growers, covering a diverse slate of topics and orchard crops!  The one-day Texas High Tunnel Conference will explore growing strawberries and other high value horticultural crops in season-extending technology. Growers considering new/alternative crops and marketing seasons will be exposed to the opportunities and challenges that high tunnels can offer.

Our online registration site is operational and you can sign up for one or both conferences at: http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/.

Click Here for information regarding costs of conference registration, hotel reservations, and presentation schedules for both conferences:

Texas High Tunnel Conference 2014 Agenda

2014 Texas Fruit Conference Program

Make plans to attend the 3^rd annual Texas Fruit Conference, October 6^th & 7^th, Hilton Garden Inn, College Station, Texas

What is it? The Texas Fruit Conference is an educational program by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, aimed at bringing together commercial and recreational fruit growers from around the state to hear and discuss the challenges and successes of fruit growing in Texas.

This program offers valuable information updates to seasoned fruit growers while providing persons with no experiences in orchard management a place to learn how to get started.

This 3^rd Fall Fruit Conference in Aggieland features exciting topics:-

¨ New grower session, Monday afternoon—site prep., soil diseases, water quality, bare-root nursery stock, peach varieties, & marketing  considerations

¨ Networking reception, Monday evening, Hilton Garden Inn

¨ General session—olives, pears, citrus, blackberries, pomegranates, cotton root rot management, muscadines

¨ Pomegranate fruit variety tasting! Sample some of the newest pomegranate varieties in Texas trials.

Featured Speakers:

• Dr. Arlie Powell, Retired Auburn University Extension Specialist and fruit grower with Petals from the Past Nursery, Jemison, Alabama—will discuss alternative blackberry training and locally grown fruit
• Dr. George Ray McEachern will discuss history & potential of pear production in Texas
• Dr. David Byrne—peach varieties for Texas
• Gary Marburger, Marburger Farms-Fredericksburg—Experiences in fruit growing and marketing
• Larry Don Womack—How to be successful with bare-root nursery stock

AgriLife Extension Speakers: Larry Stein, Jim Kamas, Monte Nesbitt, David Appel, Sheila McBride, Erfan Vafaie, Justin Scheiner, Marco Palma

Click Here to view the full program: 2014 Texas Fruit Conference Program

When is it? Registration begins 12 Noon, Monday, October 6^th, presentations 1:00 pm-5:00 pm; Tuesday October 7^th; presentations 8:30 am-5:00 pm.

Where is it? Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center; 3081 University Dr E, Bryan, TX 77802; Phone:(979) 703-7919; http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/texas/hilton-garden-inn-college-station-CLLGIGI/index.html

Guest Room Rates: $129; Deadline to reserve rooms –September 8th

Alternate Hotel: Ramada Inn, College Station, 506 Earl Rudder Freeway South, College Station, TX 77840 (Hwy 6 & University behind Olive Garden & Home Depot on the feeder road); Reservation by phone only (979)-846-0300. The group name is: “Fruit Conference”

How do I register? Online Registration is at http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/

Cost $80.00/person online before 9/25/14. On-site registration $90.00

Or Combine registration with Texas High Tunnel Conference ($55/person), Wednesday October 8^th, for $125/person for both events

For more information? Contact Monte Nesbitt (979) 862-1218, MLNesbitt@tamu.edu

As a follow up to last week’s post, I wanted to add the finalized agenda to the two events that are scheduled for the end of September, first two days of October.  Please feel free to contact Monte, Larry or me if you have any questions about our the fruit conference or Russ Wallace if you need more information on the High Tunnel Conference

Make Plans to Attend the Second Annual Texas Fruit Conference! And Texas High Tunnel Conference!

Two great educational events for fresh fruit producers and enthusiasts in Texas!

Dates are set as follows—

Texas Fruit Conference; Monday September 30^th & Tuesday, October 1^st:  As we did with our first meeting in 2012, we are developing a 1 & ½ day educational program that will provide timely topics and practical fruit growing and marketing information for new and experienced fruit growers, covering a diverse slate of topics and orchard crops!

Conference Conveners: Monte Nesbitt, Larry Stein & Jim Kamas, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Texas High Tunnel Conference; Wednesday, October 2^nd; This one day program will explore growing strawberries and other high value horticultural crops in season-extending high tunnels. Growers considering new/alternative crops and marketing seasons will be exposed to the opportunities and challenges that high tunnels offer.

