Heat Mitigation: Sunburn and Fruit Coloring at the Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium (Webinar)

February 18, 2026 noon – 1:00pm
Title: Heat Mitigation: Sunburn and Fruit Coloring (no pesticide credits)

Speaker Bio: Dr. Lee Kalcsits is an Associate Professor of tree fruit physiology in the Department of Horticulture at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, Washington, USA. He serves as the Endowed Chair of Tree Fruit Environmental Physiology and Programmatic Lead at the WSU Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center. His research program works towards understanding the physiological interactions between environment, horticultural management and genetics of apple, pear, and sweet cherry.

Dr. Lailiang Cheng is a professor of fruit crops in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. He works on tree mineral nutrition in relation to rootstock and nutrient supply for effective orchard nutrient management to improve tree productivity and fruit quality and reduce fruit physiological disorders.

Description: Hot summer and full temperatures can reduce fruit quality and orchard profitability.  In this webinar, we will discuss the physiology behind sunburn, how heat contributes to poor fruit coloring, and best management strategies to mitigate these issues to maximize fruit coloring in hot years.

Learn more about the webinar series here: https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/fruit/news-events/northeast-extension-fruit-consortium

Register here: https://na.eventscloud.com/ereg/index.php?eventid=866560&