Safety Rules for Tree Fruit Pt 1

Safety Rules for Tree Fruit Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Worker safety is paramount in these coronavirus times we are living in and the good folks in agriculture know they have their work cut out for them as the rules seem to change daily.

And, Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, says growers have a lot of questions as the state develops the rules …

DeVANEY … “And in many cases, that you get people asking clarifying questions that the agencies have to think about and are not necessarily prepared to answer immediately, and so you’re told that the rule is effective today and they’ll get back to you about what exactly the rule means.”

DeVaney says they continue to talk about the rules on distancing, hand washing, housing and other things …

DeVANEY … “You know, those are issues that we’re still discussing with the state, but there is general agreement that there are a number of things our industry can and should and is doing to make sure that workers stay safe and can continue to do essential work to keep supplying food to Americans and the world while not putting their own health and safety in danger.”

Given the situation, DeVaney says the state is doing what it can …

DeVANEY … “I believe that they are trying. There’s a lot of frustration from, you know, growers on how quickly things are being implemented, how the guidance has changed over time. I’m not necessarily blaming the state for that because they are learning more and it is, a crisis situation is always difficult to manage.”

Listen tomorrow for more on the rules and changes being implemented as we speak.

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BL: Welcome back to another “Fruit Bites” brought to you by Valent U.S.A. With us as always is Valent’s Allison Walston. And this week Allison, let’s talk about fruit russet.

AW: Russet occurs when the fruit skin cells are damaged 30 to 40 days after petal fall. Several things can cause this and each leave their own “style”.

BL: Now, can we determine what caused the russet by the damage left behind?

AW: brown stem bowls mean either wet weather or rust mites.

Netting, which looks like bad lace on the fruit, can occur from early powdery mildew. Rings or leaf outlines appear if there are poor drying conditions after a spray application when water droplets pool at the bottom or under a leaf. Tan-ish sunken areas can be caused by frost.

BL: Are all apples & pears prone to russet?

AW: yellow or green fruit are more prone compared to red fruit. Anjou pears are probably the worst. In the next episode, I’ll discuss some options for prevention.

BL: Well, thanks Allison. Join us again next time for Fruit Bites, brought to you by Valent. Until then, I’m Bob Larson.

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