Crop conditions: Apple season is progressing well, with Red 
and Golden Delicious currently being harvested. As with 
earlier season varieties, crops are extremely variable 
around the state. Grape harvest is winding down. We picked 
the last of our varieties at Lafayette this week. Weâre 
still picking a few fall bearing raspberries, but the hot, 
dry conditions have reduced the crop.  
New Purdue Extension director announced:  Charles Hibberd 
has been named as the next director of the Purdue 
University Cooperative Extension Service and associate dean 
of Purdue Agriculture.
Hibberd, currently district director of the Panhandle 
Research and Extension Center and Panhandle Extension 
District for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will 
assume his Purdue post on Nov.1. At Nebraska he has been 
responsible for research and Extension activities at four 
research locations and 12 county offices.

"Chuck's combination of leadership, Extension and research 
experience makes him ideally suited to lead one of the 
nation's pre-eminent Extension programs," said Randy 
Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. "He emerged 
as the favorite from a very strong pool of candidates, and 
we're very excited to have him join Purdue."
Hibberd said that it was Purdue's reputation that attracted 
him to the position.
"Purdue Extension's reputation is superb, it's known as one 
of the best in the country," Hibberd said. "I look forward 
to working with the people associated with the program, 
many of whom I've come to know personally over the years."
Hibberd said among his first duties in office will be 
connecting with people in the state and building 
relationships with stakeholders and prospective partners.
"I'll also start the process of putting together a 
strategic plan for the future that will continue our work 
to develop relevant and timely Extension programs that 
focus on the real issues of the people of Indiana."
Hibberd also will serve as associate vice provost for 
engagement, a position that reflects the importance of 
Purdue Extension to the university's overall outreach 
efforts.
"Extension is one of the foundations of engagement for 
Purdue in the state," said Jay Akridge, interim vice 
provost for engagement. "Purdue Extension's broad range of 
clientele and linkages to every Indiana county make it a 
vital partner in the university's efforts to serve the 
Hoosier state."
For 12 years Hibberd was a professor of animal sciences at 
Oklahoma State University prior to going to Nebraska in 
1994. His research area was cow/calf nutrition and 
management. He has a bachelor's degree from Nebraska, and 
master's and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State. He is a 
native of Lexington, Neb.
Hibberd replaces David Petritz who retired as director in 
June.
Purdue Extension is part of a national network of colleges, 
universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
providing science-based research, information and education 
along with practical solutions to local concerns. The more 
than 500 Purdue educators and specialists work in offices 
on campus and in all 92 Indiana counties. Purdue Extension 
offers resources and information in areas such as economic 
development, family nutrition and health, youth, and 
agriculture. Through programs like 4-H and Master 
Gardeners, Purdue Extension also works with thousands of 
volunteers across Indiana to make available services, 
leadership and programming. (Purdue News service)
Purdue Agriculture alum new acting head of USDA:  Purdue 
University agricultural alumnus Chuck Conner, who was named 
Thursday (Sept. 20) as acting head of the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, is known by Purdue officials as a 
determined individual who has spent many years in 
Washington, D.C., serving the Midwest. President Bush 
selected Conner for the interim post after Mike Johanns 
resigned to run for the Senate. "Chuck has a long history 
of serving agriculture, and we at Purdue are proud that he 
will be leading the nation's agricultural interests at a 
pivotal time for the industry," said Randy Woodson, the 
Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture.
Conner is a 1980 Purdue graduate of the Department of 
Agricultural Economics. He was later named a distinguished 
agricultural alumnus by Purdue in 1998. Conner is a native 
of Otterbein, Ind., and his brother, Mike Conner, is a 
Benton county farmer.

"Chuck knows agriculture, he knows bioenergy, he knows 
policy and all the things that make him right for this 
job," said Wally Tyner, professor of agricultural economics 
and former head of the department. "He has continued to 
seek advice from Purdue experts and is a fantastic choice." 
Otto Doering, agricultural economics professor and expert 
in federal agriculture policy, calls Conner "unusually 
effective.ä  ãHe's low-key, bright and has never lost his 
sense of public service," Doering said.

