1990 Farm Bill Contains Fruity Nut Crop Provisions ED RAJOTTE Penn State University Department of Entomology STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) A number of issues are timely for horticulture, because of the season and legislative changes. One of the most important is in the 1990 Farm Bill, which includes some provisions on target fruit and tree nut crops. Other newsworthy information for the horticulturalist includes guidelines for pruning brambles and blueberries. From George M. Greene’s, “Fruit and Tree Nuts - Situation and Outlook Report,” USDA, Eco nomic Research Service, Novem ber 1990, it has become apparent that the 1990 farm bill includes several sections that will affect the U.S. fruit and tree nut industries beginning this month. The Secretary of Agriculture must complete a study within 18 months of enactment of the farm Chore-Time's ULTRAFIXf feeder for layers, pullets and breeders We have probably been too modest up to now about the merits of our new generation ULTRAFLO® cage feeder vs. the old style chain feeders some of our competitors are still trying to sell you. In fact, the only negative comments about our feeder come from our competition, not our customers. So we would like to point out the bare facts: FEED SAVINGS: On-farm reeutorhow a feed eavtofliol Vi lb. per 100 Unfe per day - over $lO,OOO per year eavlnge on a 100,000-Wld home. Year afferyear. EASY ADAPTABILITY: Oun adapts easily to existing cage systems you may already have. Or choose from our wide selection of cage styles. 5-YEAR WARRANTY; Oun gives you a 5-year Warranty on auger and trough. Theirs doesn't In fact their dealers derive a large percentage of their Income from parts sales. Ours don’t —s= MICROPROCESSOR CONTROL: Our control lets you program feeding time to the second, to match the exact time of one circuit. Control number of feedings, time of each feeding also 10-second “Stimula tion Cycles" between feedings, to minimize separation, and improve your birds' feed Intake. SIMPLE OPERATION; “Push-pull" Power Unite with ■A or Vi HP motor are located in a cage, have hardened steel gears for trouble-free operation. mt Watering Wwam j FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER 1-800-673-2580 NORTHEAST AGRl^p% x SYSTEMS, INC. f^iTl FLYWAY BUSINESS PARK M/M jl JS*ao 139 A West Airport Rd. \ \ W-i / / —II 11 Lititz, PA 17543 U (717) 569-2702 agrl systems bill to determine the condition of the domestic fruit and vegetable industry. The requirement for the study was prompted by frequent recom mendations from health organiza tions and the Surgeon General of the United States stating that fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet and of vital impor tance to the nutrition of the U.S. population. The study’s findings will be used to promote domestically pro duced fruit and vegetable pro ducts, to increase the public’s awareness of the difficulties domestic producers experience in the production, harvesting, and marketing of these products, and to aid in the development of new technologies that domestic pro ducers will need to meet increased demand for fruits and vegetables in the future. The study calls for interaction with other government agencies, TROUBLE-FREE DESIGN: Our feeder has only two moving parts - tht ons-piscc auger plus each drive wheal; their chain has more. Our comers arc heavy 12 ga. rinc plated tubing for long We; their comers have a reputation for trouble and short Me. <« — > • / \ \A _ ? V* YourAtithorfied fiS as deemed necessa Secret- ary of Agricultun The new bill ah.,, <tuos apples, nectarines, plums, kiwifruit, and pistachio nuts to the list of imported commodities that may be covered by Federal marketing order standards under Section 608 e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreements Act of 1937. This will make it possible to require imported products to meet domes tic U.S. grade, size, and quality standards. The bill also extends the Targeted Export Assistance Prog ram (now called the Market Prom otion Program) for five years at a budgeted $2OO million per year. This program will have a positive effect on U.S. exports of many fruit and tree nut commodities. Another provision calls for the establishment of a program in which the Secretary of Agricul ture, in cooperation with the Com missioner of Food and Drugs, pre- vA, REMIXING FEED: Our •lowly ravohm, remixing new feed; thelra leave* nr feed to gel (tale. BILLED-OUT FEED: Our ai a grid to prevent blrda from n and throwing out feed; neltht. dlak,systems prevent feed waste. COST SAVINGS: Ours saves vast amounts of energy costs since It's easier to propel and runs only half as long as >a>,>> * theirs. LOW MAINTENANCE; With our 5-year warranty on auger and 20 ga. trough (one competitor hai only 22 ga.) - pluc no . comer wheel mechsnirmi to urer oul - our* eaves you maintenance costs. HIGRADING OF FI Our auger travels at so birds are limited froi until It stops; birds will h, feed from chain feeders, causing uneven nutrltlor 9S* Bitter Distributor scribes conditions under which food producers and sellers may label food products as “Grown in the United States” or as “Made of ingredients grown in the United States.” Within six months of the enact ment of the farm bill, a com prehensive review of all federal country-of-origin food labeling requirements will be submitted to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. The report will anal yze the adequacy of the current federal country-of-origin food labeling requirements and make recommendations concerning the improvement of country-of-origin information available to consumers. The Secretary of Agriculture is also required to study the levels and trends of pesticide use for pro ducing perishable commodities in the United States and to determine the extent that federal grades and standards impact pesticide use for raartK mnm ow 4S mUHmi Mrda art alraarfy •a our IMar warMwMc. Ain, K w prana la S yaara •T ea-lkna Uatinf kefera IntreauctlM. We do not recommend fall prun ing for either of these crops. There is good evidence which tells us that these perennials are actively “hardening off,” or preparing for the cold weather well into fall; indeed in our climate with warm temperatures often occurring until late November, metabolic activity may continue until that time. Specifically, blueberries and i brambles, in spite of their dormant \ appearance, still are sending car \ bohydrates from the stems to the \ roots up until this time. \ \ —Barb Gouiart Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 2, 1991-A25 cosmetic appearance. The research is also to deter mine the effects of reducing the emphasis of cosmetic appearance on pesticide use, alternative pro duction practices, marketing costs, trade, and consumer preferences. Additionally, the Secretary of Agriculture is to conduct a study to determine how USDA might best work with and support the U.S. wine and wine grape industry. Other provisions enable the establishment of: • Research and promotion orders for mushrooms, limes, and pecans. • Requirements that growers keep pesticide-use records. • A program of national standards and labeling of organic commodities. • A ban on planting fruit and veget able crops on program crop acreage base. Pruning Brambles This month begins a two-part discussion of pruning for brambles and blueberries. This section will discuss the “why” and “when” of pruning, while next month we’ll delve into “how” to prune these crops. Why prune? Students of fruit production often ask this question. Pruning actually decreases total yield in many fruit crops, however, it does so while increasing fruit size. So, the short answer is'to increase fruit size and quality. Quality is improved because the sugars that the plant produces are concentrated in a smaller number of fruit, and also because the pruned plant is more easily pene trated by pesticides and light. The longer aiiswer, then, is that we prune to more effectively man age plant environment, including management of light, pesticides, air circulation, and water and nutrient distribution in the plant When? There continues to be some con fusion as to the best time for prun ing brambles and blueberries. Many growers begin pruning in the fall to take advantage of labor that may still be present from the growing season, or to simply give themselves more time to complete this rather labor-intensive task. From the Jan. 15 FRUIT TIMES NEWSLETTER, Vol. 9, No. 15, from Penn SUte. 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