Cornell Fruit and Soil Health Teams Host Joint Research Tour

By Blake Jackson

On July 11, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Fruit and Soil Health Program Work Teams gathered for a joint field tour to explore ongoing research at Cornell’s orchards and to engage with faculty, staff, and graduate students.

The event offered more than 30 Extension educators, researchers, and students a firsthand look at current studies and innovations in fruit production and soil science.

The day began at Cornell’s Lansing Orchard, where orchard manager Jay Owens, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) fruit coordinator Anna Wallis, and horticulture associate professor Greg Peck guided attendees through a morning tour.

Graduate students shared their work, including Oksana Bihun’s cider apple and fruit thinning trials from the Peck Lab, and Manushi Trivedi’s use of remote sensing for grape nutrient and crop quality management from the Vanden Heuvel Lab. Angela Paul also discussed her research on Botrytis cluster rot in wine grapes.

Wallis presented updates on pest monitoring networks for tree fruit and berries, while Peck showcased recent plantings of perry and cider apples, a NC140 rootstock trial, a systems trial, and demonstrated a cherry shaker.

In the afternoon, the group moved to Cornell Orchards for presentations by Horticulture faculty. Chris Watkins and Yosef Al Shoffe introduced post-harvest technologies that extend apple freshness.

Lynn Sosnoskie discussed electric weeders and tools for specialty crop weed control, and Lailiang Cheng highlighted research on stress physiology and apple tree nutrition. Marvin Pritts spoke about small fruit production opportunities.

The tour concluded at Bradfield Hall with a session led by Bob Schindelbeck, Kirsten Kurtz, and the Cornell Soil Health Lab team, where attendees learned how soil analysis can inform management practices for fruit growers.

The event, organized by Wallis and Peck with other PWT co-chairs, fostered collaboration and knowledge-sharing among agriculture professionals statewide.

Photo Credit: istock-jimfeng