Conner has been deputy secretary of agriculture since 2005 
and has been leading the administrationâs negotiations with 
congress on the farm bill. He previously served as 
agricultural adviser to Bush and to U.S. Sen. Richard 
Lugar. (Purdue News Service)

New food safety bill:  Senate Agriculture Committee 
Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) introduced his anticipated 
produce food safety bill yesterday.  The legislation amends 
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, requires 
prescriptive food safety measures for minimally processed 
produce and mandates use of good agricultural practices by 
all growers producing fresh produce, including apples.  
 
The legislation requires growers to have ãa written plan 
detailing the controls utilized by the grower that limit 
the presence and growth of contaminants.ä   Additional 
requirements are as follows: 
*	Growers would be required to ensure that domestic 
animals are excluded from production areas to the 
extent reasonably practicable during the growing and 
harvesting season and growing areas should have 
wildlife deterrents. 
*	Growers are required to ensure that the water supply 
used for irrigation and for washing is suitable for 
its intended use and that ground water is regularly 
monitored for the presence of pathogens at a rate 
adequate to ensure that contaminated water is 
identified and diverted from use on food crops. 
*	Growers must assess their unique environmental 
conditions such as flooding, runoff and drought that 
might lead to contamination and develop safety plans 
to ensure contaminated crops are not distributed. 
*	The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food 
and Drug Administration (FDA) will conduct risk 
assessments to classify farms, orchards and packing 
facilities as high, medium or low risk according to 
the risk assessments and by considering the type of 
produce being grown at a facility, the facilityâs 
history of compliance and food safety problems or 
other factors that FDA and USDA may determine to be 
appropriate. 
*	All growers would be required to develop a written 
plan, not later than two years after enactment of the 
legislation, detailing the controls utilize by the 
grower that limit the presence and growth of 
contaminants. 
*	Growers must keep records on the control measures, and 
FDA must be provided access to the records to monitor 
compliance. 
*	The legislation establishes a market-basket produce 
surveillance program to sample and analyze produce for 
data on the nature, frequency and amount of produce 
contamination ãavailable to consumers.ä 
*	FDA in collaboration with USDA is required to 
establish procedures to require imported minimally 
processed produce and raw agricultural commodities to 
meet the same standards as domestic growers and 
processors. 
USApple plans to work with its produce industry allies and 
with Congress to modify the legislation so it reflects food 
safety practices that are risk-based and reflect sound 
science. (US Apple Association)

New Farm Bill:  The next few weeks are going to be very 
interesting in terms of where the Farm Bill is headed. The 
Senate Agriculture Committee, which began discussing the 
bill last week, is feeling strong pressure from the 
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a national coalition of 
more than 120 specialty crop organizations. In fact, the 
Alliance reports that 36 Senators, many of whom are on the 
powerful Senate Finance Committee, are urging the Senate Ag 
Committee to double the $1.6 billion allocation for the 
fruit and vegetable industry that was included in the 
version passed by the House of Representatives.

While growers ponder the prospects of this, there's also 
the news that USDA Secretary Mike Johanns has resigned to 
enter the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska, 
vacated by the retiring Chuck Hagel. Chuck Conner, USDA's 
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, has stepped in as Acting 
Secretary. In a news conference on Monday, Conner referred 
to the upcoming Farm Bill several times. However, 
discussions regarding specialty crops were minimal, and 
seemingly skeptical. "[House of Representatives members] 
were very generous on specialty crops, but they paid for 
all of that with a tax increase," noted Conner. "I think 
that really puts the outcome of those priority changes in 
real jeopardy because there doesn't appear to be anyone in 
the Senate who's particularly enthusiastic about raising 
taxes in order to pay for a Farm Bill." (from The 
Fruitgrowers news)

Managed Varieties - Are They in Our Future?  You can hardly 
pick up a trade publication these days without finding an 
article either touting a new ãmanagedä variety as the 
greatest thing to come along in years, or an editorial from 
someone decrying the concept of ãclub varietiesä as un-
American, anti-free market, and the end of fruit farming as 
we know it. What is a grower to do? Are managed varieties a 
potential boon, or a giant pitfall? As with so many things 
in life, I think the truth lies somewhere in between. And 
in the interest of getting to that truth, I thought it 
might be useful to take a few moments and clarify a few 
things about variety management: what it is, what it seeks 
to achieve, and what ultimately are the implications for 
the mid-Atlantic fruit industry.
 
