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  • From: "Brungardt, Sam" <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Beach Plum
  • Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 11:48:42 -0600

Title: RE: [NAFEX] Beach Plum

Charlie and Lon, thanks for your responses to my question.  For some time I have been interested in the beach plum and I did read Uva's cultural recommendations on the Cornell beach plum Web page before I sent my message asking about what the "beef" was about.  Yes, the grower's guide includes what looks like the usual control recommendations for controlling fungal disease on plums.

In this case, however, I think Uva's greatest failing was his not documenting in his recommendations that (1) brown rot was a problem on beach plums and (2) it could be controlled with the same methods as are used on cultivated plums.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe that he or anyone else has conducted scientific investigation into controlling fungal diseases specifically on beach plum.

I don’t have ready access to a university library, but I did find the following info from a Web search:

Brown rot is reported as having been observed infecting beach plums in The Beach Plum: A History and Grower's Guide (see   http://www.beachplum.cornell.edu/bpguide.pdf)

Also, in his article, "Beach Plum Production and Marketing," in the Oct. 19, 2004 New York Berry News (http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:21zAVRlw1HoJ:www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/newslett/nybn40a.pdf+beach+plum), Uve reported: "Research Results - At Cornell, we have evaluated the effects of irrigation, mulch, and fertilizer on the growth and yield of beach plum at a test orchard on sandy soil.

        "Growth and yield were significantly greater in fertilized than in unfertilized treatments, while irrigation and mulch had no effect. The most serious problem for fruit production was brown rot fungi (Monilinia sp.) for which controls are available.

        "We have found that beach plum has similar cultural requirements and pests as other commercially grown plums.
        "However, beach plum’s flowers are not borne on spurs, but on new wood as with peach. While beach plum can be grown well inland, it is important that it is planted on well-drained soil."

----------------
Similarly, in his paper, "Taming the Wild Beach Plum," Uva wrote, "Our research so far has borne out our optimism about the potential for this new industry.

        "Horticultural research has shown that plant size and fruit production are increased by fertilization, while irrigation and mulch have no effect; this finding confirms that beach plum is a stress-tolerant crop that can be grown successfully without irrigation, even on sandy, low-nutrient soils. (Beach plum also flourishes away from the shore, on typical orchard soil, but good drainage is a must.)

        "Brown rot fungus (Monilinia sp.) was found to be the most serious disease problem for fruit production. Growers can be reluctant to accept a new crop if pest control practices are not well developed.  Fortunately, however, beach  plum’s pests are similar to those of commercial plums and control techniques are already available."

This is one instance where I believe it may have been useful to contact Uva and ask for the basis of his recommendations.  In fact, Lon,  I sent him a message yesterday asking whether he had any observations on what you had observed as far as the limitation of plum cuculio damage is concerned.

Finally, I don't know Uva.  I don't know whether he's a good scientist or not.  But having worked in agricultural experiment station communications for almost 18 years did give me a pretty good understanding of the challenges financial limitations impose on researchers of little-grown crops.

I'm not saying that university scientists know everything.  But I do think we'd be providing a valuable service if we'd share some of our observations with them.  The apparent lack of black knot on beach plum is a case in point.  -- Sam Brungardt, St. Paul, Minn.

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Charles Paradise
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 9:12 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Beach Plum


Sam,  Well did you read it?   Does it jive in any way with what we on this list experienced working directly with beach plum are saying?

Charlie

"Brungardt, Sam" wrote:

> Charles, what exactly is your beef with the publication? -- Sam
> Brungardt
>
> Going to the link, I clicked on
> http://www.beachplum.cornell.edu/howto.html
>
> Does anyone on the list know where such misinformation could be
> reported, to negatively reflect on the work of the authors?  Hopefully
> such feedback could be available at their job reviews to get them out
> of government pay. Charlie Paradise

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