Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Seasonal updates on insects, diseases, weeds, maturity dates and cultural practices impacting only tree fruit.
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Peach:
Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): The first tufted apple budmoth adults were caught on 5/1 in southern counties. The first insecticides that target this pest will be due in a few weeks in southern counties. This has been only a minor pest during the last 6-8 years. [Read more…]
Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): The first tufted apple budmoth adults were caught on 5/1 in southern counties. The first insecticides that target this pest will be due in a few weeks in southern counties. This has been only a minor pest during the last 6-8 years. [Read more…]
With favorable weather conditions for germination and growth during the last few days, some of the summer weeds have started to emerge, including one of the most troublesome weeds in our blueberry plantations! Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is an aggressive rhizomatous perennial vine that belongs to the morningglory family. It spreads by seeds and by a deep, extensive root system. Reports indicate that seeds can persist in soil for up to 60 years, and that roots can grow up to 30 feet deep.
Field bindweed identification
Field bindweed trails prostrate along the ground until it comes in contact with other plants or structures. Stems will then rotate in a circular patter until it makes contact with a solid structure (overhead irrigation pipes, trees, blueberry bushes, other weed species, etc.), then it will wrap around the structure as it grows.
Seedlings (picture 1) emerged in spring. Cotyledons are square to kidney-shaped. Young leaves are alternate, bell-shaped with nearly parallel leaf margins and generally rounded tips. Leaf bases are lobed. No cotyledons are present when young plants emerge directly from the rhiz
ome. When juvenile stems are broken, they exude a milky sap. On mature plants, leaves are arranged opposite along the stem and are arrow shaped. Lobes at the base of the leaf point away from the petiole. Stems are smooth to slightly hairy.
Flowers (picture 2) are present from June to September and are trumpet shaped, pink to white in color. Field bindweed has two leaf bracts that grow from ½ to 1 inch below the flower, and is a key identification characteristic. Flowering is indeterminate, so flowers will continue to develop along growing stems until first frost
Field bindweed control
Mowing will not help to control field bindweed because the plant is growing prostrate on the ground (Picture 3). Cultivation may help to reduce bindweed growth and control it over the time but has to be repeated at frequent intervals. Once cultivated, it will usually take 2 weeks to the plant to regenerate fully functional above-ground vegetation, meaning that cultivation has to be repeated every 7 to 10 days. Consistency in cultivating bindweed-infested soils will promote the progressive depletion of carbohydrates stored in the root system by not allowing the plant to move back carboh
ydrates produced in the leaves to the roots. It is critical that NO timing be missed or be late! One single missed tillage can negate all the effort expended up to that point. Expect to continue the effort for 4 to 6 months! Success may require more time if the effort was not started when carbohydrate reserves in the weed were low at the start of the process.
Herbicides can be used to control field bindweed in nursery or mature plantations as long as NO herbicide is allowed to contact crop green bark, wounded trunk, leaves, or suckers. Applications of glyphosate containing herbicides (like Roundup) are effective as long as the herbicide is applied on plants that are actively growing and have flowers in late spring/early summer and late summer/early fall. Spring or fall applications may be more effective than applications made during mid-summer. Spot‑apply the higher percentage solution on the label of the product you use and thoroughly wet the foliage up to the drip point.
Repeated applications will be necessary, as the root system on this plant can be so immense that insufficient herbicide is absorbed with a single application. Use repeated applications, but allow the plant to grow and produce flowers before each subsequent application. More translocated herbicide will be moved to the root system when the plant is flowering than when vegetatively growing.
Fruit IPM for 5/1/17
Peach
Oriental Fruit Moth: First generation timings are updated below.
| OFM 1st Generation Timing | |||
| Insecticide Type | |||
| County/Region | Degree Days by 5/1 base 45 | Conventional
170-200, 350-375 |
Diamide
100-150, 300-350 |
| Gloucester – Southern | 390 | 1st – past
2nd – past |
1st – past
2nd – past |
| Hunterdon – Northern | 241 | 1st – past
2nd –5/9-5/10 |
1st – past
2nd – 5/6-5/7 |
Peach:
Brown Rot: Blossom infections from the brown rot fungus can occur whenever pistils are exposed and a favorable climate exists. Infections can occur during any wetting period when temperatures are between 41 and 86 °F. However, optimum conditions for infection occur with wetting and temperatures in the mid 70’s. During long wetting periods (several days or more) blossoms can be infected regardless of temperature. Generally infections that occur when conditions are sub optimal are less severe. Blossoms and fruitlets will remain susceptible until the pistil dessicates (sometime between petal fall and shuck split). [Read more…]
Fire Blight:
Fire blight canker oozing bacteria from a pear trunk.
The Cougar Blight model over at NEWA is predicting a high risk of fire blight in Southern counties for this week, due to the predicted hot weather along with a chance of showers. Actively oozing cankers were seen this week in a young block of pears in Gloucester County.
Currently April 12-15 looks like a high risk for infection in southern counties. 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 prediction 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. Streptomycin can be applied at 24 ozs. per acre with the addition of a penetrant such as 8 ozs. Regulaid. Check your local conditions using NEWA and check back daily as the prediction may change. Remember to enter the date you first observed open blossoms.
Apple Scab:
The next wetting period looks to be the first significant ascospore release. At this time powdery mildew and rust diseases are also a concern. Choose materials that have efficacy for all of these diseases. At this time Inspire Super, Vangard, or Fontellis plus a half rate of an EBDC chemistry should cover all the bases. While we suspect there is scab resistance to the older DMI’s (FRAC code 3) such as Rally, the DMI component of Inspire Super may still be very effective, but should be used sparingly. Avoid any of the QoI (FRAC code 11) formulations (Pristine, Sovran, Flint, etc.) for early season scab applications as these are better saved for late primary scab applications and summer diseases. The labels for QoI chemistries are generally limited to 4 applications of a QoI in any combination per season.
Oriental Fruit Moth and Catfacing Insects:
A biofix has been set for Oriental Fruit Moth. Applications targeting first generation egg hatch should be applied at 170-200 Degree Days after biofix. A second application is recommended at 350 -375 degree days after biofix. This generally corresponds to the petal fall/shuck split timing in peach. No insecticides are needed or should be applied until all the petals are off. Catfacing insects are not an issue at this time as populations are very low and any blossoms that are hit will abort. In southern counties we should reach 170-200 DD around the beginning or middle of next week.
