Orchard Video Resources: Winter Webinar Recordings and More
Mike Basedow, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Tis the season of webinars! If you're looking for recordings of past tree fruit webinars Cornell ENYCHP has been involved in, they could be in one of a few locations….. we compiled them all into this post for you. Simply click on the webinar title to be taken directly to the recording. We recommend bookmarking this page if you'd like to come back to them in the future, and we will continue to update this listing as new webinars occur.
Cornell IPM YouTube (formerly NYSIPM)
This is where the recordings from the Winter Fruit Webinar series are saved. Playlists are organized by year.
2024
Implementing Mating Disruption in NY Orchards
Dr. Monique Rivera (NYS IPM / Cornell) introduces pheromone-based mating disruption for orchard pest management. Dr. Rivera explains how mating disruption works and fits in IPM. Trece and Suterra reps overview the products available and best deployment practices. Amy Irish-Brown of Valent and Phil Schwallier share real-world experiences implementing these tools in Michigan orchards.
Hot Topics in Food Safety for Fruit
This webinar covers food safety best practices in fruit production and handling. Craig Kahlke discusses current management practices from inspection and audit perspectives. Dr. Laura Strawn and Dr. Alexis Hamilton (Virginia Tech) provide research updates on how food-borne pathogens transfer and survive in production/packing contexts and offer strategies to reduce contamination risk
Dr. Kyle Wickings (Cornell AgriTech), Dr. Greg Peck (Cornell CALS), Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie (Cornell AgriTech), Dr. Debbie Aller (Cornell CALS / Soil Health Program), and Mike Basedow (CCE ENYCHP) explain soil health fundamentals and their importance in orchards. Presenters discuss soil biology, how to improve soil structure and beneficial microbes, strategies for weed control that support soil ecosystem function, and non-herbicide weed management options to preserve soil quality.
Weed Management for Berries in NY
Dr. Bryan Brown (Cornell IPM Program), Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie (Cornell AgriTech), Dr. Thierry Besançon (Rutgers University), Anya Osatuke (CCE Harvest NY), and Laura McDermott (CCE ENYCHP) focuses on weed management in berry plantings. Speakers cover key weed species seen in berries, life-cycle insights, and the latest management tactics—from cultural methods to mechanical tools, and research-based recommendations tailored specifically for berry production systems.
Insect and Disease Pest Management for Berries
Dr. Kerik Cox (Cornell AgriTech), Dr. Greg Loeb (Cornell AgriTech), Binita Shrestha (Cornell AgriTech), and Anya Osatuke (CCE Harvest NY) highlight current insect and disease challenges in berry crops. Presenters discuss key pests and pathogens (e.g., spotted wing drosophila, Botrytis), innovative scouting and IPM strategies, and integrated approaches combining cultural, biological, and chemical tools for effective management in both organic and conventional systems.
Stone Fruit - Rootstocks and Disease Management
Explores stone fruit rootstock selection and disease control. Dr. Greg Lang (Michigan State) and Dr. Ioannis Minas (Colorado State) present findings from NC-140 multi-state rootstock trials for cherries and peaches. Dr. George Sundin (Michigan State University) shares research and recommendations on managing bacterial canker and blossom blast in sweet cherry.
2025
Digging in to Pruning and Soil Health
This webinar explores soil health and pruning practices in apple orchard systems. Dr. Debbie Aller (Cornell CALS / Soil Health Program) discusses the fundamentals of maintaining and improving soil biological and physical health—such as enhancing organic matter and microbial activity—while Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Program) explains key pruning principles that support tree structure and long-term productivity.
Cider Apples - Mechanized Harvesting and Patulin Food Safety
Dr. Greg Peck (Cornell CALS) discusses research on mechanized harvesting techniques for cider apples, including evaluations of chemical and physical methods and different harvesting equipment. Dr. Randy Worobo (Cornell CALS) covers patulin safety in apple juice—what factors influence patulin formation and how processors can meet regulatory requirements (including HACCP considerations).
This webinar explores eco-friendly certification and marketing programs that growers can use to differentiate their fruit products. Liz Higgins (CCE ENYCHP) explains different labels (e.g., OMRI, Red Tomato, EcoApple, NYS Grown & Certified), what they mean to consumers, and how farms can leverage these programs to build trust and market value. Josh Morgenthau (Fishkill Farms), Jim Bittner (Bittner-Singer Orchard), and Kevin Clark (Rose Hill Farm) shared their perspective on these programs as growers.
Biopesticides and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for Berries
This session focuses on biopesticides—what they are, how they work, and options for integrating them into berry pest management. Dr. Samantha Willden (Cornell AgriTech), McKenzie Schessl (Cornell AgriTech), and Anya Stansell (CCE Harvest NY) also touch on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) practices for berries, such as greenhouse/hoop house production, and how pest management differs in those systems compared with field production.
St. Peachtrick's Day-Stone Fruit Insect and Disease Management
This webinar offers in-depth pest management guidance for stone fruit. Dr. George Sundin (Michigan State University) reviews key diseases such as cherry leaf spot and brown, and strategies to mitigate them. Dr. Brett Blaauw (University of Georgia & Clemson University) discusses scale insects—their biology, identification, and best practices for management in stone fruit orchards.
UMass Extension Fruit Team YouTube
This is where the recordings from the Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium (NEFC) webinar series are saved. Playlists are organized by year.
2021
Dr. Dan Olmstead (Cornell IPM) gives an overview of the updates in NEWA 3.0 — the Northeast Weather & Climate Center / IPM decision support platform — including updated pest and disease risk models, forecasting tools, and how growers can use the new interface and models to improve timing of management decisions.
Dr. Terence Bradshaw (University of Vermont) and Dr. Jason Deveau (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness) explains tree row volume (TRV) — a way to quantify orchard canopy for more precise spray application. The session covers what TRV is, why it's important for efficient and effective pesticide/plant-growth regulator sprays, and how to calculate and apply it in orchard pest and disease programs.
Honeycrisp Bitter Pit and Soft Scald Management, and Using AgRadar
Dr. Renae Moran (University of Maine) reviews Honeycrisp quality issues with a focus on bitter pit and soft scald (common physiological disorders), including recent research-based management practices. Glen Koehler (University of Maine Extension) introduces AgRadar, a weather-based decision support tool for orchard planning and pest forecasts, and shows how growers can apply it for crop and pest timing decisions.
Early-Season Apple Insect Pests
Dr. Jaime Piñero (UMass Extension) covers the key early-season insect pests of apples, how to identify them, scout effectively, and use degree-day models and thresholds to time controls. Topics include plum curculio, leafrollers, and other spring pests of commercial orchards.
Dr. Suzanne Blatt (Ag Canada Kentville Research Station) reviews apple maggot biology and management, including trap options (e.g., red sphere traps), timing of emergence using climatic cues or models, monitoring tactics, and IPM strategies to suppress adults and minimize fruit damage.
Invasive Insects-Monitoring, ID, Biocontrol
Dr. Jaime Piñero (UMass Extension) discusses major invasive insect pests threatening orchards in the Northeast, how to monitor and identify them, and an overview of biological control options or natural enemies. Pests include spotted lanternfly and others of regional concern.
Mark Longstroth (Michigan State Extension) examines blueberry twig blight diseases, their causal organisms, symptoms on canes/wood, cultural factors that increase risk, and practical management measures to reduce incidence and maintain healthy berry plantings.
Keeping Peach Trees Healthy and Productive
Dr. Bill Shane (Michigan State University) covers foundational practices for establishing and maintaining peach orchards, including tree health fundamentals, training/pruning techniques, fertility, disease and pest basics, and orchard longevity strategies.
2022
Dr. Victoria Smith (Department of Entomology, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station) gives an introduction to the spotted lanternfly in the Northeast, covering its biology, identification, potential impacts on fruit crops, and recommended monitoring and management strategies for growers dealing with this invasive pest.
