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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EPA Announces Update on Atrazine (with editorial note on NJDEP 2018 ag use data summary)
Captan under registration review by EPA – comments on proposed mitigation measures due July 31, 2024
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently reviewing the registration of captan as mandated by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to conduct a periodic review of existing pesticide registrations every 15 years. Captan is a broad-spectrum fungicide used in fruit and nut crops including almonds, apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes, and strawberries. A Proposed Interim Registration Review Decision (PID) was provided in 2022; however, the agency has issued an amended PID to identify risk mitigations and propose label changes that would address risks of concern for uses of captan. A summary of the EPA’s mitigation proposal is provided below. There is an open comment period for the public to provide responses to the proposed mitigation revisions and how they could impact production. The comment period ends on July 31, 2024. To view the amended proposed interim registration review in its entirety, see Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0296 at www.regulations.gov. For instruction on how to submit comments, visit https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0296-0335.
| Summary of Mitigation for Specific Crops |
| I. Orchard Crops
· Prohibit aerial application of DF/WDG and WP formulations; · Reduce maximum application rate for apples, peaches, and nectarines, from 4 to 3 lbs. ai/A; · Reduce maximum application rate for cherries from 3.16 to 3 lbs. a.i./A; · Require PF50 respirator, single layer protective clothing, 85 and chemical-resistant gloves for handlers mixing/loading DF/WDG and WP formulations for airblast application; · Require enclosed cabs and single layer protective clothing for airblast applicators; · Require enclosed cabs and single layer protective clothing for groundboom applicators treating orchard crops or PF10 respirator, chemical-resistant gloves, and single layer protective clothing; and · Limit application with mechanically pressurized handgun to spot treatment of areas missed with other application equipment, such as application to row ends. NOTE: There are no proposed changes to the current REIs on captan product labels for orchard crops. |
| II. Berries & Grapes
· Prohibit aerial application of DF/WDG and WP formulations but allow aerial application for liquid formulations. · Require PF50 respirator, chemical-resistant gloves, and single layer protective clothing for mixing and loading DF/WDG and WP formulations to be applied by airblast or groundboom. · For strawberries, EPA is proposing to require the PF50 respirator only for large growers whose operations are greater than 80 acres to protect mixers/loaders. · There are no changes to the REI for any berries; the REIs on current labels are sufficient. · Workers who are girdling and turning table grapes must observe a 5-day REI. |
Note Changes in Harmonized Audits for 2024
It has come to our attention that growers are using on old self audit checklist for their 2024 audit. According to USDA the old form was not acceptable after April 30, 2024! The USDA released the new Harmonized GAP Standard and Harmonized Plus+ Standard Audits in March to give growers the opportunity to update their plans. There are several changes related to section numbers and deleted numbers so if you have your audit plan setup by section number check to make sure they have not changed. Also, eight questions have been added. Following is a summary of those questions:
- G 2.4 – Approved service provider list required (the grower approves the list)
- G 7.2 – A designated recall team is required
- G 7.3 – Must perform a mock recall exercise annually
- G 11.5 – Must have labels and instructions for any water treatment chemical used
- G 11.8 – Compressed air or other gases contacting food or food contact surfaces must be maintained
- F 6.3 – Must have a procedure for storing and handling growing media (e.g., perlite, peat, rock wool, etc.)
- F 9.4 – Re-used water must be treated with a labeled product
- P 5.2 – A master cleaning schedule with standard operating procedures (SOP) must be established
There are two documents for each audit: Harmonized GAP Standard (v 3.0) or Harmonized GAP Plus+ standard (v 5.0). Each audit has a corresponding checklist “Harmonized GAP Combined Checklist (v6.1)” This is the checklist a grower should be using to their self-audit. Remember an older version will not be accepted which means the audit fails. Go to the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website an look under the USDA Audits tab or go to Harmonized GAP | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov) to download the correct versions.
Tree Fruit IPM Report July 9, 2024
Peach:
Oriental Fruit Moth: A biofix point for OFM was set on 4/10 in both northern and southern counties. All Treatments for the second generation have past.
| OFM 2nd Generation Timing | ||||
| Insecticide Type | ||||
| County/Region | Degree Days by 7/8 base 45 | Conventional
2100-2200 2450-2500 |
Intrepid/Rimon
2000-2100 2350-2450 |
Diamides/Virus
2025-2150 2375-2450 |
| Gloucester – Southern | 2041 | 1st –7/9-7/12
2nd – 7/20-7/22 |
1st –7/7-7/9
2nd – 7/17-7/20 |
1st –7/8-7/11
2nd – 7/18-7/20 |
| Hunterdon – Northern | 1843 | 1st – 7/15-7/18
2nd – 7/25-7/28 |
1st – 7/12-7/15
2nd – 7/22-7/25 |
1st – 7/13-7/15
2nd – 7/23-7/25 |
Tarnished Plant Bugs; and Other Catfacing Insects: Catfacing insects remain very active. Very little recent fruit feeding has been observed.
Thrips: Flower Thrips have been observed feeding in highly colored ripening fruit, especially in poorly managed ground covers that contain clover or other flowering weeds. Thrips damage appears as “silvering” and usually appears on fruit close to harvest. If populations are high damage can be extensive. Presence of thrips may be scouted for using a beating tray to detect the presence of adults and nymphs in the tree. Flowering weeeds and shrubs on orchard edges may also be scouted by shaking flowers onto a beating tray or a sheet of paper. Delegate or Entrust at the highest labeled rate are the usual recommended materials for thrips in stone fruit. Lannate may be effective in some orchards but has not worked well in recent years. These materials all have short PHI’s and may be applied close to harvest when damage typically appears. Damage is different than peach and appears as a dark streak in a similar pattern as silvering. See the NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide for more information.
Japanese Beetles: Japanese beetle activity has been noticeable in many orchards. Effective materials include many of the pyrethroids, Neonicitinoids and Sevin (Carbamate). Products containing imidacloprid are standard insecticides for Japanese beetle control and should have a 0 day PHI. See the NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide for more information.
Apples and Pears:
Diseases: Now that primary scab is nearing the end, or 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, Inspire Super, and Aprovia may be effective, and longtime reliable broad spectrum fungicides such as omega, 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 have been appearing for several weeks in southern counties.
Codling Moth (CM): The first generation codling moth timings have ended. Trap captures Continue and increased in some southern county orchards this week. A biofix was set for CM on April 17th in both northern and southern counties. Second generation timings are updated below. Rimon is not recommended for this and later generations.
| Codling Moth Degree Day Timing – Second Generation | ||||||||
| Application and Insecticide Type | ||||||||
| County Area | Biofix | Rimon:
75-100DD + 14-17 days later
|
Intrepid
1150 + 1450 DD Diamides – Altacor, Voliam mixes: (150-200 DD) |
Madex
1250 DD + every 7-9 days during brood hatch (later if first spray is an IGR) |
Standard Insecticides – Delegate, Avaunt, OP’s, carbamates, pyrethroids
1250 DD + 1550 DD
|
|||
| DD | 1150 | 1450 | 1250 | 1250 | 1550 | |||
| Southern | April 22 | N/A | N/A | past | 7/7 | past | past | 7/9 |
| Northern | May 1 | N/A | N/A | 7/3 | 7/13 | 7/6 | 7/6 | 7/17 |
Phenology Table: Based on annual observations made in Gloucester County.
| Pest Event or Growth Stage | Approximate Date | 2024 Observed Date |
| Bud Swell (Redhaven/PF-17) | March 23 +/- 15 Days | March 13 |
| 1/4″ Green Tip Red Delicious | March 31 +/- 13 Days | March 18 |
| Pink Peach (Redhaven/PF-17) | April 4 +/- 15 Days | March 18 |
| Tight Cluster Red Delicious | April 9 +/- 13 Days | March 30 |
| Full Bloom Peach (Redhaven/PF-17) | April 9 +/- 14 Days | April 5 |
| Pink Apple (Red Delicious) | April 14 +/- 12 Days | April 9 |
| Full Bloom Apple (Red Delicious) | April 22 +/- 11 Days | April 20 |
| 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 22 |
| Pit Hardening | June 15 +/- 9 Days | June 10 |
Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Southern Counties
| STLM | TABM-A | CM | BMSB | OFM-A | DWB | OFM-P | TABM-P | LPTB | PTB | |
| 3/23/2024 | 70 | 0 | ||||||||
| 3/30/2024 | 29 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 4/6/2024 | 421 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 4/13/2024 | 415 | 7 | 1 | |||||||
| 4/20/2024 | 900 | 7 | 0 | |||||||
| 4/27/2024 | 312 | 2 | 22 | 1 | ||||||
| 5/4/2024 | 137 | 2 | 8 | 27 | 1 | 5 | ||||
| 5/11/2024 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 42 | |||
| 5/18/2024 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 41 | ||
| 5/25/2014 | 33 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 44 | 37 | ||
| 6/1/2024 | 719 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 57 | ||
| 6/8/2024 | 163 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 35 | 52 | 3 | |
| 6/15/2024 | 252 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 54 | 4 |
| 6/22/2024 | 252 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 54 | 4 |
| 6/29/2024 | 500 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 10 | 35 | 4 |
| 7/6/2024 | 245 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Northern Counties
| STLM | TABM-A | CM | BMSB | OFM-A | DWB | OFM-P | TABM-P | LPTB | PTB | AMBROSIA BEETLE | |
| 3/23/2024 | |||||||||||
| 3/30/2024 | |||||||||||
| 4/6/2024 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 4/13/2024 | 3.25 | 37.6 | |||||||||
| 4/20/2024 | 11.75 | 93 | |||||||||
| 4/27/2024 | 0 | 19 | 50 | ||||||||
| 5/4/2024 | 1 | 16 | 19 | 124 | |||||||
| 5/11/2024 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 112 | |||||||
| 5/18/2024 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 83 | ||||
| 5/25/2024 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 23 | 55 | ||||
| 6/1/2024 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 7 | 21 | 37 | ||||
| 6/8/2024 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 12 | |||
| 6/15/2024 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 1 | 12 | |||
| 6/22/2024 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 6/29/2024 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 13 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
Post-Bloom Insecticide Applications for Cranberries – July 08, 2024
Most beds are either out of bloom or should be coming out of bloom soon. If Sparganothis fruitworm trap counts have been high and you haven’t already treated, you should consider doing so in the next few days after honey bees are removed to prevent damage to berries. The best post-bloom treatment options are Diazinon, Intrepid, Altacor, or Delegate. All treatments for lepidopteran pests should be completed before the end of this week to avoid significant fruit injury. Additionally, please monitor the weather conditions, as there will be several rainy days this week.
