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.
 
Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS.

NJDA Ag Recycling Program — 1 CORE Credit Award: See Dates for Atlantic, Monmouth, & Salem Sites

Pesticide container disposal is offered to agricultural, professional, and commercial pesticide applicators who hold a NJDEP pesticide license. One core credit will be given to pesticide license holders who follow required processing steps and bring their license with them at time of collection.  The program accepts non-refillable, high-density polyethylene #2 (HDPE) containers that are no […]

Tree Fruit IPM Report for August 14, 2023

Peach:

Oriental Fruit Moth: A biofix point for OFM was set on 4/10 in both northern and southern counties.  All timings for OFM have past. Additional treatments are only necessary if trap captures exceed 6 adults/trap:

Brown Rot: Brown rot is now appearing in ripening fruit in all regions. Most rotting fruit is the result of fruit that is damaged due to cracking from excessive rain or split pits. Highly effective rot materials such as DMI’s (FRAC group 3) and Strobilurins (FRAC group 11) should be applied beginning 3 – 4 weeks prior to harvest. See the NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide for more information.

Scale Insects: Second generation crawler emergence is just past peak for San Jose Scale and White Peach Scale. White Peach scale has a third generation in September and San Jose scale may have a third generation in October. Esteem and Centaur are both good scale materials. Esteem and Centaur should be applied at the start of crawler emergence. These materials should only need one application. Other options include: Assail, Belay, Actara (Group 4A): Closer (Group 4C); Sivanto (Group 4D) and the bioinsecticide Venerate. These products may need more than one application, typically 2 applications bracketing peak crawler emergence which should occur between the first and third week of August. Only Venerate has a 0 day PHI, making it useful for blocks near or at harvest. Diazinon is also still labelled for peach and apple: for San Jose Scale, it is labeled at a rate of 1#/100 with a 21 day PHI for both peach and apple; for White Peach Scale it is labeled at a rate of 1.5-2#/100 for post-harvest application only. The label requires 14 days between applications.

Apples and Pears:

Diseases: Primary diseases now are the summer diseases such as bitter rot, and sooty blotch and fly speck. Bitter rot control has been difficult at best in recent years even where management programs have been rigorous. Research has suggested products such as Merivon, Luna Sensation and Inspire Super may be effective, and longtime reliable broad spectrum fungicides such as captan and ziram should provide control. Experience has suggested that the addition of phosphorous acid products such as Prophyt or Rampart to captan sprays may improve control. Observations are that these products improve control of other summer diseases such as sooty blotch and flyspeck, and may help suppress scab infections where present. Bitter Rot symptoms continue to appear in all growing regions.

Codling Moth (CM): The first generation codling moth timings have ended. Additional applications should be made if trap captures exceed 5 moths/trap. Trap captures continue and increased slightly in most southern county orchards this week. A biofix was set for CM on April 17th in both northern and southern counties. Codling moth trap captures continue. Most are below threshold, with only a few above 5 moths/trap.

Scale Insects: See peach section above.

Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Southern Counties

STLM TABM-A CM BMSB OFM-A DWB OFM-P TABM-P LPTB PTB
4/15/2023 433 20 1
4/23/2023 423 1 13 8 4
4/30/2023 417 7 15 4 1 0
5/06/2023 9 2 3 1 0 0
5/13/2023 18 2 7 2 3 0 6 6
5/20/2023 5 18 6 0 51 0 13 67
5/27/2023 1 11 4 0 17 0 11 49
6/03/23 3 8 2 1 24 0 13 65
6/10/2023 21 14 5 0 55 0 6 54 0
6/17/2023 10 11 5 0 57 0 8 46 4
6/24/2023 15 5 2 0 57 0 6 47 2
7/1/2023 342 3 0 0 69 0 3 37 6
7/8/2023 463 0 0 0 26 0 0 35 6
7/15/2023 456 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 37 5
7/22/2023 25 0 1 0 0 57 0 0 38 3
7/29/2023 136 0 1 0 0 48 0 0 22 3
8/6/2023 321 0 2 0 0 54 0 0 20 5
8/13/2023 387 1 3 0 0 54 0 0 22 10

Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Northern Counties

STLM TABM-A CM BMSB OFM-A DWB OFM-P TABM-P LPTB PTB
4/8/2023 10
4/15/2023 20 3
4/30/2023 28 11 6
5/06/2023 22 2 19 9
5/13/2023 34 1 3 2 5 0
5/20/2023 31 6 7 1 6 0
5/27/23 16 18 4 1 17 3 11
6/03/23 12 26 2 0 17 2 12
6/10/2023 21 14 5 0 55 0 54
6/17/2023 63 53 2 1 15 1 6
6/24/2023 134 52 3 1 0 11 3 8
7/1/2023 87 33 1 1 0 12 4 1 3
7/8/2023 296 37 1 1 0 30 0 0 1
7/15/2023 189 9 1 1 0 28 4 4 8
7/22/2023 177 6 1 0 0 46 1 3 6
7/29/2023 145 1 2 1 0 24 1 2 2

Private Applicators: NJDEP August Mailing of 2024 Invoices & Recertification Credit Status

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has mailed out pesticide license credit status to applicator, operator, and dealer mailing addresses of record. If you have not received your notice please review “NJDEP Pesticide Licensing & Registrations – 2024 Pesticide License Renewal Information“. If you are a Private Pesticide Applicator with a license expiration of […]

Agri-Technology and Vegetable Research Twilight Meeting

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC)

121 Northville Road, Room 146. Bridgeton, NJ 08302

Wednesday August 16, 2023

5 PM until dark

This meeting is free with no registration required. Refreshments and ice cream will be served.

This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will showcase new agricultural technologies including the newly installed agrivoltaics system established at RAREC. Discussions will include:

  • New technologies for autonomous seeding and weeding.
  • Drone technologies for improving crop production and decision making.
  • Living mulches
  • Production potential of fiber hemp
  • Copper resistance and disease control in bell peppers.
  • Controlling Phytophthora blight.

Note:  The following pesticide credits have been approved: 

 CORE – Basic Safety & Handling – (1 credit),

PP2 – Private applicator – (5 credits),

1A – Agricultural Plant – (5 credits),

11 – Aerial – (1 credit)

10 – Demonstration & Research -(4 credits).

         

Bilingual Labeling: Parts of Pesticide Labels Will be Required to Also Be In Spanish

EPA Seeks Public Comments to Ensure Information on Bilingual (Spanish) Pesticide Labels Reaches the Hands of America’s Farmworkers [Posted to EPA OPP Update August 3, 2023]. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comments on how to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers. As part of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of […]

Rutgers Tree Fruit IPM Report for August 02, 2023

Peach:

Oriental Fruit Moth: A biofix point for OFM was set on 4/10 in both northern and southern counties.  All timings for first generation OFM have past. Third generation timings are updated below:

OFM 2nd Generation Timing
Insecticide Type
County/Region Degree Days by  7/25 base 45 Conventional

2100-2200

2350-2450

Diamide

2025-2150

2375-2450

Gloucester – Southern 2226 1st – past

2nd – past

1st – past

2nd – past

Middlesex – Northern 1719 1st – past

2nd – past

1st – past

2nd – past

Brown Rot: Brown rot is now appearing in ripening fruit in all regions. Most rotting fruit is the result of fruit that is damaged due to cracking from excessive rain or split pits. Highly effective rot materials such as DMI’s (FRAC group 3) and Strobilurins (FRAC group 11) should be applied beginning 3 – 4 weeks prior to harvest. See the NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide for more information.

Scale Insects: Second generation crawler emergence has started for both San Jose and White Peach scale and will last well into August. White Peach scale has a third generation in September and San Jose scale may have a third generation in October. Esteem and Centaur are both good scale materials. Esteem and Centaur should be applied at the start of crawler emergence. These materials should only need one application. Other options include: Assail, Belay, Actara (Group 4A): Closer (Group 4C); Sivanto (Group 4D) and the bioinsecticide Venerate. These products may need more than one application, typically 2 applications bracketing peak crawler emergence which should occur between the first and third week of August. Only Venerate has a 0 day PHI, making it useful for blocks near or at harvest. Diazinon is also still labelled for peach and apple: for San Jose Scale, it is labeled at a rate of 1#/100 with a 21 day PHI for both peach and apple; for White Peach Scale it is labeled at a rate of 1.5-2#/100 for post-harvest application only. The label requires 14 days between applications. These products may need more than one application, typically 2 applications bracketing peak crawler emergence which should occur between the first and third week of August.