Cultivar Panel (Apple, Peach, and Cherry)
A pomologist (Dr. Renae Moran, University of Maine), a grower (Andre Tougas) and a nurseryman (Bill Pitts) share insights and research on new and tried and true apple, peach, plum and cherry cultivars for northeast retail orchards.
Fungicide and Streptomycin Resistance in Apple Pathogens
Dr. Kerik Cox (Cornell AgriTech) provides research??'based insights into fungicide and streptomycin resistance in key apple pathogens, explaining current resistance trends and offering strategies to manage and mitigate resistance through integrated disease management approaches.
SWD Monitoring and Research Updates
Dr. Juliet Carroll (Cornell IPM Program), Nicholas Aflitto (Cornell AgriTech), and Laura McDermott (CCE ENYCHP) highlight latest research on spotted wing drosophila (SWD)—an important pest of soft fruits—and practical management tips, including monitoring, life cycle timing, and integrated control options for berry and tree fruit growers.
Precision Honeycrisp Crop Load Management
Dr. Terence Robinson (Cornell AgriTech) focuses on precision crop load management in Honeycrisp apples, teaching growers how to balance crop load for optimal fruit size and quality using thinning strategies based on tree physiology and developmental cues.
Using Copper for Bacterial Diseases in Stone Fruit
Dr. Kari Peter (Penn State University) explores bacterial spot disease in peaches, including disease symptoms, environmental conditions that favor outbreaks, and how various management tactics (cultural and chemical) affect both disease severity and potential phytotoxicity.
Plum Curculio Research Updates, Apple Grafting How-to
Dr. Jaime Piñero (UMass Extension) and Jeremy Delisle (UNH Extension) presents updates on plum curculio biology and management research, including new monitoring data and control strategies to suppress this key early??'season pest in pome and stone fruit orchards.
Dr. Thierry Besançon (Rutgers University Extension) covers the practical use of orchard herbicides, including which materials to use, how timing and application rates influence weed control success, and considerations for avoiding crop injury and promoting long??'term orchard health.
2024
Dr. John Cline (University of Guelph) presents new chemical thinning options for pome and stone fruit, including the use of Accede™ in both apples and peaches and Metamitron in apples. He discusses how these thinner options work, application timing, and how they can improve crop load management under varying conditions.
Strawberry Breeding and Cultivar Updates
Dr. Beatrice Amyotte (Agriculture and Agri Food Canada) provides an overview of the latest advances from the Agriculture & Agri??'Food Canada strawberry breeding program, including progress on new cultivars, disease resistance traits, and how these selections perform under Northeast growing conditions
This session looks at reflective ground covers in tree fruit orchards — how they influence light distribution, pest behavior (e.g., aphids), and fruit quality, along with practical insights on their cost, effectiveness, and on??'farm use from both research from Dr. Macarena Farcuh (University of Maryland) and grower experience from Kristen DeMarree (DeMarree Fruit Farm Inc.).
Mass Trapping of Japanese Beetles
Dr. Jaime Piñero (UMass Extension) covers the biology and management of Japanese beetle in orchard and berry crops, focusing on mass??'trapping approaches — how traps work, when they're effective, and how growers can integrate them with other tactics to reduce adult beetle pressure.
How to Effectively Engage with the Press (no recording available)
Dr. Jessica McBride (University of Connecticut) covers the fundamentals of media engagement for growers and ag professionals — tips for giving interviews, working with journalists, building relationships with local press, and turning press opportunities into effective communications for your farm or program.
Biocontrol, Forecast Models and Apple Scab
This webinar looks at apple scab disease management with a focus on integrating biological control products and disease forecasting models. Dr. Kerik Cox (Cornell AgriTech) and Līga Astra Kalniņa (Cornell AgriTech) explore how forecast models (like those in NEWA) can help time sprays and how biocontrol agents might fit into current programs to improve control with reduced reliance on traditional fungicides.
