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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May 6, 2015

Of Thrips and Aphids

Ocassionally, flower thrips can be an early season pest of peach and nectarine, especially when conditions during bloom are hot and dry. That seems to be the case this season as 6 out of 7 nectarine blocks scouted in Gloucester County had low populations of thrips present. At least one block had low levels of injury present. Mostly adults were found but examinations of fruitlets found some nymphs present in the shucks. If left untreated, damage can occur unless conditions turn cool and wet. Growers can scout for thrips using beating trays to look for adults, or by collecting blossoms to look for nymphs feeding inside the shucks. Peach may be less susceptible to damage than nectarine because the fuzz acts as a deterrent. Growers should also look for aphid populations while scouting for thrips as aphids are just starting to appear in southern county orchards. Use a treatment threshold of 1 aphid colony per tree in nectarines and 2-4 colonies per tree in peach.

There aren’t many choices for thrips control in Nectarines.  Delegate and Entrust at the high rates are very effective.  Where aphids are also present, the neonicitinoids Actara and Closer will control aphids but may only suppress thrips. Lannate SP has a good rating for thrips and aphids in our production guide but field experience is variable. Carzol is no longer labeled for Peach and Nectarine.

Remember also that Oriental Fruit Moth, Plum Curculio, and native plant bugs are key pests at this timing so any insecticides applied for thrips and/or aphids will be in addition to applications of effective materials for these important pests.

Filed Under: Tree Fruit
May 5, 2015

Performing a Detailed Inspection of Wine Grape Planting Material

Figure 1. A bundle of healthy grafted grape vines. These vines are moist, have healthy roots, and are clearly labeled.

Figure 1. A bundle of healthy grafted grape vines. These vines are moist, have healthy roots, and are clearly labeled.

Spring is a good time to plant new grapevines as the soil is warm and moist enough to support early growth and vines get plenty of time to get established during the growing season that follows. When your order of vines arrives, make sure that your planting material is of good quality before it is planted.

Source Planting Materials from Quality Nurseries

The best way to begin ensuring that you have good, healthy and productive grapevines is to source planting material from nurseries that provide clean materials or certified vines. Planting material from nurseries that follow quality assurance protocols reduces the chances of getting diseased or weak planting material.
Certified material means cuttings come from a source block that was properly managed, subjected to regular inspections for insect pests, disease damage, and tested for virus right from propagation through packaging. These nurseries also go through independent third party audits.

Make sure that planting material comes with documents or labels that will help in tracing plants back to the original source. Each bundle of vines should have proper labels describing primary information such as variety, clone, rootstock and some kind of batch number. Make sure your planting material was shipped promptly after packing and came in a temperature-controlled vehicle. Presently there are no certified nurseries in New Jersey; however, there are several certified nurseries available in California and few in Oregon, Washington and New York. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Wine Grape
May 5, 2015

Cranberry IPM: Sparganothis Fruitworm Degree-Day Benchmarks Provide Key Treatment Timings

Degree-day benchmarks indicate discrete biological events in the development of insect pests. For the Sparganothis fruitworm, recent studies conducted by Dr. Shawn Steffan (USDA-ARS/University of Wisconsin-Madison), Annie Deutsch (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Cesar Rodriguez-Saona (Rutgers University) have isolated the key development events and linked them to degree-day (DD) accumulations. These degree-day accumulations can improve treatment timings for cranberry IPM programs in spring and summer.

Sparganothis adult

Sparganothis adult

Sparganothis larva

Sparganothis larva

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Cranberry
May 3, 2015

North Jersey Fruit Meeting I: May 7, 2015

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2015
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Location: Rutgers Snyder Farm, 140 Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, NJ 08867

Agenda

6:00 p.m. Orchard Tour – Leaves promptly at 6:00 p.m.

  • Observe NC-140 – Apple Rootstock Trials
  • Observe 5 high density apple Tall Spindle Apple Plantings and Trellis Systems Planted 2002, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, Spacing varies from 2×10, 3×14 and 3×12
  • Asian Pear Variety Trial – 5th leaf
  • Update on the Rutgers NJAES Project to release new strawberry varieties for the eastern US
    Peter Nitzsche, Win Cowgill, Bill Hulbik – Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE)

6:50 p.m. (back indoors)

  • Stone and Pome Fruit: Bacterial Disease Management
    Dr. Norm Lalancette, Specialist in Tree Fruit Pomology, RCE
  • Utilizing thresholds in IPM for fruit pests
    Anne Nielsen, Specialist in Tree Fruit Entomology, RCE
  • Key Timings and Treatments for Tree Fruit
    Dean Polk, RCE IPM
  • Crop Insurance Update
    Dave Lee, RCE of Salem County
  • Update on Pesticide Regulations for 2015
    Peter Nitzsche, RCE of Morris County
  • Apogee for Fireblight and Growth Control
    Win Cowgill
  • Chemical Thinning Update with Plant Growth Regulators
    Win Cowgill

Pesticide Recertification Credits will be awarded.
Flyer

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Tree Fruit
May 2, 2015

Fire Blight Alert

The Cougar Blight model over at NEWA is predicting a high risk of fire blight for this coming week, due to the coming hot weather and high humidity along with a chance of showers.

Currently May 5-9 looks like a high risk period for infection. Growers should apply antibiotic to any apple or pear blocks with open blossoms prior to any risk of infection. Streptomycin and oxytetracycline formulations are generally thought to provide 1-2 days protection and possible 24 hours back action. A predication of high risk over a 4 day period may require 2 applications 2 days apart, especially if there is rainfall, and/or the orchard is not yet at full bloom. Follow the label rates. 24 ozs. of strep/acre should suffice. Check your local conditions using NEWA and check back daily as the prediction may change.

Filed Under: Tree Fruit
April 28, 2015

Fruit IPM Report 4-28-2015

Download PDF version

Peach

Petal Fall Insect Complex: An OFM biofix was set for April 20 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 have had 49 degree days accumulate since 4/20. This timing usually coincides with late petal fall to shuck split, however we are a little late this year, since we have about 120 degree days to go until the first OFM treatment.

Since we are still waiting for the OFM timing, the initial petal fall spray will primarily target plum curculio, tarnished plant bug and other catfacing insects. Plum curculio is active, and will feed on blossoms and freshly set fruit. See last week’s newsletter and the Tree Fruit Production Guide for insecticide options. Given the current insect targets, Avaunt is one of the better materials for plum curculio (PC) at this time, and also covers Oriental fruit moth and tarnished plant bug. We are not concerned with BMSB at this time, so many of the other materials which are effective for BMSB can be saved for later in the season.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Tree Fruit