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 5, 2013

Commercial Grower Blueberry Meetings

From The Blueberry Bulletin April 3, 2013

Upcoming Twilight Meetings
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Variety Farms
548 Pleasant Mills Rd. Hammonton, NJ 08037

Thursday, May 30, 2013 @ 5:30
Atlantic Blueberry Co.
7201 Weymouth Rd., Hammonton, NJ
For Directions, Call 609-561-8600

Blueberry IPM
Plum Curculio: One adult was seen in a beating tray sample, indicating that adults became active during the warm temperatures we experienced last week. To see adults present before bloom as unusual. Adults were also captured in experimental attractant pyramid traps.
Read more…

Filed Under: Blueberry
March 27, 2013

Gloucester County Fruit Twilight Meeting

Tree fruit and wine grape commercial growers are invited to discuss insect, disease, and weed control with RCE NJAES Specialists and the Fruit IPM team.

Date: 7 pm, Tuesday, April 23, 2013 
Location: Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County
County Government Services Building
1200 N. Delsea Dr.
Clayton, NJ 08312-1095
Phone: 856-307-6450

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape
March 27, 2013

Annual Weed Control for Established Blueberries

The program for the control of annual weeds in blueberries should consider the weed free strip under the row and the middles, sod or tilled, separately. The “Weed Control Season” in blueberries starts in late fall.  The program implemented in the spring depends on what herbicides were applied the previous fall.  If herbicides were applied in late fall, applications may be able to be delayed until later in the spring.  Residual herbicides should be applied before bud break in late winter or early spring after the soil is no longer frozen if no late fall treatment was applied. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry
March 26, 2013

Annual Weed Control in Vineyards

The program for the control of annual weeds in the vineyard should consider the weed free strip under the trellis and the sod middles between the rows separately. The “Weed Control Season” starts in late fall, after harvest.  The program implemented in the spring depends on what herbicides were applied the previous fall.  If herbicides were applied in late fall, applications can be delayed until later in the spring.  Residual herbicides should be applied in late winter or early spring after the soil is no longer frozen, if no late fall treatment was applied. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Wine Grape
March 26, 2013

Annual Weed Control in Orchards

The program for the control of annual weeds in the orchard should consider the weed free strip under the tree and the sod middles between the tree rows separately. The “Weed Control Season” in orchards starts in late fall, after harvest.  The program implemented in the spring depends on what herbicides were applied the previous fall.   If herbicides were applied in late fall, applications can be delayed until later in the spring.  Residual herbicides should be applied in late winter or early spring after the soil is no longer frozen, if no late fall treatment was applied. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit
March 22, 2013

The Cicadas are Coming!

Cicada: The East Coast BroodBrood II of the 17 year cicada (Magicicada sp.) is expected to emerge in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic this spring. The last emergence in 1996 did not cause many problems in southern NJ counties as I recall. Brood II is one of the broods reported on the east coast. This map indicates the possibility of a broad emergence throughout the region.

Cicada’s can damage trees and shrubs by laying eggs in the twigs. Damage can be severe if the adult emergence is large (populations can be in the tens of thousands per acre!). Damage can also come from sap feeding by females. New and young plantings up to 4 years of age are generally most susceptible to damage. Emergence occurs once the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees (sometime in May in southern NJ). Growers should start scouting in late April by listening for cicada songs and looking for damage.

Information on Cicada life history for tree fruit and for wine grape can be found at:

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape