In southern counties there is a significant risk for fire blight from Thursday through the weekend for any Pear or Apple orchards with blossoms open. If your orchards are at risk apply antibiotics at the first opportunity. The forecast rain will also be the first significant scab infection for apples. Growers can personalize their risk by visiting the NEWA website. Enter your zip code and follow the links for fire blight and apple scab. You will be prompted to enter phenology information for your location. Using April 6th for 50% McIntosh green tip, the model indicates approximately 40% ascospore maturity on April 20th for South Harrison Township Gloucester County.
Tree Fruit Edition
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April 12, 2013 Norman Lalancette
Integrated Fungicide Programs for Early Season Apple Disease Control
Early season season disease control on apple, which is defined in this article as the period from 1/2″ green to second cover, consists of simultaneous management of apple scab, powdery mildew, and cedar apple rust. Of these three diseases, the primary target is typically apple scab. During this period, the initial scab inoculum in the form of ascospores infects both leaves and young fruit. [Read more…]
April 10, 2013 Dave Schmitt
Tree Fruit IPM Report: week ending 4/6/2013
- Peach
- Pear
- Apple
- Scouting Calendar
March 27, 2013 Dave Schmitt
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
March 26, 2013 Brad Majek
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…]
March 22, 2013 Dave Schmitt
The Cicadas are Coming!
Brood 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:
