Extension Outreach Guides Rootstock Selection and Tree Decline Diagnosis

Response

Extension specialists translated cold hardiness research into practical guidance through workshops, presentations, farm visits, and print materials. From 2022 to 2025, the team conducted four apple grower workshops, delivered 20 presentations at industry meetings, and organized eight on-farm meetups focused on identifying freeze injury and evaluating rootstock performance. Two fact sheets were developed to explain cold hardiness evaluation methods and provide diagnostic guidance for freeze-related tree decline. Hands-on workshops included visual demonstrations of rootstock shank damage and vascular tissue degradation. The team also completed 20 media interviews and published articles in Fruit Quarterly to expand outreach. Online decision-support tools are in development to support rootstock selection and chilling accumulation tracking.

Results

Outreach efforts increased grower awareness of differences in cold hardiness among dwarfing and semi-dwarfing rootstocks. Growers are using these findings to avoid rootstocks with poor performance under variable winter conditions and to guide new orchard plantings. The program expanded beyond New York to reach apple-producing regions across the Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest, extending the impact of research-based recommendations.

Public Value

This work equips apple growers with practical tools and knowledge to reduce losses from winter injury and improve orchard management decisions. More resilient orchards support farm profitability, strengthen regional fruit production, and help maintain a stable supply of locally grown apples for consumers.