Fruit IPM for 6/21/17

Grape:

Grape Berry Moth (GBM): The timing for second generation treatments in Gloucester County and surrounding areas will be on 6/21 to 6/22. Grape berry moth is the most common insect in NJ vineyards that will directly damage the fruit (See Figure 1.) This timing is for the use of Intrepid, Altacor, and Delegate. If you are using other products like Danitol, Baythroid, Brigade, or Imidan, then you can make the application a few days later. This timing is calculated for 810 degree days (base 47) after wild grape bloom, which was May 16.

Figure 1. Grape berry moth adult and damaged fruit.

Peach:

Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): Adult trap captures increased slightly since last week. The timing for insecticide applications overlaps with timing for OFM control (see below). If treating for this pest, the last of the 1^st generation treatments are due this week in northern counties.

Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): Second generation adults continue to emerge statewide. The second brood often causes the most damage on peaches, since larvae can enter both growing tips and young fruit. Particular attention should be paid to non-bearing orchards that may not be receiving regular insecticide applications. OFM can build up in non-bearing blocks and create pressure for production blocks. Timing for second brood OFM applications:

Native Stink Bugs and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) and Other Catfacing Injury: Increased stink bug activity is being seen, especially in some northern locations. Tarnished plant bugs are also present, and causing injury. No BMSB nymphs have been observed yet, and only sporadic adults have been seen in orchards. At this point in time, keeping the aisles free of flowering weeds goes a long way, since catfacing insects are closely associated with flowering weed groundcovers. Extra border sprays to the 1^st 2 rows and row ends can help with BMSB when it is present.

Apple:

Codling Moth (CM): No additional treatments are needed for the first generation unless populations are extremely high. Overall trap counts are very low, further indicating that we are between generations. Some larval damage is present in apples in southern counties. Be prepared to use Delegate, Voliam mixes, Altacor, or Exirel for the second generation. Applications will be due the week of July 4^th in southern counties and about 10 days later in northern counties. This is a serious pest, so prepare now.

Tufted Apple Budmoth: See peach section above.

Green Apple Aphids and Spirea Aphid Complex: Aphid populations have increased in a number of orchards. While it may be a little unsightly, our treatment threshold is set at 50% of terminals with active aphids present. You really don’t have to treat until you get close to this level. Aphid predators are usually present when aphid populations reach about half this level, unless the orchard is receiving repeated applications of pyrethroid insecticides that will kill most predator populations.

Summer Diseases and Apple Scab: Primary scab infection symptoms are visible on fruit and leaves in several sites in both northern and southern counties, with additional lesions appearing this past week in northern counties. Orchards with primary scab infections need to keep a tight schedule. If your orchard is scab free then the primary diseases of concern are the Rots, Sooty Blotch and Fly Speck. If you are using the extended EBDC schedule, remember the label limits applications to 21# per season, or 77 days prior to harvest. Where anthracnose control has been difficult consider using a program that rotates any of the following Pristine, Merivon, Captan, or Ziram in your summer program.

Scouting Calendar Tree Fruit Southern Counties

The following table is intended as an aid for orchard scouting. I t should not be used to time pesticide applications. Median dates for pest events and crop phenology are displayed. These dates are compiled from observations made since 1995 in Gloucester County. Events in northern New Jersey should occur 7-10 days later.

Blueberry:

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD): Adult trap captures have increased since last week, and will continue to increase throughout the season. Weekly applications are required on both Duke and Bluecrop in order to prevent the occurrence of infested fruit. No infested harvested fruit have been found on any commercial farms as of this date.

Aphids: Aphid populations are about the same level as seen the previous week. At this point in time we really suggest concentrating on SWD control. The neonicotinoids used for aphid control do not work for SWD. Lannate is one material that controls SWD and can control aphids with thorough coverage in high volume applications. Some growers can still use ground rigs for spraying, most of you are using aerial applications. While aerial applications are fine for most purposes, we have never found good aphid control using aerial applications of Lannate.

Blueberry Maggot (BBM): While trap captures are very low, the blueberry maggot fly is emerging, mating and potentially laying eggs on fruit. Since there is so much overlap between the controls used for SWD and BBM, growers are advised to concentrate on SWD control, but still be aware that BBM is around.

Oriental Beetle (OB): Oriental beetle adult trap captures jumped significantly over the past week. This shows that the adult emergence and egg laying is well underway. In Atlantic County trap captures went from an average of 5 per trap to 730 per trap. In one case the adult counts were over 4,000 per trap! From past experience, we have seen that when the peak flight reaches about 600 males per trap in one week, then damaging levels of grubs are often seen the following year. Growers have 2 choices for treatment.

Choice 1:

You can use imidacloprid/Admire type products @ 7-14 oz/A with a 7 day PHI. This material will control early stage larvae, so it MUST BE APPLIED BEFORE mid July in order to be effective. The material must be pushed below the soil surface where grub larvae are located and out of direct sunlight. Therefore the application needs to be followed with .5 to 1” of irrigation or precipitation within 24 hr., or be chemigated in.

Choice 2:

Grin and bear it this year, and order the mating disruption dispensers for next year. Mating disruption works, but Must Be Applied Prior to Adult Emergence. Therefore it is too late to use mating disruption for this year.

I understand the concern that some growers have about the use of imidacloprid, pollination and bees. However, Oriental Beetle grubs kill blueberry bushes! If you have another choice to control this insect then it must be used in order to prevent the root feeding, decline and death associated with Oriental Beetle infestations.

Tree Fruit Trap Counts – Southern Counties

Tree Fruit Trap Counts – Northern Counties

Blueberry Trap Counts

Atlantic County

Burlington County