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Abstract
Treatments with (2-chloroethyl)-phosphonic acid (ethephon) in the field initially caused green berries of cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) to turn pink. Untreated berries increased in redness up to commercial harvest. Preharvest ethephon applications on mature, red berries caused no change in redness, but rather a decrease in yellowness, resulting in a change in hue, which may indicate a difference in relative amounts of the various pigments. Ethephon decreased the L reading of the berries, compared to the controls. Increasing the amount of water, in which the ethephon was dispersed, from 1.87 to 3.74 kliter/ha proved beneficial for coloring berries located deep in the vines not exposed to full sunlight. Ethephon treatments did not result in more rapid breakdown of the berries during storage. Only at extremely high rates of ethephon was berry size reduced. The commerci
The Wisconsin potato crop is managed intensively through multiple inputs of pesticide, fertilizer, and irrigation. Beginning in 1979, a multidisciplinary team at the Univ. of Wisconsin developed an effective Integrated Pest Management Program to address key management decisions associated with this crop. The program fostered the development of several private IPM businesses and continues to help increase the acceptance of IPM technology by the potato industry. Results of component and integrative research, funded by industry, state, and federal sources, provided the essential ingredients for development of computer software now used for managing the potato crop on ≈ 70,000 acres (28,330 ha) of potatoes in a multistate area. The software helps growers determine the need for and timing of critical crop inputs. By reducing or eliminating unneeded pesticide and irrigation applications, the software helps to improve overall production efficiency. Industry adoption of this software is providing the impetus for development of more comprehensive software that includes additional aspects of potato production as well as the production of crops grown in rotation with potato.