Archives for April 2023

April 12, 2023 Cesar Rodriguez-Saona

National Survey on Spotted-Wing Drosophila

Dear Berry Growers:

You have been identified as a berry grower whose perspectives matter in helping to shape the future of the industry. We request your participation to complete an online survey to determine the impact of USDA funded projects conducted by land-grant university faculty on the sustainable management of Spotted-Wing Drosophila (SWD).

Over the past 15 years, SWD has negatively impacted the U.S. berry and cherry industry, which has led to rejection of crops and significant losses on the farm. A group of highly committed researchers has been engaged in a multi-state initiative to develop and test different control practices for SWD. Some of the products are commercially available, while others are awaiting approval.

This survey seeks to determine your level of awareness and adoption of these new techniques, and to capture your experiences with the new technologies introduced by the research team.

To complete the survey, please click on the link Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B5kHcjLIRgW9gO

Also, please forward this letter to others in your community who have mitigated SWD to increase our data pool.

This study is being conducted by a professional evaluation team from the University of Florida, Mr. Damilola Ajayi and Dr. Kay Kelsey, on behalf of Drs. Ashfaq Sial, Cesar Rodriguez-Saona, Hannah Burrack, Hannah Levenson, Vaughn Walton, Frank Zalom, Elizabeth Beers, Greg Loeb, Kent Daane, Philip Fanning, and Kim Hoelmer representing University of Georgia, Rutgers University, Michigan State University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of California-Davis, Washington State University, Cornell University, University of California Berkeley, University of Maine, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

This study was reviewed and approved by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board for the protection of human subjects (IRB# 202300289). In case you have any questions, please contact Damilola Ajayi, 706-588-2697, d.ajayi@ufl.edu or Kay Kelsey, 706-247-2492, kathleen.kelsey@ufl.edu

Sincerely,
Damilola Ajayi, Graduate Assistant, UF|IFAS.
Kay Kelsey, Professor, UF|IFAS.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Wine Grape

April 11, 2023 Dave Schmitt

Tree Fruit IPM Update Addendum 4/11/23

Oriental Fruit Moth: A biofix point for OFM has was set on 4/10 in southern counties. No biofix has been set for northern counties. The first insecticides for first generation Oriental Fruit Moth control should be applied at 170-200 degree days base 45 after biofix with conventional materials, and at 100-150 degree days base 45 for diamides. Timings are updated in the table below. This timing generally coincides with 100% petal fall in peaches. Do not apply insecticides until all bloom is off. No Insecticides for OFM are needed where Mating Disruption is implemented.

OFM 1^st Generation Timing
		Insecticide Type
County/Region	Degree Days by 4/11 base 45	Conventional 170-200, 350-375	Diamide 100-150, 300-350
Gloucester – Southern	10	1^st –4/18-4/20 2^nd –	1^st –4/15-4/17 2^nd –
Middlesex – Northern	0	1^st – 2^nd –	1^st – 2^nd –

Filed Under: Tree Fruit, Uncategorized

April 10, 2023 Dave Schmitt

Tree Fruit IPM Report for April 11, 2023

Tree Fruit Phenology: Tree Fruit Phenology remains advanced in peach, but development is slowing. In southern counties all peach orchards are late bloom to petal fall. Redhaven was at approximately full bloom on April 4. Plums are at shuck off. Pears are at petal fall. Red Delicious is just past full bloom. Sweet cherries are at late bloom depending on variety. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: apple, disease management, grape, Insect management, peach, Pear

April 10, 2023 Hemant Gohil

NJ Department of Environmental Protection Issues Burn Permit for Frost Protection – Through April 14

(TRENTON) – With the state expected to experience colder spring temperatures, the Department of Environmental Protection has agreed with NJ Dept of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher’s request to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect crops from damage beginning Friday, April 7, through Friday, April 14.

These cold events could adversely affect some of the fruit, vegetable, and floriculture crops.

Note: The NJDEP and New Jersey Forest Fire Service caution all farmers and agriculture businesses with respect to the use of open burning in high wind velocity conditions. Please take note that farmers are encouraged to utilize smudge pots is warming as necessary during higher wind conditions. Use of open burning when wind velocity is greater than 5mph is strictly prohibited, may contribute to wildfire risk, and can carry significant penalties. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Nursery, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: apples, blueberries, Burn Permit, Freeze damage, frost, grapes, Immediate, NJ DEP, Peaches, small fruit, strawberries, tree fruit

April 7, 2023 Hemant Gohil

NJ Department of Agriculture Issues Burn Permit for Frost Protection – Through April 14

(TRENTON) – With the state expected to experience colder spring temperatures, the Department of Environmental Protection has agreed with NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher’s request to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect crops from damage beginning today, Friday, April 7, through Friday, April 14.

These cold events could adversely affect some of the fruit, vegetable, and floriculture crops.

Filed Under: Nursery, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: Burn Permit, Freeze damage, frost, Immediate, NJ DEP, small fruit, tree fruit

April 6, 2023 Kris Holmstrom

Allium leaf miner update: 04/06/23

Allium Leaf Miner (ALM)

Allium leaf miner feeding and egg laying injury was discovered on chives and garlic near Milford in Hunterdon County on Wednesday. All weather stations on the NEWA network except for a few in the highest elevation sites in northern New Jersey have surpassed 250 growing degree days (GDD) base 39˚F. 39˚F is close to the lower developmental temperature (38.3˚ F) which our colleagues at Penn State recommend for predicting the first emergence of ALM adults. In recent years, initial feeding/egg laying scars have been detected within a few days of local weather stations recording the 250 GDD threshold. Growers who feel they may be impacted by this pest should check the accumulated GDD from local weather stations. Growers in southern counties may reasonably assume there will be ALM activity in their area soon, if not already happening. To determine GDD from local weather stations, the NEWA website https://newa.cornell.edu/ is very helpful. From the NEWA home screen, select the nearest weather station from drop down menu at the center of the page. Next, scroll down to “Weather Tools” on the right side of the page, and select “DD Calculator”. Select your start date (1/01/23) and end date as well as Degree Day Type (39 F) from the menu at the left of the page. The site will automatically generate the accumulated GDD base 39F to the last day of your requested sample, and then offer a forecast of accumulated GDD for the next week.

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion

Growers should consider initiating the control method of their choice at this time. Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks. Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo at left). Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves. Under warmer, less breezy conditions, adults may be seen near the tips of leaves (see photo of adult at lower right). Perennial chive beds are often the first, and most heavily infested alliums of the spring season, so this makes chives an ideal crop to confirm ALM adult activity. At the Milford site this week, chives had feeding/egg laying scars on nearly 30% of leaves. The garlic field, which was approximately a half mile away, exhibited only 2% infested plants. A primary reason for this lower infestation rate in the garlic is that allium crops had not been grown in that field for several years.

Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants. Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although frequency of applications is uncertain. Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Warrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), the diamide Exirel (section 2ee recommendation) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for miner control.

Adult activity and observations of feeding will be reported on in the IPM Update as they occur.

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: onions, sweet corn, tomato