 

Apples and Pears:

Diseases: Now that primary scab has ended, the focus turns toward summer diseases such as fruit rots (esp. Bitter rot), and sooty blotch and fly speck. Bitter rot control has been difficult at best in recent years even where management programs have been rigorous. Research has suggested products such as Merivon, Luna Sensation and Inspire Super may be effective, and longtime reliable broad spectrum fungicides such as captan and ziram should provide control. Experience has suggested that the addition of phosphorous acid products such as Prophyt or Rampart to captan sprays may improve control. Observations are that these products improve control of other summer diseases such as sooty blotch and flyspeck, and may help suppress scab infections where present. Bitter Rot symptoms are now appearing in southern counties.

Codling Moth (CM): The first generation codling moth timings have ended. Additional applications should be made if trap captures exceed 5 moths/trap. Trap captures continue and increased slightly in most southern county orchards this week. A biofix was set for CM on April 17th in both northern and southern counties. Codling moth trap captures have increased this past week, however most are below threshold.

Scale Insects: See peach section above.

Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Southern Counties

STLM TABM-A CM BMSB OFM-A DWB OFM-P TABM-P LPTB PTB
4/15/2023 433 20 1
4/23/2023 423 1 13 8 4
4/30/2023 417 7 15 4 1 0
5/06/2023 9 2 3 1 0 0
5/13/2023 18 2 7 2 3 0 6 6
5/20/2023 5 18 6 0 51 0 13 67
5/27/2023 1 11 4 0 17 0 11 49
6/03/23 3 8 2 1 24 0 13 65
6/10/2023 21 14 5 0 55 0 6 54 0
6/17/2023 10 11 5 0 57 0 8 46 4
6/24/2023 15 5 2 0 57 0 6 47 2
7/1/2023 342 3 0 0 69 0 3 37 6
7/8/2023 463 0 0 0 26 0 0 35 6
7/15/2023 456 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 37 5
7/22/2023 25 0 1 0 0 57 0 0 38 3
7/29/2023 136 0 1 0 0 48 0 0 22 3

Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Northern Counties

STLM TABM-A CM BMSB OFM-A DWB OFM-P TABM-P LPTB PTB
4/8/2023 10
4/15/2023 20 3
4/30/2023 28 11 6
5/06/2023 22 2 19 9
5/13/2023 34 1 3 2 5 0
5/20/2023 31 6 7 1 6 0
5/27/23 16 18 4 1 17 3 11
6/03/23 12 26 2 0 17 2 12
6/10/2023 21 14 5 0 55 0 54
6/17/2023 63 53 2 1 15 1 6
6/24/2023 134 52 3 1 0 11 3 8
7/1/2023 87 33 1 1 0 12 4 1 3
7/8/2023 296 37 1 1 0 30 0 0 1
7/15/2023 189 9 1 1 0 28 4 4 8

Phenology Table: Based on annual observations made in Gloucester County.

Pest Event or Growth Stage Approximate Date 2023 Observed Date
 Bud Swell (Redhaven)  March 23 +/- 15 Days March 7
1/4″ Green Tip Red Delicious March 31 +/- 13 Days March 27
Pink Peach (Redhaven) April 4 +/- 15 Days March 24
Tight Cluster Red Delicious April 9 +/- 13 Days April 7
Full Bloom Peach (Redhaven) April 9 +/- 14 Days April 4
Pink Apple (Red Delicious) April 14 +/- 12 Days April 11
Full Bloom Apple (Red Delicious) April 22 +/- 11 Days April 16
Petal Fall (Redhaven) April 22 +/- 10 Days April 15
Petal Fall (Red Delicious) April 27 +/- 13 Days  May 3
Shuck Split (Redhaven) April 30 +/- 11 Days April 21
Pit Hardening June 15 +/- 9 Days  June 11