Peach:
Oriental Fruit Moth: Treatments for the 3rd generation OFM are timed for now and over the next week, depending on which county you are in. [Read more…]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
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Peach:
Oriental Fruit Moth: Treatments for the 3rd generation OFM are timed for now and over the next week, depending on which county you are in. [Read more…]
Toad bugs, Phylloscelis atra, are an occasional pest of cranberries in New Jersey that can cause economic injury. This insect feeds only on
cranberries and has a single generation per year. It overwinters as eggs. The nymphs appear by the end of June through early September, and the adults from end of July through October (harvest) (see Figure 1). Eggs are laid from end of August through October.
Damage. Feeding damage can be noticed in two stages. First stage feeding damage on vines causes closing in (towards the branch) of the leaves on the new growth. Second stage feeding causes changed in color (reddish to brown) of new growth. The damage can be seen from July until harvest. This damage will cause dying of the branch and the berries to shrivel up. Heavy infestation will result in dwarfed berries.
Management. To determine infestation, lightly sweep problematic beds (bugs should be easy to catch in sweep nets as they are very active). Because this is a new pest there is no threshold established yet. Thus, insecticide applications should be based on the relative number of bugs per sweep compared with other sites and previous history of infestation. Currently, growers can use the following control options: Sevin 4F (broad-spectrum carbamate), Diazinon (broad-spectrum organophosphate), or Actara or Assail 30SG (neonicotinoid insecticides, effective against piercing-sucking insects) (see Figure 2). If infestation is high, treatments should be applied when the nymphs are present (i.e., mid- to late-July; see Figure 1).
For more information, please see “The Cranberry Toad-Bug” by F.A. Sirrine and B.B. Fulton. 1914. New York Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin No. 377. Department of Agriculture, Geneva, NY.
Peach:
Oriental Fruit Moth: During the previous week we were between the 2nd and 3rd OFM flights on most farms, and just starting the third flight this week. Populations on most farms are low, but the timing in southern counties is now if trap captures exceed 6 moths per trap. See timings in the table below: [Read more…]
Tuesday, July 30, 2019 (rain date July 31); 4:30-8:00 pm is Grape Camp 2019. This workshop will cover important topics on mid- and late season vineyard management. It will be held at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 121 Northville Rd, Bridgeton, NJ.
Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-224-8030 if you are planning to attend.
This site is accessible to the physically impaired. If an additional assistance is needed, please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029prior to the meeting.
With Support from the New Jersey Center for Wine Research and Education (NJCWRE).
If your beds have damage caused by root-feeding insects, you should consider treatment with Imidacloprid (e.g. Admire Pro, Alias 4F, Alias
2F) after bees are removed. Occurrence of root-feeding insects will manifest by the presence of dead patches (see picture). Pull dead vines and search through the root zone and soil for grubs and worms. Admire Pro (imidacloprid) is labeled for the control of cranberry rootworm, white grubs (Phyllophaga spp.), and other scarabs in cranberries.
White grubs, Phyllophaga spp. There are several species of white grubs that infest cranberries in New Jersey, the most abundant being P. georgiana. Grubs are C-shaped and often found near bog margins. Adults are reddish brown and nocturnal. Grubs attack the cranberry roots; adults have not been reported to feed on cranberries. See pictures of grubs and grub damage in cranberries. The life cycles and abundance of white grub species in New Jersey is not well known. Most likely, Phyllophaga grubs have a 3-year life cycle (based on previous reports and our own observations). Eggs are laid in late-June and July, and will hatch in July. First instars can be found in late-July and August and turn into second instars by the end of August-September. The second instar grubs will overwinter. These grubs will feed the following year until June and molt to third instars, which will overwinter. The following year, the third instars will feed for some time and then begin to pupate in June. Pupation will take place in July-August. Adults will appear in the soil in August-September. Adults will remain in the soil and overwinter. They will emerge in June, mate, and begin to lay eggs, completing the cycle.
Cranberry rootworm (Chrysomelidae). Pupation starts in late May and beetles emerge in early June. Adults are nocturnal and hide in leaf litter. Adults can be easily picked up in a sweep net. Females feed on foliage before laying eggs. Young larvae will feed on roots, and feeding continues until October. The mature larvae move down the soil in the fall to overwinter. Holding of the water will delay onset of pupation. Rootworm has a 1-year life cycle. Entomopathogenic nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) can be used to control cranberry rootworm.
Use of Imidacloprid. If treatment is needed, use imidacloprid (Admire Pro or other generic insecticides such as Alias 4F) to control white grubs and rootworms. Imidacloprid works best against early- (1st-2nd) instar grubs. Imidacloprid should be used after bees are taken out of beds. Because of the 3-year life cycle, treatment should be continued for 2-3 consecutive years to ensure control. Imidacloprid (active ingredient) is a neonicotinoid insecticide registered for use in cranberries against cranberry rootworm and scarab grubs. This insecticide is a contact and stomach poison that affects the insect nervous system. It is highly systemic and toxic to honey bees; therefore, can be used only as a post-pollination insecticide. Imidacloprid can be applied by ground or by chemigation. Aerial application of this product is prohibited. Imidacloprid has a long residual activity (> 100 days) as long as the insecticide is not directly exposed to the sun. Admire Pro can be used at 7-14 fl oz/acre. A maximum of 14 fl oz of Admire Pro can be used per acre per season. The PHI is 30 days.
From early July through the first half of September, our attention turns to peach harvests. And for disease control, a great deal of focus is on preventing brown rot development in the ripening fruit. Failure to effectively manage brown rot during the first half of the harvest season can set you up for significant yield loss in the second half of the season, especially if rains become frequent. Infected, sporulating fruit from early maturing cultivars provides fuel (inoculum) for infection of the mid- and late-maturing cultivars. Remember, the harvest season is one big epidemic for brown rot.
This article is a continuation of my earlier article titled “Improving your early season peach brown rot control program” (plant-pest-advisorty.rutgers.edu, April 17, 2019). This former publication discussed blossom blight control as well as quiescent / latent infections occurring in young, green fruit. If you haven’t read this article, or forgot much of it, now is a good time to read or review it. I assume you followed the advice of the former article and therefore do not have significant latent infection lurking in your fruit!