Root-feeding Pests of Cranberries
If your beds show damage caused by root-feeding insects, you should consider treatment with Imidacloprid (e.g., Admire Pro, Alias 4F, Alias 2F) after bees are removed. The presence of root-feeding insects will be indicated by dead patches (see Picture 1). Pull up dead vines and search through the root zone and soil for grubs and worms. Imidacloprid (Admire Pro or other generic insecticides) is labeled for controlling cranberry rootworm, white grubs (Phyllophaga spp.), and other scarabs in cranberries.
White grubs, Phyllophaga spp. Several species of white grubs infest cranberries in New Jersey, with P. georgiana being the most abundant. These grubs are C-shaped and often found near bog margins.
Picture 1. Damage caused by root-feeding insects.
The adults are reddish-brown and nocturnal. While the grubs attack cranberry roots, the adults have not been reported to feed on cranberries (see Picture 2 of grubs and adults in cranberries). The life cycles and abundance of white grub species in New Jersey are not well known. However, it is likely that Phyllophaga grubs have a 3-year life cycle based on previous reports and our observations. Eggs are laid in late June and July, hatching in July. First instars can be found in late July and August, turning into second instars by the end of August to September. The second instar grubs will overwinter. The following year, these grubs will feed until June and molt into third instars, which will overwinter again. In the subsequent year, the third instars will feed for a while before pupating in June. Pupation occurs in July-August, with adults appearing in the soil in August-September. These adults will remain in the soil and overwinter, emerging in June to mate and lay eggs, thus completing the cycle.
Cranberry rootworm (Chrysomelidae). Pupation starts in late May, with beetles emerging in early June. Adults (see Picture 3) are nocturnal and
Picture 2. Developmental stages of Phyllophaga georgiana.
hide in leaf litter, but can be easily picked up with a sweep net. Females feed on foliage before laying eggs. Young larvae feed on roots, with feeding continuing until October. In the fall, the mature larvae (see Picture 4) move down into the soil to overwinter. Holding water will delay the onset of pupation. The 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 is most effective against early (1st-2nd instar) grubs and should be applied after bees are removed from the beds. Due to the 3-year life cycle of these pests, treatment should be continued for 2-3 consecutive years to ensure effective control. Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, is registered for use in cranberries against cranberry rootworm and scarab grubs. This insecticide acts as a contact and stomach poison, affecting the insect nervous system. It is highly systemic and toxic to honey bees, so it should only be used as a post-pollination insecticide. Imidacloprid can be applied by ground or by chemigation, but aerial application is prohibited. The insecticide has a long residual activity (over 100 days) as long as it is not directly exposed to the sun.
Picture 4. Cranberry rootworm larvae.
Picture 3. Cranberry rootworm adult.
Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crop (FSCSC) Cost Share Program
This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on the farm.
For 2024:
- Applications are due between July 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025
- Eligible expenses must be between June 26, 2024 and December 31, 2024
For 2025:
- Application is due between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026
- Eligible expenses must be between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for FSCSC by working directly with the Farm Service Agency offices at your local FSA office for details. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.
How the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Works
The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in years 2024 and 2025. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements. FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses.
Program Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for FSCSC applicants are outlined below. We recommend you review these requirements before initiating your FSCSC application.
To be eligible for FSCSC, an applicant must:
- Have obtained or renewed:
- 2024 food safety certification issued between June 26, 2024, and December 31, 2024
- 2025 food safety certification issued during calendar year 2025.
- Be a specialty crop operation (growing fresh fruits and vegetables); and meet the definition of a small business or very small business.
- A small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of more than $250,000 but not more than $500,000.
- A very small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of no more than $250,000.
| Category of Eligible Expenses | Payment Amount of Eligible Costs |
| Developing a Food Safety Plan for First Time Certification | 75% (no maximum) |
| Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan | 75% up to $675 |
| Food Safety Certification | 75% up to $2,000 |
| Certification Upload Fees | 75% up to $375 |
| Microbiological Testing of Produce | 75% up to 5 tests |
| Microbiological Testing of Soil Amendments | 75% up to 5 tests |
| Microbiological Testing of Water | 75% up to 5 tests |
| Training Expenses | 100% up to $500 |
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts. The FSCSC application and associated forms are available online at farmers.gov/food-safety.
You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office about FSCSC, program eligibility, or the application process. You may also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance.