What exactly is variety management anyhow?
 
Variety management is a term that encompasses a wide range 
of concepts that are currently being used to control the 
release and distribution of some new tree fruit cultivars. 
These strategies run the full gamete from a cultivar simply 
being marketed under a trademarked (rather than cultivar) 
name, to very controlled situations involving proprietary 
plant material, exclusive marketing arrangements, franchise 
fees, and production based royalties.
 
 From observing the many ãclubä varieties that currently 
exist, all of them utilize at least one of the following 
strategies to gain varying levels of control: a trademarked 
name, controlled production, and/or controlled marketing. 
The number of these strategies that a club employs would 
seem to indicate just how controlled a variety is. I try to 
think of managed varieties as occurring on a spectrum that 
runs from loose arrangements at one end, to very closely 
controlled (tight) arrangements at the other with medium or 
hybrid arrangements in between.
 
Loose managed varieties are those that are basically 
controlled through a trademarked name. Anyone can purchase 
plant material and plant as much as theyâd like with 
royalties typically being charged on a per tree basis. The 
subsequent fruit can be marketed however the grower would 
like (i.e. through any marketing channel) as long as 
trademark standards are upheld for all fruit that bears the 
trademark. A good example of this would be Pink Lady¨. Pink 
Lady¨ is actually the trademark name for apples of the 
ÎCripps Pinkâ cultivar. If youâve planted ÎCripps Pinkâ, 
you should have received a trademark agreement spelling out 
the standards for Pink Lady¨ and how these apples 
can/should be marketed. Anyone can plant ÎCripps Pinkâ, and 
there is no limit to the number of trees that can be 
planted. You can sell the apples yourself as Pink Lady¨ (an 
exemption exists for direct marketing) or take them to any 
packer/wholesaler that adheres to the Pink Lady¨ trademark 
agreement when marketing.
 
Conversely, tight managed varieties are those that employ 
not only a trademarked name, but controlled production and 
marketing as well. With these cultivars plant material is 
not openly available, and just because you want to plant a 
cultivar doesnât mean youâll be able to. Growers are 
usually selected to be a part of these ãclubsä based on 
certain criteria such as geographic location, site 
appropriateness, management history, etc. Royalties are 
usually charged on a production rather than per tree basis, 
and growers typically pay a franchise fee for club 
membership or actually ãleaseä the trees from the 
proprietor of the cultivar. All production is obligated to 
a specific marketing channel and a grower cannot sell fruit 
outside of that channel. Cultural information is developed 
and shared only within the club; and if you chose to leave 
the club you loose your right to produce the cultivar. 
Jazz¨ is probably the best known example of a tight club. 
Jazz¨ is a trademarked name for a cultivar developed by 
HortResearch of New Zealand. Jazz¨ apples are currently 
grown in the USA by a small group of growers in Washington 
State that have contractual arrangements with ENZA Ltd., 
the owner of Jazz¨ and the Oppenheimer Group, the exclusive 
marketer of Jazz¨ in North America. All of the Jazz¨ apples 
produced in Washington State are delivered to specific 
packing houses and marketed exclusively by the Oppenheimer 
Group.
 
Somewhere between these two extremes lay hybrid managed 
varieties. Such a cultivar might use a trademarked name for 
fruit sales, but wonât have either the strict production or 
marketing arrangements that a tight club would employ. Any 
grower that wishes may grow a hybrid controlled cultivar, 
and usually a per tree royalty is assessed. Many times 
these cultivars are actually a selection of another openly 
available variety. Therefore growers are free to market the 
cultivar by its common name, or go through a designated 
marketing channel and have the fruit marketed under the 
club regime. Under the club regime, fruit that meets 
certain parameters will be marketed under the trademark 
(and often charged a per box royalty), while the rest can 
be marketed under the common variety name. An example of a 
hybrid scheme would be Kiku¨, which is actually a highly 
colored sport of ÎFuji.â Growers may plant Kiku¨ trees and 
sell the apples themselves (as Fuji), or they can enter the 
managed marketing chain where the apples that meet the 
Kiku¨ standard will be sold as Kiku¨, and the rest will 
simply be sold on as ÎFujiâ.

