To make research relevant to the apple industry and growers, our extension, and outreach focus is on connecting lab and field research to the orchards for direct relevance and faster uptake of outputs. Either through extension specialists or direct connections with growers, we organize regular lab and orchard visits, participate in winter fruit schools, and field days. The aim of extension program is to get a strong understanding of concerns, needs, and interests of stakeholders, in order to orient and develop disease resistance research to address their priorities by applying modern genetics and genomic tools.
A demonstration of drones for orchard health assessment and disease detection to apple growers and crop consultants at VanDeWalle Sharps Farm in Alton, NY, 2019.
Touring an international group of directors and executives to introduce importance of wild Malus species for disease resistance research and apple breeding, Geneva, NY, 2019.
Exhibit and digital display of apple disease resistance research at Empire State Fruit and Vegetable Grower Expo, OnCenter Convention Center, Syracuse, NY, 2018.
Empire Farm Days and Fun On The Farm 2017Empire Farm Days and Fun On The Farm 2017
Summer Camp 2017 at North Street School, Geneva, NY.
Tour of apple orchard for fire blight and apple scab sample collection in Summer 2017.Tour of apple orchard for fire blight and apple scab sample collection in Summer 2017.
Soil, rhizosphere, rootstock and scion wood samples for ITS and 16S sequencing to characterize potential cause of ‘rapid apple decline’ in a HoneyCrisp block grafted on M.9 rootstock.
