April 2000
New Manual Shows Apple Growers the Organic Way
Growing apples the new, old-fashioned way -- organically -- just got a whole lot easier. The UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources recently published the Organic Apple Production Manual, a concise, 72-page compendium of more than 20 years of state-of-the-art UC research and grower experience.
"Modern apple production is a highly technical undertaking," said Sean L. Swezey, director of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and one of the book's principal authors. "Producing apples organically requires even more vigilance and ingenuity to deal effectively with pest control, soil fertility and postharvest handling and other management challenges."
The manual includes a review of the organic apple industry, supply and price, certification requirements, state and federal regulations, orchard management, disease and pest management, harvest and postharvest operations, marketing considerations and economic performance. Many of the basic agronomic practices are the same for both organic and conventional apple production systems. However, conventional growers considering the transition to organic production and certification will learn why it's important to make the shift carefully and incrementally. The Organic Apple Production Manual is $18 plus tax and shipping. It is available from many local UC Cooperative Extension offices or from UC ANR Communication Services at (800) 994-8849 or online at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu. [prepared by John Stumbos].
Media Contacts:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