Which type of variety management scheme is best?
 
Certainly Iâm in no position to give a definitive answer on 
this one. Each managed variety scheme possesses its own 
level of risk, commitment, and potential reward. And to a 
certain extent risk is in the eye of the beholder when it 
comes to something like variety selection. Obviously a 
tightly managed variety involves a big commitment of effort 
and capital and there is no guarantee that the variety will 
take off in the marketplace. However, if it does and 
everything works as designed, the rewards could be 
substantial. By nature, a loosely managed variety likely 
has less potential for huge returns over the long-term 
given the lack of strict controls on volume and marketing. 
Hybrid arrangements are certainly intriguing as they 
essentially seek to combine the best elements of loose and 
tight situations while managing risk all at the same time 
(i.e. youâre likely planting a variety that already has an 
established market).
 
Why has variety management come into existence?
 
Frustration with the way that varieties are currently 
introduced and subsequently handled on the part of variety 
developers is certainly a driving force in variety 
management. Traditionally, new varieties were developed, 
trialed, and licensed to the nursery industry with the 
originator getting a per tree royalty. Although this 
royalty may seem costly to growers, often times a variety 
originator doesnât really make much money off of the 
variety. Fruit breeding in a long-term and expensive 
proposition, and simply developing varieties, charging a 
$.50 a tree royalty and sitting back doesnât pay the 
bulldog, particularly at our Land Grant universities. 
Variety originators want, and need, to make more of an 
economic return from their efforts and variety management 
is a way to accomplish this. Additionally, in the past, the 
marketplace has taken sort of a wild-west approach to new 
varieties. Anyone can plant anything, anywhere, in whatever 
quantity they want and weâll sort it out later. If you 
think about it for a minute, we can all see that this might 
not be the best scenario. Rushing to market when prices are 
high, the tendency to constantly ãimproveä a variety, no 
standardization, inability to balance supply and demand·all 
of these factors and more make the idea of gaining (and 
sustaining) some sort of control in the marketplace very 
attractive.
 
What does variety management seek to achieve?
 
The thing that variety management really seeks to achieve 
is control and coordination in the marketplace. The theory 
goes that if you can better manage production, and 
coordinate marketing, a higher quality, more consistent 
product will result. Variety management isnât about picking 
winners and losers or limiting what you can or canât do on 
your farm. Ultimately it is about trying to deliver a 
higher quality product to the end consumer while providing 
a better return on effort for everyone involved.
 
What will be the role of variety management in the Mid-
Atlantic?
 
Currently, variety management hasnât really had a big 
impact on the mid-Atlantic fruit industry. We have some 
loosely managed varieties available, and I understand that 
some hybrid club varieties are heading our direction. As to 
tightly managed varieties, given the very strict nature of 
these arrangements, the considerable capital and 
coordination required, and in some cases the very specific 
cultural requirements, it makes sense that these varieties 
will gravitate to other growing districts (i.e. Washington 
State) first. But given time, Iâd imagine weâll see tightly 
managed varieties around here as well. Certainly, our 
proximity to major metropolitan areas, ready access to 
consumers, and considerable direct marketing trade makes 
our region attractive for the introduction of tightly 
managed varieties. Perhaps, weâll even have our own 
proprietary tightly managed variety crop up some day.
 
In many ways, variety management is just the latest 
manifestation in the fruit industry of a long-term trend 
that is occurring all across agriculture. Iâm speaking of 
the move away from traditional open market transactions and 
towards the development of ãvalue chainsä that link all the 
players in a marketing channel- from input suppliers to 
retailers - together in coordinated, trust based, 
relationships. But that is a whole other subject 
entirely·and the topic for another article. So are managed 
varieties just a fad, or an incredible new opportunity? 
Only time will tell. Ultimately the quality of the eating 
experience that end consumers have will be the dictator of 
success or failure of these schemes. As my good friend Dr. 
Jim Schupp once said to me, ãYou know Matt, for any of 
these things to be successful they actually have to be good 
to eat and be better than what is already out there.ä (Matt 
Harsh, Penn. State Univ. Fruit Times)

Disease Management for 2008 begins Now!  Anyone that has 
stopped by my office may have noticed the high tech piece 
of equipment proudly displayed that allows me to predict 
(with almost no accuracy) what type of year we will have 
with respect to plant disease. Itâs called a Magic 8 Ball. 
According to its makers, the fine scientific research 
company Mattel, this piece of equipment has all the 
answers. Iâm glad at least one of us does. 