2025
Dr. Jason Londo (Cornell AgriTech) and Dr. Renae Moran (University of Maine) explore cold hardiness in fruit crops, including how weather events and plant physiology influence frost and freeze risk, and discusses tools and strategies growers can use to assess and mitigate cold damage across orchard systems.
Biology and Management of Apple Bitter Rot
Dr. Srdjan Acimovic (Virginia Tech University) covers the biology and environmental conditions that favor bitter rot, reviews cultural and fungicidal management strategies, and highlights current research directions to reduce crop losses to this important apple disease.
Why Did my Scab Programs Fail in 2024?
Dr. Anna Wallis (Cornell IPM Program) and Dr. Kerik Cox (Cornell AgriTech) offer a deep dive into apple scab disease management, examining reasons some fungicide programs didn't work in 2024, how forecasting and timing affect control, and considerations for improving programs with resistant cultivars and alternative tools.
Basic Orchard Weed ID and Management
Dr. Maria Gannett (UMass Extension) explains key orchard weed species, how to identify them in different growth stages, and effective management practices that fit perennial systems like apple orchards, including cultural and herbicide options.
Brian Moyer (Penn State Extension) discusses the most frequent marketing errors that fruit growers and farm businesses make — and practical strategies to avoid them, strengthen direct??'to??'consumer outreach, and build more effective, resilient marketing plans.
This is where all ENYCHP program recordings are saved. For example, Mike's thinning meeting recordings are hosted on this channel.
List of Video Resources (docx; 26KB)
Apples
Apricots
Asparagus
Beets
Blueberries
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cherries
Cucumbers
Dry Beans
Eggplant
Ethnic Vegetables
Garlic
Grapes
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce / Leafy Greens
Melons
Nectarines
Onions
Parsnips
Peaches
Pears
Peas
Peppers
Plums
Potatoes
Pumpkins / Gourds
Radishes
Raspberries / Blackberries
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Snap Beans
Squash - Summer
Squash- Winter
Strawberries
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Upcoming Events
2026 Winter Cut Flower Webinar Series
January 6, 2026
The fifth annual CCE Cut Flower Webinar Series begins on January 6, 2026 and continues over 5 weeks on Tuesdays. This is a very popular series of online events you won't want to miss, with topflight speakers, a wide variety of subjects concerning growing cut flowers and plenty of interaction between speakers and attendees.
Tuesdays 1pm-3pm January 6, 2026 - February 3, 2026 (The webinar held on February 3 will run 1pm-4pm)
Cost: $60.00 for all five sessions, $20 for single sessions
Webinars will be recorded, and all the recordings will be sent to registrants for future review.
Expanding Farm Sales: Markets, Profits, and Branding Series
January 10, 2026
Looking to diversify where you sell your farm products? This four-part workshop series helps farmers explore new opportunities in direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and institutional markets. Learn how to meet buyer expectations, price for profitability, and build lasting relationships that support your business goals. Participants will strengthen marketing and communication skills, evaluate which sales channels best fit their farm, and connect with buyers, distributors, and local partners who can help expand their reach. Whether you're just starting out or ready to grow your market presence, this program will help you chart the right path for your farm's future.
Four Session Series: Saturdays from 10AM to Noon, January 10-January 31, 2026
Attend at one of three locations: Schoharie Extension Center - Cobleskill, NY; Otsego Education Center - Cooperstown, NY; Via Zoom
Pre-registration is requested! Fee: $25 Register Here
Any questions can be directed to Kelley Doolin at kmd322@cornell.edu
Pesticide Applicator Certification Exam Prep Course
January 13 - January 14, 2026
Join ENYCHP specialists for an in-depth review of topics covered on the NYS DEC pesticide applicator certification exam. This two-day virtual course includes explanation of key concepts on the core exam, test-taking tips for the core and category exam, practice questions, and Q&A with instructors. Course materials, including program recordings, practice exams, and DEC materials will be available to registrants after the program. This training is geared toward certification categories 1A (agricultural plant), 21 (field and forage), 22 (fruit), and 23 (vegetable).