Announcing the 2026 International Orchard Meetup Series
Managing Climate Stress in Fruit Production: Sun Injury, Ripening Disorders, and Post-Harvest Quality in North American Orchards.

Meetups will be 4-5:30 pm PT

Please join us for our fifth season of International Virtual Orchard Meetups.

• JUNE 11, 2026 4:00-5:30 pm PT: Physiological Impacts, Forecasting, and Monitoring Tools
• JUNE 18, 2026 4:00-5:30 pm PT: Mitigation Strategies, Timing, and Tradeoffs
• JUNE 25, 2026 4:00-5:30 pm PT: Managing Fruit After Heat Exposure: Maturity, Storage, and Disorders

Register at this link (opens in a new window)

Since 2021, the International Virtual Orchard Meetup program has brought together growers, researchers, and government and Extension agents to have an international conversation about important tree fruit topics, connecting industry leaders across North America.  This year the virtual orchard meetups will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges related to heat stress in summer and fall, identify opportunities to improve fruit quality, and remain profitable. They will be led by scientists and tree fruit growers from across the United States and Canada. Please plan to attend and join the conversation.

The first meetup follows on our previous meetup in February.  The format will include brief presentations by scientists, followed by a packer/grower panel of industry leaders across North America.  The meetup will conclude with an open discussion in a very inclusive virtual format.  Viewers are invited to share solutions, ask questions, and interact with scientists and panelists.  The program is free of charge.

Agenda

Craig Kalhke is part of the Lake Ontario Fruit Team (LOFT), a group of four specialists and associated support staff that covers all aspects of extension programming for the commercial tree fruit and small fruit industry in Western NY. Craig specializes in harvest maturity testing of apples and pears, postharvest and storage recommendations and disorders diagnosis for apples, and food safety compliance. Craig conducts applied research in matters related to fruit quality, including the use of reflective fabrics to enhance fruit color and the use of plant growth regulators for harvest management.

Bernardita Sallato, is a Tree Fruit Extension Specialist at Washington State University. She leads applied research and extension efforts in tree fruit soil and nutrient management, environmental stress management and integrating Ag-Technologies in tree fruit systems. She Co-leads the Extension component for the AgAID, an NSF and USDA-NIFA funded project and co-sponsor of the webinar series, and Co-leads several Washington Tree Fruit Research projects on implementing variable nutrient management in apples, heat stress monitoring and mitigating technologies, the smart orchard project and the USDA-WSDA recently funded sweet cherry smart orchard project. Sallato has been a core member of the International Webinar Meetup series since it’s beginning in 2022.

Grower panelists from across North America

A group of invited packer/grower panelists from across multiple regions (WA, OR, MI, PA, NY, BC, and Ontario) will provide a brief “state of the fruit” update, describing what they are seeing in fruit coming out of storage and how those outcomes relate to conditions during the 2025 growing season.

Whether you are a fruit grower with ample experience, one that has modest experience, or one that is just getting started, the 2026 International Virtual Orchard Meetups will be the right setting for you to ask questions and find alternative solutions. We hope you will be able to join us on Friday February 27!

This year the 2026 series is co-sponsored by AgIAD (link to the project opens in new window) an NSF and USDA NIFA project, and SPARC a USDA SCRI project (link to project opens in new window)

Planning Team

Kristy Grigg-McGuffin (OMAFRA), Sonia Hall (WSU), Lindsay King (BC-AF), Emily Lavely (MSU), Bernardita Sallato (WSU), Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE LOF), and Daniel E. Weber (PSU)