I didnât need a Magic 8 Ball to predict a difficult growing 
season this year. Itâs an unusual year when you are 
thankful for drought, but this year has been strange. The 
spring freeze predisposed much of the state for an epidemic 
of fire blight, as freeze injury, much like hail injury, 
resulted in damage to young and succulent shoots and 
leaves, providing a means for the fire blight bacterium to 
cause shoot blight. Additionally, the freeze resulted in 
numerous late season Îrat tailâ blooms later in the season, 
serving as additional infection courts. However, high 
temperatures in the absence of rain greatly lessened, but 
did not eliminate, the risk of fire blight. Had this year 
been unusually warm and wet, fire blight could have been 
epidemic. To quote Paul Steiner, ãeven a single wetting 
event under the right conditions at bloom can increase the 
number of inoculum sources in an orchard from a few 
overwintering cankers to several hundred thousand blighted 
spurs very quickly.ä With this in mind, it is easy to see 
that there ãis no such thing as a little bit of fire 
blight.ä In observing the landscape, our blocks of Gala and 
Fuji at Meigâs, and area orchards, fire blight still made a 
serious impact. 

At this point, I would argue against any pruning out of 
infected branches as the risk of winter injury and poor 
compartmentalization of wounds (thereby encouraging 
pathogen spread) is likely. Pruning of fire blight strikes 
during the growing season is a controversial issue. 
Removing sources of the pathogen is desirable, but pruning 
can actually make fire blight worse by increasing the 
amount of succulent tissue (that will be susceptible to 
winter injury) and by spreading the pathogen on tools. Even 
if fire blight strikes are numerous, wait until the dormant 
season to prune, but flag or paint infected areas NOW so 
they are readily observed when late winter pruning time 
arrives. 

With this knowledge, growers with small trees and adequate 
labor can scout for infected branches right now, and 
prepare for whatever management is needed in the spring, 
and do so before symptoms become widespread next year. If, 
after scouting, you find that fire blight strikes are more 
severe than you once realized, pre-planning for the use of 
copper for dormant application in the late winter/early 
spring should be considered, along with application of 
Apogee (Prohexadione-Ca) as the growing season progresses. 
Apogee is a growth regulator that does not directly kill 
the fire blight bacterium, but reduces shoot growth, 
thereby increasing plant resistance by reducing host vigor.  
Apogee suppresses apple shoot growth when applied near 
petal fall as a single spray, or as several applications 
over time. Apple response to Apogee depends upon the 
cultivar, timing, rate of application, crop load, and even 
geographical location, so doing your research now will help 
you manage your crop come spring. For more information on 
Apogee, see Apogee¨ - A New Plant Bioregulator ?For Apples 
at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/06-
045.htm

Other canker-causing diseases, like Nectria canker, black 
rot and white rot, are often misdiagnosed as fire blight. 
Furthermore, black rot and white rot readily colonize fire 
blighted branches. Walking the orchard while the weather is 
still pleasant, armed only with a can of bright (or even 
fluorescent spray paint) is a great way to tag suspicious 
twigs, branches, and limbs, that serve as reservoirs for 
other diseases. These branches will be readily found in the 
spring aiding in removal, and reduction of disease 
inoculum.

Last but not least, fall is a great time to control scab as 
well. Now is the time to begin applying 5% urea to foliage 
to encourage decomposition of fallen leaves, thereby 
reducing pseudothecia development, and ascospore 
release come spring.  Care must be taken in the timing 
of urea application, being sure that it is applied just 
prior to leaf fall to avoid stimulating tree growth and 
predisposing the trees to winter injury. 

