Fruit Crops Edition - Cranberry Section

Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
 
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Tips in Preparation of Herbicide Shortages in 2022 – Tree Fruit and Small Fruit Crops

Thierry E. Besançon, Rutgers University, and Lynn M. Sosnoskie, Cornell University

Many growers in the US have been focused on predicted herbicide shortages in the upcoming field season. While the primary concerns have surrounded glyphosate and glufosinate, there is increasing apprehension that active ingredients of importance to tree fruit and small fruit growers may also be affected. Although the supply change is dynamic, chemical stocks may become, and remain, tight at the local or regional level as growers try to fill gaps in their toolboxes. As spring residual herbicide are soon to be applied, please consider the following when planning for the 2022 season.

Important note: Not all herbicides are available in all crops in both New Jersey and New York. Always review current labels before applying products

 

Successful Weed Identification, Regular Scouting and Detailed Field Records are Crucial for Optimizing Weed Control Success

  • The first step in developing a novel herbicide program is knowing what species are present and determining which combination of products will be the most effective (and affordable) at suppressing them. Not all active ingredients are equally useful against all species and careful consideration needs to be paid to each chemical’s spectrum of control. Please, carefully review herbicide effectiveness tables for various weed species that are available in the 2022 Commercial New Jersey Pest Control Recommendations for blueberry, tree fruits or grape (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/). Similar tables are available in Cornell’s weed control guides (PMEP Guidelines (cornell.edu))

Familiarize Yourself with Chemical Substitutes before Applying Them over Many Acres

  • Some switches may be intuitive (e.g. using Poast (sethoxydim) or Fusilade (fluazifop) in place of clethodim where allowed) while others may be more complicated (e.g. using a tank-mixture in place of a single product). In addition to knowing a product’s target species, become acquainted with each herbicide’s labeled rate structure and spray volume, use patterns (e.g. application timing), environmental limitations (e.g. soil type or temperature restrictions), adjuvant requirements, and potential interactions with tank-mix partners. Not all chemicals are compatible with each other, and antagonism can reduce weed control efficacy while enhancing crop injury concerns. Contact your Extension Specialists if you have any doubt regarding physical compatibility and efficacy of herbicides mixtures.

Soil-Applied Preemergence Herbicides are Critical Tools

  • Soil-applied preemergence herbicides are very useful tools for suppressing weeds that emerge with the crop; these plants are the most injurious as early season competitors are very likely to reduce yields. Like postemergence products, soil-applied herbicides must be carefully selected to balance crop safety with weed control needs. Pay attention to rate requirements according to soil type, as this can influence both efficacy and injury. Preemergence herbicides need to be moved (aka activation) into the soil solution (via either rainfall or irrigation) where they are taken-up by emerging weed seedlings; delays in activation can reduce overall performance if some weeds continue to germinate and emerge under low soil moisture conditions. Delays may also facilitate the degradation of some products susceptible to breakdown in sunlight (i.e. photolysis). Be aware that trickle irrigation may cause less effective and less consistent weed control by washing off residual herbicides from top soil where weeds germinate, thus increasing herbicide application costs. When possible, use overlapping residual products to suppress weed emergence throughout the season. Some active ingredients may have both preemergence and postemergence activity (e.g. flumioxazin (Chateau) or simazine (Princep)).

Timing Matters

  • Postemergence (i.e. foliar) weed control should be undertaken when weeds are small and succulent. Herbicide labels will have specific recommendations regarding the optimal size for treatment. For instance, clethodim (Select Max) and sethoxydim (Poast) have a maximum height or lateral growth requirement of 6 inches for effective control of goosegrass or crabgrass. Weeds are more sensitive to control measures when they are small and succulent, so rapid identification and management will improve control success. Because many foliar-applied herbicides can also damage crops, as well, always follow label guidance to reduce risk of injury.

