Fruit IPM for 7/28/16

Peach:

Cat-facing Insects, Tarnished Plant Bug (TPB) and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB): BMSB traps show only very low levels of bugs. Where ground cover consists of numerous flowering weeds, TPB population is very high. Up to 37 adults and nymphs per 50 sweeps were seen this past week in northern counties. Populations of this type make maintaining clean fruit very difficult, no matter how often you spray. The presence of flowering weeds in the ground cover also attracts bees, making it technically illegal to apply neonicotinoid insecticides. This may be a minor issue now, since these insecticides are not needed and BMSB populations are very low. However, if BMSB populations increase, then there are several neonics that are suggested as long as you have a clean turf ground cover and there are no pollinators present in the orchard.

Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): The third flight is ongoing in southern and northern counties. Populations are low in peaches, but higher in apples. Treatment timing will depend on the material that you choose to use. Please see the insecticide timings below for insecticide type:

Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): We are between 1^st and 2^nd generations, and there is no activity at this time. If you had very high trap captures during the first flight, then you may wish to target insecticides for the second flight. These are due in southern counties by the beginning of August:

San Jose Scale (SJS): Second generation crawlers are active in southern counties. Treat only if you have scale present. See last newsletter for materials.

Brown Rot: Some rot has been seen in ripening nectarine blocks and a few peach blocks. Rot may become troublesome because of the high degree of pit-damaged fruit. Where brown rot is present, it presents very high inoculum levels for disease control. If practicable, removal of rotten fruit from the orchard will aid in control in affected blocks, and possibly the edges of adjacent blocks that have not yet begun to ripen. Rotate fungicides and maintain a tight program. Low levels of rhizopus have been seen in some orchards. If rhizopus is present, use Orius (tebuconazole), Merivon, or add Botran 75W to the tank. Botran used alone is not a great brown rot material, so it must be considered a combination product.

Apple:

Codling Moth (CM): Although the model predicted timings have passed in southern counties, 2^nd flight adults are present. Trap counts exceed treatment thresholds in many of the southern county locations, but are just starting to increase in northern counties. Applications using effective materials such as Delegate and Altacor, Belt and Voliam products should be continued where populations are high. If codling moth is particularly troublesome, then applications of Madex alternated with the insecticide program may be helpful.

European Red Mite (ERM): Mites remain troublesome in a few orchards. Predatory mites can be found feeding in almost all mite infested blocks in southern counties. In addition to the miticides listed in last week’s newsletter, Nealta (13.7 oz/A) has been an effective knockdown material where mites have exceeded threshold. The addition of a surfactant greatly improves control.

Tree Fruit Trap Counts – Southern Counties

Tree Fruit Trap Counts – Northern Counties

Blueberry:

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD): Trap captures increased this past week, with an average of almost 4 males per trap in monitored fields. Elliott fields and any other late varieties that are still being picked must remain on a 7 day program if you wish to maintain maggot-free fruit. No fruit samples have been found in our salt tests with active SWD larvae.

Blueberry Maggot (BBM): Blueberry Maggot adult trap captures are close to the same levels as found during the previous week. The slight increase over the past 2 weeks likely relates to the fact that insecticides are no longer being applied over most of the monitored acreage. Only those traps in Elliott and fields immediately next to Elliott fields matter at this point. Any time a trap captures a single fly, assume that BBM sprays need to be applied. 

Oriental Beetle (OB): OB trap captures have continued to decline. Many larvae are now at the 3^rd instar stage and no longer susceptible to Admire treatments. Therefore this insect can no longer be treated this season, since any treatments applied now will be practically useless.

Sharpnosed Leafhopper (SNLH): SNLH trap captures are very low, since we are between 1^st and 2^nd generations. No treatments are suggested at this time. In fact, for those growers who Do Not have late varieties and are completely finished picking, there IS NO SUCH THING AS A CLEAN-UP SPRAY at this time of the season, since there is nothing to spray for. The last treatment of the season is usually reserved for adult sharpnosed leafhopper, which should start to fly in a couple of weeks.

Aphids: Aphid populations are very low and are no longer treatment targets.

Blueberry Trap Counts

CBFW-cranberry fruitworm, SNLH – sharpnosed leafhopper, OB – oriental beetle, BBM – blueberry maggot, SWD – spotted wing drosophila

Grape:

Grape Berry Moth (GBM):Insecticide timings for the 3^rd generation grape berry moth are over, but given the hot weather, we will have a 4^th brood well before grapes are picked. It is too early to predict a timing at this point, but for planning purposes it will likely fall between 8/16-8/20.

Grape Trap Counts -3 locations, 6 blocks in southern counties