Of course, with this year being what it was, you canât help 
but wonder about next year. I posed the question to the 
Magic 8 Ball. The answer was ãBetter not tell you now.ä  
(Beckerman)

Vintage 2007:  This yearâs grape harvest is about over and 
it's been very good. Despite cold damage from the Easter 
freeze, most growers had reasonably good yields. Secondary 
buds were highly fruitful on most varieties, producing near 
normal yields. There were some exceptions, but overall, 
2007 has been a good year. It has been hotter and drier 
than normal. Drought conditions were fairly severe, 
especially  in the southeast part of the state. Fortunately 
grapes are deep rooted and tolerate low moisture conditions 
well.  Harvest started about normal in terms of timing, 
with early varieties ripening in early August. But the 
season has been compressed, with mid and late season 
varieties coming in about 2 weeks early. Fruit quality has 
been excellent. The hot, dry conditions were a concern for 
vine health and fruit quality, but in most cases we got 
enough rain to carry the crop through. Berry size is 
smaller than normal, concentrating colors and tannins, 
which is especially good for reds. Disease problems have 
been minimal due to the lack of moisture. The only problem 
noted has been powdery mildew, which has been significant 
in the southeast part of the state this year. So far, 
multicolored Asian lady beetle has not been a problem. But 
the cool temperatures recently my cause them to move into 
grapes. Growers are on the lookout, but for the most part, 
all but the latest varieties have been picked. Overall, 
2007 should be an excellent vintage for Indiana wines. 
(Bordelon)


Fall Small Fruit Care: 
Grapes-  
      Grapes should be encouraged to harden off for winter 
by avoiding nitrogen fertilizers at this time. Apply non-
nitrogen fertilizers and lime as needed based on soil and 
tissue test results. It is especially important to maintain 
healthy leaves through fall to promote proper hardening. 
Downy and powdery mildews often build to epidemic levels on 
susceptible cultivars in fall. Both can cause defoliation 
and reduced winter hardiness so itâs important to maintain 
protection against these diseases throughout the fall until 
leaves drop naturally. 

Blueberries-
	Blueberry plants should be encouraged to harden off 
for the winter. However, growers should continue to 
irrigate if dry weather persists. Fruit buds are developing 
now for next yearâs crop so it is important to avoid water 
stress on the plants during this time. Apply non-nitrogen 
fertilizers and materials for soil pH adjustment based on 
foliar analysis and soil tests.  Apply these before fall 
rains begin and also before adding any supplemental mulch 
to plantings. 

Strawberries- 
	Flower bud initiation occurs during late summer and 
fall, so maintaining good plant health into the fall is 
important for high yield potential next year. Dry 
conditions can significantly reduce fruitfulness next year. 
Irrigate to provide at least 1 inch of water per week 
through October if rainfall is not adequate. We mentioned 
the importance of an application of nitrogen fertilizer in 
the last issue of this newsletter. If it hasnât been done 
yet, itâs not too late. If tissue analysis shows 
deficiencies in magnesium or boron, early fall is a good 
time for foliar applications of Epsom salts (15 lb./100 
gal./acre) for magnesium and Solubor (3 lb./100 gal./acre) 
for boron. Phytotoxicity can be a problem with these 
materials so read the labels. In addition to fertility, 
controlling leaf diseases improves the ability of the plant 
to carry on photosynthesis and store starch in the crowns. 
Check fields for infestations of leafhopper or aphids. 
Generally, plants can take a fair amount of feeding by 
these insects, but heavy infestations can be a problem. 

Brambles-
	Encourage hardening off of canes in summer bearing 
varieties of brambles by avoiding nitrogen fertilizers and 
supplemental watering at this time. Spent floricanes can be 
removed now, or later during fall, winter or early spring. 
Fall bearing raspberries can still benefit from irrigation 
in dry weather to help maintain fruit size. Apply non-
nitrogen fertilizers and lime as needed based on soil and 
tissue test results. If Phytophthora root rot has been 
identified in a field, treat the affected area with Ridomil 
Gold EC, Alliette or phosphorous acid in September or early 
October. This timing is important to get the material in 
place in the root zone before the onset of cool wet weather 
in the fall. (Bordelon)



Coming meetings:

Jan. 28-30, 2008: Indiana Horticultural Congress, Adamâs 
Mark Hotel, Indianapolis. For more information: 
www.inhortcongress.org