Optimize Herbicide Application Rate for Postemergence Applications

  • Target using the lowest effective herbicide rate to stretch your herbicide supply. For example, instead of applying 32 or 44 oz/acre of a glyphosate brand product, consider using the standard rate on the label such as 22 oz/acre for Roundup PowerMax. Again, timing of application with regards to weed size will be critical to optimize your herbicide supply. The smaller the weeds, the less herbicide you will have to apply to control it! Therefore, frequent scouting as highlighted above will be very important to optimize your herbicide application and stretch your herbicide supply.

Don’t Skimp on Adjuvants

  • If herbicides are going to be in short supply, then there may be fewer shots to control weeds. If there are fewer shots available, make every shot count as much as possible. Follow label recommendations regarding the inclusion of water conditioners, surfactants, etc…, to maximize product efficacy. Refer to point number two about potential compatibility concerns when tank-mix partners are involved.

Get Perennial Weeds under Control

  • Perennial species such as Canada thistle, goldenrods, bindweed or quackgrass are frequent and troublesome weeds of tree fruit and small fruit crops. Because control of these weeds requires the use of systemic herbicides that may be in short supply (i.e. glyphosate), appropriate timing of application will be critical to maximize herbicide efficacy. For example, Canada thistle should be sprayed with a systemic herbicide in late spring after flower buds started to develop whereas Virginia creeper or poison ivy should be targeted in mid- to late summer after vines flowers but before fall color appears in the foliage. Use effective alternatives such as clopyralid (Stinger) for control of leguminous and composite (e.g. Canada thistle) weeds or soil-applied pronamide (Kerb) for control of perennial grasses where authorized. This may help you to reserve the use of glyphosate for perennial weeds that cannot be efficiently controlled by other products.

Consider Non-Chemical Weed Control Strategies When and Where Appropriate

  • This includes hand weeding, cultivation, and mowing practices. Like herbicides, these practices are not effective against all species at all times. For example, while cultivation can control many weed seedlings, particularly at the white-thread stage, soil disturbance is less effective against well-developed plants. In the case of some perennials (for instance, field bindweed or Canada thistle), cultivation contributes to break up and disperse root fragments within and across fields, facilitating dispersal. Ultimately, plan for hand-weeding escapes prior to the weeds setting seeds as this will help reducing the weed seedbank for future growing seasons.

Plan Ahead Now!

  • 2022 could be a difficult year if many crop production and protection chemicals are limited. Herbicide shortages could impact weed control success in the coming growing season…and beyond. Weeds that are not controlled in 2022 will set seed that will cause problems in the future. Planning now can help with weed management in both the short and long term.

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meetings (in-person) – Save the Dates

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight meeting – I (In person)
March 22 (Tues) @ 7 PM
Gloucester County Government Building
1200 N. Delsea Drive, Bldg. # A, Clayton, NJ 08312

Topics

  • Reducing herbicide use for the control of Nutsedge and results of OMRI approved herbicide trials
  • Field observations from the IPM Program – Pre-bloom pests
  • Apple Fruit Rots: Time of Infection and efficacy of dual-active fungicides
  • Management of pre-bloom Insect-pests in Peach
  • Pest management costs and borer control without Lorsban – The case for mating disruption

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight meeting – II (In person)
April 12 (Tues) @ 4 PM
Summit City Orchards, 500 University Blvd. Glassboro, NJ 08028

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight meeting – III (In person)
May 17 (Tues) @ 4 PM
280 Chapel Heights Rd #9355, Sewell, NJ 08080

Pesticide Credits will be provided (applied). If you have any questions, please contact Hemant Gohil gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu

NJDA and NJDEP to Address Pesticide License Recertification Issues

NJDA Secretary Fisher recently shared a memo regarding a number of private pesticide licensees who have not received their current licenses from the NJDEP Pesticide Bureau. Following is most of the text of that memo.

Through a recent meeting between NJDA and the NJDEP Pesticide Bureau staff, we have identified two primary areas that may need your particular attention to ensure your license remains active:

1.) Not receiving nor submitting their invoices via the postal service through the mail. In this case, licensees can get their invoices online through the NJDEP pesticide website by submitting their invoices to NJDEP for processing when received, even if there is a $0.00 (zero) dollar value.

2.) Lack of credits through either Core or PP2, or a combination of both. There is a 5-year time period for all licensees to get enough credits for their license. Courses are available online for licensees to get credits. Once the coursework is completed online, it should take approximately two weeks for the unit to process the information to post on their website. Directions below explain how to locate and pay for invoices (which must be submitted back to the unit for processing, even if it is a $0.00 [zero] dollar invoice).

Licensees can check on the number of credits they have acquired by going to the NJDEP pesticide webpage and following the directions posted there.

Below are the directions necessary to look up invoice numbers and then use said numbers to pay for a license online. Once again, we remind you paying your invoice online is a faster way to receive your license. All invoices, even if it’s $0.00 (zero) dollars need to be processed, otherwise your license will not be issued.

Please follow the NJDEP directions below:

Directions to locate an invoice number

  • Go to www.pcpnj.org
  • Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under heading About Us click on “Pesticides”
  • Scroll to the bottom of the page and “Click here to view Links.”
  • Under the heading Online Payments and Reports Click on the link labelled “Invoice Numbers for Unpaid License Invoices”
  • Enter License number (make sure to capitalize any letters at the end or your license number) and other items
  • Click Submit

Directions to pay for license online

  1. Go to www.pcpnj.org
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under heading About Us click on “Pesticides”
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and “Click here to view Links.”
  4. Under the heading Online Payments and Reports, click on the link labelled “Pay For Your License Online”
  5. Enter Invoice number (found on paper invoice, or previously located using our website using directions above)
  6. Enter License number (make sure to capitalize any letters at the end or your license number)
  7. Click Submit and follow prompts from there

Sincerely,

Douglas H. Fisher

Tips in Preparation of Herbicide Shortages in 2022

By Lynn M. Sosnoskie (Cornell University) and Thierry E. Besançon (Rutgers University)

Many growers in the US have been focused on predicted herbicide shortages in the upcoming field season. While the primary concerns have surrounded glyphosate and glufosinate, there is increasing apprehension that active ingredients of importance to vegetable growers may also be affected. Although the supply change is dynamic, chemical stocks may become, and remain, tight at the local or regional level as growers try to fill gaps in their toolboxes. Heading into the new year, consider the following for the 2022 season.

