04/18/05 Weather yo-yo

It was just a month ago that fruit growers expressed concern over warmer than usual, drier than usual, weather conditions that resulted in expedited blooms and timing models for pest and disease control. But Nate Squires of Northwest Wholesale says since then, precipitation has increased and has given fruit growers a much needed lift, among other things. SQUIRES: One nice thing with the cooler weather is that it slowed down some of the rapid start that we saw early in the season and it's made things a little more manageable for the growers. But while the cooler, wetter weather is helping to alleviate one set of problems, Squires says it is also creating another set of concerns for growers and fieldmen. SQUIRES: One thing we're running up against at this point with the moisture is we're not getting the pollination weather that we'd like to have especially with cherries. I know the south areas of the state have had less than admirable conditions to get their pollination so there's some concern down there that those folks, not just from water but from wind and cold temperatures, did not get the pollination that they are after. Then again, Squires adds growers and fieldmen are not complaining about how the weather is cooperating with pest control application timings. In some cases, the base applications are considered, in Squires' opinion, to be among the best foundations in recent years. More on that in our next program.