Bittner-Singer Orchards, a 400-acre (162 hectares) farm in Niagara County, New York, has incorporated multiple Cornell University research projects into its fruit production. The orchard, owned by Jim Bittner, is located along Lake Ontario and produces apples, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes.
Cornell researchers work on-site weekly, conducting trials on new varieties, integrated pest management, weather modeling, water potential measurement, and other production-related studies. Bittner said, "If we didn't have university research, it wouldn't get done."
Apples account for about half of the orchard's acreage, with the remainder in stone fruit. The farm also maintains one of the largest dwarf cherry orchards in the eastern United States, growing 50 varieties, many of which originated from Cornell breeding trials. Bittner is currently trialing Everest Seedless grapes, bred at Cornell AgriTech, and has been involved in organic apple production since the 1990s.
Cornell-led mating disruption studies in the orchard have targeted codling moth in apples and Oriental fruit moth in peaches, leading Bittner to adopt the method over conventional insecticides. Rootstock trials concluded in 2023 found that Geneva 890 and Geneva 925 rootstocks performed well in organic systems, resulting in recommendations for their use across the eastern U.S.
The orchard also employs microtensiometers to measure tree water stress, a technology more commonly used in California vineyards. The devices help manage irrigation more precisely, with 11 units currently deployed.
Bittner participates in the Cornell Apple Carbohydrate Thinning Model program, which uses farm-based weather station data to predict photosynthesis and carbohydrate assimilation in apple trees. This model, part of the Network for Environment and Weather Applications, assists in chemical thinning decisions to manage fruit size and yield.
Bittner noted that many farms use these tools directly or through consultants. "Either the farmer is using these models, or their spray consultant is. This information is being used on their farm, whether they know it or not," he said.
Source: Cornell Chronicle