Conference Convener: Russ Wallace, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Both  Events To Be Held at the Best Western Old Town Center Hotel, Bryan, Texas.

Website:  http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/TX/Bryan-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-PREMIER-Old-Town-Center/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=44623

Conference Room Rate for this event is $93.00/ night.

On-site/In-Person Registration set at $90 for Texas Fruit Conference ($80 online) & $55 for High Tunnel Conference.

Special Combo Online Registration for both events (2.5 days): $125.00

(additional discounts for AgriLife Agents)

Registration—Online Registration will open in mid July at http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu

Join Us in October!!

I have been remiss in not posting more often, but its been a whirlwind trip here with much to see and do.  The fruit growers here are amazing and what is perhaps most remarkable is the number and kinds of crops growing side by side.    Here is what I have been seeing on a daily basis. Seen a number of first class fruit nurseries growing peach, pear, pomegranate, all kinds of citrus, mango, you name it.

And here are just a few more fields.

Many different kinds of table grapes,  mostly grown for export

In some places the groundwater has been pumped so extensively that the salinity has increased to the point where peaches and grapes can no longer be grown.  In this farm, such former crops have been replaced by 400 fadan (4200 sq. meters or 1.038 acres) of pomegranates.  The grower plans to increase the planting to 1000 fadan withing the next couple of years.

Same farm, here Citrus is interplanted with Date Palm

And in many places, banana is a good rotational crop, one year to establish, harvest two years, then back to long term perennial crops

Its Friday, the first day of the weekend here and its been a hectic week.  Did some touring this morning and early afternoon, but finally have a chance to get a few more posts in on what I have been seeing.  Day two in the field was a good one as well.  Started out in a peach nursery operation east of Sadat City where Nemaguard seed are planted out in a nursery row, budded, then forced to produce new peach and apricot trees for commercial fruit production.

Above is the nursery as its being budded.  After fifteen days, the trees are topped to force the scion buds and create a budded tree.  Trees to the right have just been budded, trees to the left have just been forced.

Budding is hard work, and while I was having tea with the nursery owner, the budding crew was taking a well deserved break with tea and the shisha.

On to other fields, the owners, brothers, nephews, uncles, there was quite the crowd.  First class peach and grape operation.  Well, that’s what I was shown and asked to help with, but there are  mango, banana, apples, you name it grown all around.  All with windbreak, superb weed control and insect and disease management, I mean these guys have their act together.  All going for a specific window of marketing in the EU. Here I am with the managing nephew and his staff of engineers.

The professional field crew and the younger owners tend to prefer western dress.  They are extremely bright, really know their pomology and viticulture and have a great sense of humor.  I really enjoy these interactions personally and professionally.  The older management crowd (uh, I guess that means my age) and many field workers still wear more traditional clothing.  There is a mosque on most farms where workers and owners pray together.  Here, another tea time with the big bosses.

You get a real sense of reality driving around.  Where cultivation has been established, the growers and the land is very productive, in the western part of the delta, its ground water that tends to a bit saline, but in the eastern part, its water from a series of channels off of the Nile.  Here is what it looks like where it is not cultivated. And, oh, yes the palm was planted.

Had my first day in the field today, about 90km north of Cairo toward Alexandria. And this is who I am as they introduce me:

What used to be called the desert road which was until 30 years ago, just that, sand.  At that time, land sold for 50 Egyptian pounds/fadan,  the equivalent of 75 cents per acre.  Water and drip irrigation has changed that and now the land goes for $10,000 per acre, up.  They started me off with their high end producers, all for export to the EU.  First class operation.  Visited peach orchards which had just completed harvest and seedless table grape vineyard, all trained on overhead pergola and partially covered with plastic where harvest was about two weeks from being completed.

We talked varieties, zinc and iron nutrition, timing and placement of nitrogen and reviewed their pest management plans, but other than an exchange of ideas, I had no concrete help for these folks… they don’t need it.  Their major limitations are labor and shipping logistics.  Any of this sound familiar?

Windbreaks are planted everywhere.  April and May are the windy months when fruit is present and for export, everything has to be cosmetically perfect.

And, I would be remiss if I did not add how incredibly hospitable the Egyptian people have been to me.  Here I am with Mr. Hawdy Muhammed, farm manager of Belco enjoying pita, spiced tuna, buffalo cheese and fava beans and pickled peppers.  Yum.