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Cedar Meadow Farm. Can vigorous rootstock be used to manage verticillium wilt? ‘Maxifort’ How does grafting fit in with fumigation? Additive or alternative Can we reduce economic constraints through cultural methods? Plant spacing. Grafting Trial planted May 12th. Cultural Management.
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Cedar Meadow Farm • Can vigorous rootstock be used to manage verticillium wilt? • ‘Maxifort’ • How does grafting fit in with fumigation? • Additive or alternative • Can we reduce economic constraints through cultural methods? • Plant spacing
Grafting Trial planted May 12th
Cultural Management Twin Leader
Cedar Meadow Farm • Fall Fumigation • ‘BHN 589’ • “Twin-heading” • Disease ratings • Data collection • Mid-October
Scion Rootstock
High horsepower “Grafted” snow blower!
B A P = NS P = NS P < 0.01 Verticillium Wilt
Y B A Z P = NS P < 0.01 P < 0.05 Verticillium Wilt
B Y YZ Z A Marketable Fruit Weight LSD based on P=0.01
C C BC B B A Marketable Fruit Weight LSD based on P=0.05
Marketable Fruit Weight LSD based on P=0.05
Y B Y A Z Marketable Fruit Number LSD based on P=0.05
B A Marketable Fruit Size LSD based on P=0.01
P<0.01 Yield Dynamics
P<0.01 Yield Dynamics P<0.01
The Bottom line… Grafted-55.9 tons/A 4,472- 25lb boxes/A Non-Grafted-46.5 tons/A 3,720- 25 lb. boxes/A 20% increase in yield
The Bottom line… 9.4 more tons per acre Or, 752 more boxes per acre @ $12.00 per box (#1’s and #2’s) = $9,024 increase Or, $1.88 per plant increase
How much does it cost to graft? Healing chamber Labor costs Grow 2 sets of plants
Cary Rivard, Graduate Research AssistantNorth Carolina State University-Technical advisor
Permanent Cover Cropping System Steve Groff Cedar Meadow Farm Holtwood, PA steve@cedarmeadowfarm.com www.cedarmeadowfarm.com
Summary • Fall fumigation did not reduce disease incidence and had no effect on fruit yield. Fumigation should have been done in the spring. • ‘Maxifort’ rootstock increased yield across at all levels of plant spacing and fumigation. • Fruit size and number • Similar per acre yields were seen with half the number of grafted plants. • Increased spacing and ‘Maxifort’ slowed early season production. • Per plant yield was increased by 4-10 lbs/plant with ‘Maxifort.