Calif. (Continued from Page A 18) display ads in local newspapers, the "more you feature, the more you can sell,” he said. In-store sampling and other cooperative methods work to increase the sales of product. But stores need also to do a better job to get to the consumer right at the beginning of the season. Walker provided a slide show of a wide array of national super markets that prominently display ed peaches for sale. Peach Disease Challenges On Wednesday at the confer ence, growers found out about dis ease challenges and how to combat them. Dr. Norm Lalancette, Rutgers Cooperative Extension fruit pathology specialist, noted that unlike brown rot, fire Might and phytopthon can kill entire trees. As a result of research into how phytopthon operates, researchers have come up with a way to save trees from the dangerous root cankers that ultimately kill trees— by using what he calls “peach tree chemotherapy.” In essence, the roots are treated to intravenous (IV) fungicide treat ments, “like chemotherapy to peo ple,” said Lalancette. The disease can be easily identi fied by poor terminal growth, sparse and small leaves, undersize fruit, off-color fruit, overall tree decline, and eventual death. The disease can readily strike trees that are 3-S years old. Trees display crown rot and overall root decay. Factors that influence whether a tree will fall to phytopthora include the presence of the patho gen in the soil, the susceptibility of Does the following sound familiar? Are you one of the many dairy operators in the area with high quality crops and low milk production? Your herd is capable of much more. At Cargill Animal Nutrition we know how to make your cows reach their genetic potential and your farm maximize profits. Typical results have averaged $15,000/100 cows/year. Call for more information and a no obligation visit. Competitive Pricing ♦ Free Forage Testing ♦ Healthy Cows ♦ Consistent Results Dominates Southeast, Mid-Atlantic Peach Market the plant, and die environmental conditions. Also, there are 10 different spe cies of phytoptfaora. There are disease-resistant root stocks for some peach trees. The spores are in the soil and cod weather conditions increase plant susceptibility. To prevent disease infestation, growers should select soil that is well-drained. By placing the trees on raised beds, die root and trunk can stay well-drained. Proper irri gation management is key. New orchards should be soil fumigated. Lalancette worked with three regional orchards to come up with ways to manage phytopthora: Donio Farms, Inc., Zee Orchards, Inc., and Mt Pleasant Orchards, Inc. They looked at infections of plants last spring and looking into the use of the “IV” fungicide treatments. The research raised questions for growers: Should the trees be left to recover? Should the IV be used to help revive the trees? Or should growers, considering the cost of the IV treatments, simply cut their losses and repopulate the orchard if phytopthora is found? More work is needed to address those and other issues. Also at the meetings. Dr. Joseph Goffreda, associate profes sor and director of Rutgers Fruit Research and Extension Center at Cream Ridge, NJ., spoke about the history of white peach varieties and how they are being grown and sold today. Goffreda provided an overview of several varieties being grown at Cargill Animal Nutrition Reach Your Potential. □ 21% Protein Alfalfa Haylage □ Hi Energy Value Corn Silage □ Hi Quality High Moisture Corn □ 55 lbs. Milk /Cow/Day ????? Peach Industry One Horticulture Con. White Peach Varieties Lebanon, Pennsylvania Walkersville, Maryland 1-800-613-4459 1-800-833-3372 the center. They include: • White Lady, a highly colored, very firm, 90 percent red over cream ground variety that is mild, with low acid flavor, very firm, and which ripens after Redhaven. • Crimson Snow, a white frees tone nectarine that ripens after Redhaven. The nectarine has 90 percent red over cream ground and is firm and fresh. • Saturn NJF2, peen-tao type (donut-shaped), which ripens after Redhaven. The fruit has 70 percent red over cream ground with great flavor, softens fast, and is difficult to thin and pick. It has high bacter ial spot resistance and tends to overcrop. It has a small blossom scar. • Blushing Star (FA18) ripens two weeks after Redhaven, is 80 percent red over a cream ground, medium size, firm, with slight bac terial spot resistance. • Sugar Lady, ripe a few weeks after Redhaven, is 90 percent red over cream ground. This is a fleshy, mild, “very attractive” peach, noted Goffreda. Other varieties include Scarlet Pearl (USDA), Sugar May. ArticGlo (nectarine). Southern Pearl (USDA), Rose Princess (USDA nectarine). Sugar Giant peach, and Lady Nancy peach. Some experimental varieties are: • K 39-1, a heterozygous SH, a few weeks before Redhaven, with 90 percent red over cream ground, short pubescence, with slight bac terial spot resistance, but good eat ing quality. • DBO-8, a crossbred of NJ3IBXH3-76, a better stony fruit, 75 percent red over cream ground, short pubescence, firm texture, exceptional fruit quality, and mod- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 31, IMS-Al9 p erence Toi crate bacterial spot resistance. • K 56-4 nectarine (88-946 X Eastern Glo), available one week before Redhaven, very attractive, 85 percent red over cream ground, small-to-medium size, with a mod erate level of bacterial spot resistance. • Ll-37 (NJ293XJing Yu) OP, available one week before Redha ven, 80 percent red over cream ground, short pubescence, very good bacterial spot resistance, and firm. • NJ3I2 (NJ 293XJing Yu), ripens with Redhaven, 70 percent red over cream ground, softens fast, good texture. • NJ3IB (NJ2s6XBiscoe), available three weeks after Redha ven, 60 percent red over cream ground, softens fast, large size, good bacterial spot resistance, and perhaps a peach for the roadside market. Some additional varieties: • LF-112 (Jefferson X 7-28) OP. an SH-type, available just before Redhaven. 75 percent red over cream ground, very crunchy, very hard, slight bacterial spot resis tance, stays very firm. • L 2-42 (NJ293XJing Yu), SH type, after Redhaven, 80 percent red over cream ground, nice appearance, flavor mild to bland. • Jl9-19 (RRS3-272X7-28), SH-type, two weeks after Redha ven, 70 percent red on cream ground, short pubescence, with a sweet, mild flavor. Nematode Control Also on Wednesday, growers learned about the importance of nematode control in orchards to prevent disease by Dr. John Hal brendt, Penn State. Nematodes, which are parasitic worms, result L,. A **l (.1 L in replant problems, loss of vigor and yield, are virus vectors, and create all sorts of problems for growers. Nematodes, particularly the Dagger Nematodes, can upset the peach plant’s normal hormonal balances. They are efficient vec tors of plant viruses that can cause serious problems even in low num bers. said Halbrendt Growers can fumigate soil, which goes a long way to controll ing the pest. There are chemical, genetic, and biorational methods to controlling the pests. One biorational method involves the use of allelopathk plants that have naturally produced nematicides in them. They include marigolds, velvetbean, asparagus, sesame, and brassicas or rapeseed. Experiments indicate that the use of sudangrass and sunflower in combination as a green manure produce, while decaying, enough nematicides to control the nematodes. The green manure produces the glucosinolates necessary to poison the nematodes. He noted that, when people eat hot mustard, the “pungency” they taste is from the glucosinolate. Someday, it may be possible to select and breed for crops with increased allelopathic activity. Green manure is showing some promise to help lower the nema tode risk as well as control weeds, erosion, and promote overall tree health.