Fruit Crops Edition

Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting tree fruit and small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
 
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April 29, 2016

Fruit IPM for 4-27-2016

Peach

Oriental Fruit Moth: An OFM biofix was set for April 3 in southern counties. Treatments for the first flight will be due at 170-200 degree days after the first trap captures or “biofix.” According to the NEWA weather station in Upper Deerfield, we reached 170 DD on 4/22. Therefore the first applications for OFM should be applied between 4/22 – 4/25. The second application is due about 5/6-8. In northern counties, as represented at the Snyder Farm location the first application will be due about 5/2 and the second application between 5/10-12. Oriental fruit moth has 4 generations per year in NJ. The highest population of adult moths usually present in the season produces this first brood. Therefore this is the most important generation to treat. This is particularly true if you have peach blocks with little to no crop, and you want a minimal program for those blocks. If you don’t treat for any other insects in those blocks, treat for this first generation. This will protect the trees from much of the early terminal flagging that will occur if left untreated.

Plum Curculio (PC): PC adults usually begin egg laying once the fruit is out of the shuck. Preferred materials that offer PC control now are Avaunt, and Imidan. If using high rates of a neonicotinoid (i.e. Actara, Belay, Assail), be aware that there is a synergistic effect when used in tank mixes with DMI materials (i.e. Rally) with regard to bee toxicity. Neonicotinoids should not be used if there are any flowering weeds in your orchard. Those flowering weeds will attract bees, which will be killed by the insecticide. The use of most of these products when bees are present is off label and therefore not legal. If pyrethroids are being used, then high rates are advisable, since low rates often do not control PC, especially in hot weather. Where PC is a problem, growers should rotate away from pyrethroid insecticides if possible. Actara and Belay will also control PC (and GPA), but not OFM. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit
April 26, 2016

Insect Management with Low Fruit Load

After the critically cold temperatures in early April followed by several other nights of below freezing temperatures, NJ peach and apple growers have experienced loss of blossoms and/or fruit set. While the extent of the injury may still be too early to tell for some varieties, the cold weather has not stopped insect pests and where no fruit will be harvested we need to adjust our approach to insect management. This provides an opportunity to use selective materials where possible and allow natural enemy populations to attack some key pests.

IMG_0379

Terminal flagging from Oriental fruit moth egg laying

Oriental Fruit Moth lays its eggs of at least the first and second generation in peach terminals. Due to low or absent fruit loads, the trees will be very flush and provide lots of oviposition sites. Injury to terminals is noticeable by “flagging” of the terminals. If unmanaged, populations will be high in 2017 and could be difficult to control. Thus management of at least the first and second generation OFM needs to occur. I would strongly recommend using mating disruption, such as OFM TT, for unharvestable orchards. This will control all 4 generations and significantly reduce OFM pressure next year without harming beneficial insects. Mating disruption dispensers are placed in the middle of the tree canopy and can be placed now. See label for rate information. Sprayable mating disruption such as Checkmate OFM-F can be applied at 1.32 – 2.93 oz/A applied just prior to adult flight and again during flight. For chemical options, we generally use 5-6 male moths in a trap as a trigger for management. If monitoring traps exceed 5-6, then the use of either Madex HP or a diamide chemistry (ie. Altacor) is recommended. Madex HP is an insect virus that only attacks OFM and codling moth and is very effective in both research and commercial trials in NJ at rates from 1.5 – 3.0 oz/acre. Both Madex and the diamides will have minimal impact on natural enemies but have good control of OFM and should be applied at diamide timing according to the DD model (see NJ Tree Fruit Production Guide or PPA posts from IPM scouting). Codling moth and OFM in apple will likely not require management but should still be monitored. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit Tagged With: ,
April 13, 2016

Cold Injury: Disease Control in Peach Orchards without Fruit

Cold injury to peach flowers and primordial fruit occurred during the evening of April 5-6 as temperatures dropped below freezing. At the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, air temperatures first dropped below 32ºF at 10 pm Tuesday and remained below freezing until 9 am Wednesday morning.  The lowest temperatures of 22 to 23 ºF occurred for four hours between 4 and 7 am. The average low temperature during the entire 12 hour cold period was 25.5 ºF. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit
April 10, 2016

Grower Survey: Spotted Wing Drosophila Management

Spotted Wing Drosophila

Spotted Wing Drosophila
Photo: Matt Bertone

Deadline: May 1, 2016

Survey Purpose: To measure the effects of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) on fruit crop production. Results will be used to develop national research and extension projects to minimize future impacts of SWD.

Survey website: https://survey.ncsu.edu/swd/

Growers of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, and cherry who make pest management decisions are invited to participate in this multi-state survey as part a grant funded effort led by NC State University’s Dr. Hannah Burrack to develop better ways to manage SWD.

Collaborators include Michigan State, Oregon State, Cornell and Rutgers universities, as well as the universities of Maine; Notre Dame; Georgia; California, Davis; and California, Berkeley; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

The survey may be completed online or printed and returned by fax or mail. Grower participation is vital and appreciated.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit
March 31, 2016

Weather Alert: Protect Flowering Crops Against Frost

News Release from NJDEP

DEP, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TEAM UP TO ALLOW FARMERS TO PROTECT FLOWERING CROPS AGAINST FROST CONDITIONS EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK
(16/17) TRENTON – With temperatures in many parts of the state expected to approach freezing over the weekend into early next week, the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Agriculture are working cooperatively to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect flowering crops from frost damage.

Forecasts call for near or below freezing conditions overnight Saturday through April 5. The cold temperatures could affect fruit and vegetable crops, as well as flowers in bloom or near bloom. Peaches, blueberries and apples are particularly susceptible. Frost damage now can significantly reduce yields of these crops later in the season.

The DEP and Department of Agriculture are allowing these steps through April 5 to protect farmers’ livelihoods and to ensure that consumers will be able to enjoy an ample supply of Jersey produce later this year.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops
March 17, 2016

New Fungicide for Apple Disease Control

A new fungicide for management of apple diseases, called Aprovia, is now available for use by commercial growers. Due to its recent release, this product was not included in the latest 2016 publication of the New Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide. Thus, below is a discussion of its attributes and suggested usage for disease control. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit