College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Grand Rapids area apple maturity report – Aug. 30, 2017

  Published on August 30, 2017
  Gala harvest is on tap for next week in the Grand Rapids area.

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  Southwest Michigan fruit update – July 24, 2018

  Published on July 24, 2018
  A wet weekend eases drought worries. Expect an increase in insect activity. Summer fruit harvest continues.

• Grand Rapids, Mich., area tree fruit regional report – May 7, 2013

  Published on May 7, 2013
  The region is off to a great start to the 2013 apple growing season.

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  Northwest Michigan apple maturity report — Sept. 6, 2017

  Published on September 6, 2017
  Despite the beautiful color on apples, don’t be overly eager to start fall apple harvest.

• Food Safety Modernization Act exempt farms still have work to do

  Published on January 19, 2016
  Farms exempt from the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act produce rule still have to keep records to prove exemption and identify yourself at points of sale.

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  Northwest Michigan fruit update – June 30, 2020

  Published on June 30, 2020
  Hot and dry weather are in the forecast, which is helpful for disease control but growers will have to supplement water supply with irrigation.

• Specialty crop and minor-use pesticide research priorities set by IR-4

  Published on September 17, 2012
  At a recent workshop, participants identified the most important research projects for the 2013 IR-4 food-use research program.

• East Michigan fruit regional report – July 22, 2016

  Published on July 22, 2016
  Spotted wing Drosophila trap catch and apple maggot numbers took a big jump this week. A few tenths of an inch of precipitation came to some fruit farms Thursday afternoon, while most others received none. Our drought continues across the region.

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  Southwest Michigan fruit update – Aug. 6, 2019

  Published on August 6, 2019
  Harvest is underway for blueberries, raspberries, peaches, plums and early varieties of apples.

• East Michigan fruit update – May 14, 2019

  Published on May 14, 2019
  Apples are slowly inching toward bloom, which is just starting in the southern areas of the region. Most of our fruit crops are well over a week behind their normal growth stages.

• Southeast Michigan fruit regional report – April 22, 2014

  Published on April 22, 2014
  Spring has finally arrived with green tissue beginning to be seen in many fruit crops.

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  Northwest Michigan apple maturity report – Oct. 7, 2020

  Published on October 7, 2020
  Honeycrisp harvest is wrapping up and growers are moving onto later varieties. There have been a lot of big trucks with apple boxes headed south in recent days.

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  Northwest Michigan fruit update – July 8, 2025

  Published on July 9, 2025
  Sweet cherry harvest will begin this week. Growers have been busy managing ripening fruit for American brown rot and spotted wing drosophila.

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  MSU to open new AgBioResearch Center in Hart

  Published on July 28, 2021
  In partnership with West Central Michigan Horticultural Research Inc., MSU will lead research on tree fruit and vegetable agriculture in west Michigan

• Southwest Michigan fruit update

  Published on March 30, 2011
  Fruit plantings are poised to renew growth when warm weather returns.

• Frost alarm available now on Enviro-weather

  Published on April 3, 2012
  Get notified of potentially freezing conditions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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  A review of apple scab-resistant varieties for commercial growers

  Published on February 20, 2014
  Many tasty and attractive apple varieties are available that have good resistance to apple scab disease, but may be prone to other disorders.

• West central Michigan apple maturity report – Sept. 18, 2019

  Published on September 18, 2019
  McIntosh, Early Fuji and Jonathan are ready for harvest at most locations and will be picked in the next several days. Gala is moving slowly and has been passed by Honeycrisp on some farms.

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  Southwest Michigan fruit update – April 25, 2017

  Published on April 25, 2017
  Everything seems to be blooming at once! Avoid using insecticides during bloom.

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  Cold damage to peaches

  Published on April 3, 2019
  How to predict and assess winter damage to peaches and adjust growing practices according.