  1. Successful weed identification, regular scouting, and detailed field records are crucial for optimizing weed control success. The first step in developing a novel herbicide program is knowing what species are present and determining which combination of products will be the most effective (and affordable) at suppressing them. Not all active ingredients are equally useful against all species and careful consideration needs to be paid to each chemical’s spectrum of control.
  2. Familiarize yourself with chemical substitutes before applying them over many acres. Some switches may be intuitive (e.g. using Poast (sethoxydim) or Assure II (quizalofop) in place of clethodim where allowed) while others may be more complicated (e.g. using a tank-mixture in place of a single product). In addition to knowing a novel product’s target species, become acquainted with a new herbicide’s labeled rate structure and spray volume, use patterns (e.g. application timing), environmental limitations (e.g. temperature restrictions), adjuvant requirements, and potential interactions with tank-mix partners. Not all chemicals are compatible with each other, and antagonism can reduce weed control efficacy while enhancing crop injury concerns. Contact your Extension Specialists if you have any doubt regarding physical compatibility and efficacy of herbicide mixtures. Herbicide damage may be observed across seasons so pay attention to rotation restrictions. Some active ingredients may already be part of registered pre-mixes in certain crops (i.e. bentazon, which is the active ingredient in Basagran, is also part of Varisto).
  3. Soil-applied, preemergence herbicides can be useful tools for suppressing weeds that emerge with the crop; these plants are the most injurious as early season competitors are very likely to reduce yields. Like postemergence products, soil-applied herbicides must be carefully selected to balance crop safety with weed control needs. Pay attention to rate requirements according to soil type, as this can influence both efficacy and injury. Pre-emergence herbicides need to be moved into the soil solution (either physically or via rainfall or irrigation) where they are taken up by emerging weed seedlings; delays in incorporation can reduce overall performance if some weeds continue to germinate and emerge under low soil moisture conditions. Delays in herbicide activation may facilitate the degradation of some products susceptible to breakdown in sunlight (i.e. photolysis). When possible, use overlapping residual products to suppress weed emergence throughout the season. Some active ingredients (e.g. oxyfluorfen (Goaltender)) may have both preemergence and postemergence activity.
  4. Timing matters. Postemergence weed control should be undertaken when weeds are small and succulent. Herbicide labels will have specific recommendations regarding the optimal size for treatment. Because many foliar-applied herbicides can also damage crops, always follow label guidance to reduce risk of injury. For instance, in 2021 New York research trials, applications of postemergence herbicides made before the first trifoliate leaf stage in snap beans resulted in up to 20% yield loss because of crop stunting.
  5. Optimize herbicide application rate for postemergence (i.e. foliar) applications. Target using the lowest effective herbicide rate to stretch your herbicide supply. For example, instead of using 32 or 44 oz/acre of a Roundup brand product, consider using the standard rate on the label such as 22 oz/acre for Roundup PowerMax. Again, timing of application with regards to weed size will be critical to optimize your herbicide supply. The smaller the weeds, the less herbicide you will have to apply to control it! Therefore, frequent scouting as highlighted in point one will be very important to optimize your herbicide application and stretch your herbicide supply.
  6. Don’t skimp on adjuvants. If herbicides are going to be in short supply, then there may be fewer shots to control weeds. If there are fewer shots available, make every shot count as much as possible. Follow label recommendations regarding the inclusion of water conditioners, surfactants, etc…, to maximize product efficacy. Refer to point number two about potential compatibility concerns when tank-mix partners are involved.
  7. Consider non-chemical weed control strategies when and where appropriate. This includes hand weeding, cultivation, altering planting dates to avoid particularly troublesome species, and using stale seedbed practices. Like herbicides, physical and cultural practices are not always effective against all species. While cultivation can control many weed seedlings, particularly at the white-thread stage, soil disturbance is less effective against well-developed plants. In the case of some perennials (for example, field bindweed or Canada thistle), cultivation events can break up and disperse root fragments within and across fields, facilitating dispersal. Ultimately, plan for hand-weeding escapes prior to the weeds setting seed as this will help reducing the weed seedbank for future growing seasons.

2022 could be a difficult year if many crop production and protection chemicals are limited. Herbicide shortages could impact weed control success in the coming growing season…and beyond. Weeds that are not controlled in 2022 will set seed that will cause problems in the future. Planning now can help with weed management in both the short and long term.

Notes from the Cabernet Franc Wine Tasting Workshop

A Cabernet Franc Wine Tasting Workshop was held on Nov 25th, 2019 at the Unionville Winery located at Ringoes in Northern New Jersey. The purpose of the meeting was to taste and evaluate Cabernet Franc wines released from NJ. A survey was sent out to the industry to report clones, harvest, and fermentation parameters. The survey respondents also formed the basis for the discussion at the workshop. [Read more…]

Webinar on Spotted-Wing Drosophila Monitoring and Sampling

Registration is now open for our annual Sustainable SWD Management webinar, scheduled for Nov 10th at 1pm ET. Register here: https://ncsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JhupsLFhSKi_f8z4mzl56g 

This year’s webinar is entitled: Monitoring and sampling tools to improve spotted-wing drosophila management. This 1hr session will share current recommendations for adult and immature SWD sampling methods and practical applications of these tools for fruit growers. Presenters include: Rufus Isaacs & Steve Van Timmeren (Michigan State University), Hannah Burrack (NC State University), Cesar Rodriguez-Saona (Rutgers University), Phil Fanning (University of Maine), and Vaughn Walton (Oregon State University).

You can read more about the Sustainable SWD Management Project here: https://swdmanagement.org/

We look forward to sharing our work with you on November 10!