Scientists Evaluate Alternative Fruit Production For United States Apple Growers

Commercial apple growers in northeastern United States face many obstacles, including pests and tree health, which hinder efforts to implement integrated fruit production (IFP) or organic fruit production (OFP), effectively excluding them from profitable alternative markets. The results of a four-year study show how both systems might be successful, although IFP could probably be more widely implemented in the region and OFP is better-suited to smaller, direct-to-consumer operations. Also, a lack of incentives could prevent the adoption of IFP, and some issues related to OFP —such as pest damage, smaller fruit, and less attractive produce—that can affect profitability would have to be balanced by premium pricing.