Fruit IPM Report July 21, 2025

Peach:

Figure 1. Brown rot on ripening peach fruit.

Diseases:  Brown rot: Brown rot is appearing in ripening fruit throughout the state (Figure 1).

Highly effective rot materials such as DMI’s (FRAC group 3) and Strobilurins (FRAC group 11) should be applied beginning 3 – 4 weeks prior to harvest. See the NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide for more information.

Tarnished Plant Bugs; and Other Cat-facing Insects: Tarnished plant bug and stink bugs are active and present at moderate to high levels in some orchards. The percent fruit injury observed remains low (average <1%).

Oriental Fruit Moth: A biofix point for OFM was set on 4/2 for southern counties and 4/17 in northern counties. See below for timings for third generation.

Scale Insects: Second generation White Peach Scale crawlers should emerge sometime this week or next. Second generation San Jose Scale crawlers emerge about 7/17 +/- 8 days. Esteem is a good scale material that has a 14-day PHI for stone fruit. Centaur is also effective, has a 14-day PHI and can be used only once during the growing season. Venerate has shown efficacy as a pre-harvest treatment against scale and has a 0-day PHI. If using Venerate to control scale insects, make 2 applications 7 days apart starting a week after crawler emergence.

Japanese Beetles: Japanese beetles and June bugs have been observed feeding on fruit in southern counties. Adults are attracted to ripening fruit. Insecticides that are effective against Japanese beetles and june bugs are products that contain imidacloprid (Admire pro and Leverage 360), Danitol, and Sevin.

Apples and Pears:

Figure 2. Bitter rot infection on apple.

Diseases: Various rots but mostly bitter rot is present in orchards throughout the state (Figure 2).

Research has suggested products such as Merivon, Luna Sensation, Inspire Super, Omega, and Aprovia are effective rot materials to be alternated with broad-spectrum fungicides such as captan and ziram. Phosphorous acid products such as Prophyt or Rampart can be added to captan sprays to improve control.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs: Brown Marmorated Stink bugs are being captured at low levels in orchards statewide. Both adults and nymphs are present. See the NJ Tree Fruit Production guide for effective materials.

Codling Moth (CM): Second generation timings are updated below. Trap captures continue and increased slightly in some southern county orchards last week. Additional applications should be made if trap captures exceed 5 moths/trap.

Scale Insects: See earlier statement on scale insects in peaches.

Pear: Pear psylla nymphs have been observed in high numbers feeding on new growth in some orchards. Options for control include Movento (IRAC group 23), spinosyn products such as Delegate (IRAC group 5), and the neonicotinoids (IRAC group 4A).

Phenology Table: Based on annual observations made in Gloucester County.

Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Southern Counties

Tree Fruit Trap Captures – Northern Counties

Figure 3. Spotted lanternfly adult in vineyards in south NJ.

Grape: The next timing for Grape Berry Moth will be on or about 7/22 if using Intrepid, Altacor or other diamides in southern counties. Growers using other insecticides can make applications a few days later. Spotted lanternfly adults are now being reported in vineyards in southern NJ (Figure 3).

Japanese beetles are actively feeding on foliage. Observations of downy mildew have increased from the previous week.

Blueberry: Treatments for spotted-wing drosophila should continue on a 7-day schedule. For management recommendations, refer to Commercial Blueberry Pest Control Recommendations for New Jersey. For weekly reports on blueberry pests and recommendations read the Rutgers Blueberry Bulletin.