Now other kinds of sticky traps and pyramidal structures are being tested in an effort to lessen the devastation of another insect pest, the plum curculio. Other research at the horticultural center involves studying fruit varieties, training, root stocks, storage, and best management techniques. The Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association, representing 200 growers, suppliers, and other industry professionals, meets here every summer. The rest are just beginning to be involved with what we've been doing for 15 years. And we have some of the most difficult problems here in humid New England.
Apples are Massachusetts' second biggest crop after cranberries.
And, with its five faculty and one and a half professionals, UMass is the leading institution in New England in tree-fruit studies. They have confidence in the techniques we recommend. A measure of that trust is the generosity of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association in supporting the work of the Horticultural Research Center. The 800-member professional organization reached that impressive sum through the collective power of many larger and smaller gifts from people who believe in the value of education. Skilled is the key word here, as an anecdote from Dennis Ryan demonstrates.