Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
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Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): Second generation flights are very low in most areas. By all indications this generation should produce much lower pressure than the 1st generation. Any insecticides which are applied now should target this generation. Growers who have trap counts that are less than 6 moths per trap can skip insecticides that are intended for OFM. If trap counts are higher, then time your sprays according to the following table:
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Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB): Adults are occasionally seen during orchard scouting. Knock down materials will be required for the remainder of the season in orchards with BMSB populations.
Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): Second generation flights are very low in most areas. By all indications this generation should produce much lower pressure than the 1st generation. Any insecticides which are applied now should target this generation. Growers who have trap counts that are less than 6 moths per trap can skip insecticides that are intended for OFM. If trap counts are higher, then time your sprays according to the following table:
[Read more…]
Clean Up Your Ground Cover – Plant Bugs and Native Stink Bugs: As we move into summer heat, catfacing insects become a primary target, especially in dry seasons.
Many orchards have ground covers composed of flowering weeds and clover, which makes an ideal habitat for catfacing insects. These insects breed and multiply in the ground cover, and then find their way to the fruit. Wet springs that help make a healthy ground cover (especially if it’s weeds), followed by prolonged dry periods can often aggravate catfacing damage, since the insects often move from the weedy ground covers to the fruit in the trees.
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Bacterial Spot: Leaf symptoms have been seen in only a few locations and only on highly susceptible varieties. Bacterial spot has not been troublesome this spring probably due to mostly dry conditions during petal fall and early covers. Fruit remains highly susceptible until pit hardening so management practices should be continued.
San Jose Scale Crawler (yellow)
Green Peach Aphids (GPA): GPA colonies are present in northern peach orchards at up to 3 colonies per tree and over 1 colony per tree in nectarines. For peaches these levels can be tolerated, but not on nectarines where GPA damage is present on the fruit.
Plum Curculio (PC): PC activity is over in southern counties but still active in northern counties. Fresh eggs were recently deposited on peaches late last week. Activity should not last too much longer, so one additional cover of a PC effective insecticide should be all that is needed.
Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): Tufted apple budmoth started to emerge on 5/12 in southern counties and on 5/17 in Hunterdon County. While this insect has not been an issue over the last 6-8 years, locally high levels of moths have been captured in some pheromone traps this past week. TABM is a leafroller that can web a leaf to the surface of the fruit, and feed between the leaf and the fruit. On peaches this damage can lead to unmarketable and rotten fruit. Young larvae may get established in the stem end. When this is the case, the larva can ‘fall’ into the fruit interior in varieties where the flesh easily separates from the pit, or in split pit fruit. Degree day modeling for timing sprays dictates that the first alternate middle treatments should be timed for around 6/1-2 in southern counties, and by about 6/11-12 in Hunterdon County and northern farms. This is for conventional materials, including Delegate, Altacor, Belt and other diamide mixtures. Timings for TABM control are outlined below. If you are a grower who did have TABM damage last year, you are advised to use the timings that follow:
| Conventional, Diamides |
Conventional, Diamides |
Intrepid, Rimon |
Bt | |
| County Area | AM – 4 Alt Mid Sprays | EM – 2 Complete Sprays | EM – 2 Complete Sprays | EM – 2 Complete Sprays |
| Southern | 1st 6/1-2, 2nd 6/6-8 | 1st 6/3-6 | 1st 6/2-8 | 1st 6/6-8 |
| Northern | 1st 6/9-10 | 1st 6/11-14 | 1st 6/10-13 | 1st About 6/14-18 |
Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM)
Timings for TABM control are outlined below. This is now a minor pest, due to its increased control in recent years. TABM adults started to emerge in northern counties on 5/17. If you are a grower who did have TABM damage last year, you are advised to use the timings that follow:
| Conventional, Diamides |
Conventional, Diamides |
Intrepid, Rimon |
Bt | |
| County Area | AM | EM | EM | EM |
| Southern | About 5/31 | About 6/3 | About 6/2 | 1st 6/6-8 |
| Northern | About 2 weeks away |
Green Peach Aphid:
Do Not use Actara, Assail, Belay or Admire, any generics or any combination containing them, if you have flowering weeds in your orchard. The presence of flowering weeds means that you will also have foraging bees present, and applying neonicotinoids when foraging bees are present is against the label.
Some individual farms have populations above treatment thresholds. Any registered neonicotinoid insecticide (Actara, Assail, Belay, Admire Pro (IRAC 4A), or premixes – Leverage, Voliam-Flexi) will control these populations. Admire Pro will control aphids only. Closer (IRAC 4C) acts like a neonicotinoid, so it is very effective against aphids, but is bee safe. Beleaf (IRAC 9C) will also target aphids and control tarnished plant bug. Movento (IRAC 23) will control aphids and scale insects.
Plum Curculio (PC): We are the peak of PC activity in all areas of the state. Moderate levels of injury were seen in both stone and pome fruit over the past week, even where effective insecticides were applied. If significant rains follow insecticide applications, then re-apply with effective materials after an inch or more of precipitation.
Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): All 1st generation eggs have been laid in southern counties, and the second application is due in northern counties. If your trap counts exceed 6-8 males per trap 7 to 10 days after the second spray, then additional controls may be required.
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