New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will host the 2023 fruit grower workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 3, at the Rio Arriba County Extension Office, State Road 554 House No. 122-A, in Abiquiú, New Mexico.
The workshop cost is $20, which includes lunch, and preregistration is required. Register for the workshop at https://rsvp.nmsu.edu/rsvp/fruitgrow or call Amanda Benavides at 505-685-4523.
NMSU Extension hosts the annual workshop to educate fruit growers on methods for orchard improvement regardless of size of operation, according to Don Martinez, Rio Arriba County Extension agricultural agent.
This year’s topics will include fruit production updates from Shengrui Yao, fruit specialist at NMSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde; integrated pest management in orchards and conserving beneficial insects in orchards and vineyards by Miranda Kersten, program manager at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas; no till management in orchards by End-O-Fite Enterprises LLC and JAL Farms; wildlife control and management by Martinez and Tom Dominguez; along with a panel discussion on reading tree labels, rootstock selection, orchard management and a Q&A session with Danny Farrar, David Lucero and Tim Seaman. Workshop participants can earn two continuing education units.
“Some growers have told us they are experiencing crop loss due to apple maggots, and that is why we have the pest management session this year,” Yao said. “Orchard floor management and wildlife management are also concerns among growers.”
“This annual event will assist all fruit growers learn techniques for orchard improvement,” Martinez said. “This will be a good event to learn from other growers and their experiences.”