hf masthead

Volume 21, Number 16. August 6, 2013.


Contents

Current degree day accumulations

Upcoming pest events

Orchard radar apple insect key dates (and preliminary McIntosh harvest date forecast)

The way I see it

Insects

Diseases

Horticulture

Useful links


Current degree day accumulations

Location: UMass Cold Spring Orchard, Belchertown, MA

 
5-August, 2013
Base 43
2554
Base 50
1862

Upcoming pest events

Coming events
Degree days
(Base 43)
Spotted tentiform leafminer 3rd flight begins
2257-2655
Obliquebanded leafroller 2nd flight peak
2593-3011
Oriental fruit moth 2nd flight subsides
2069-2567
San Jose scale 2nd flight peak
2128-2500
Apple maggot flight peak
2103-2657
Codling moth 2nd flight peak
1931-2735
Redbanded leafroller 2nd flight subsides
2182-2742
Lesser appleworm 2nd flight peak
2131-3105

Orchard radar apple insect key dates (and preliminary McIntosh harvest date forecast)

Here are insect key insect dates from Orchard Radar, Belchertown, MA.

Dogwood borer first egg hatch roughly: June 26. Peak hatch roughly: July 27.

Codling moth (CM) Codling moth development as of August 6: 2nd generation adult emergence at 81% and 2nd generation egg hatch at 46%. If targeted codling moth control is needed, key management dates are: 2nd generation 7% CM egg hatch: July 21, Sunday = target date for first spray where multiple sprays needed to control 2nd generation CM. 2nd generation 30% CM egg hatch: July 31, Wednesday = target date where one spray needed to control 2nd generation CM.

White apple leafhopper (WAL) 2nd generation WAL found on apple foliage: August 1, Thursday.

Preliminary McIntosh harvest date forecast: Date to apply ReTain to delay first harvest for apples which without treatment would be ready for storage harvest on September 5 is Thursday, August 8. Begin measuring actual McIntosh starch-iodine no later than Monday, August 26. The Michigan formula estimates that non-spur McIntosh will reach starch index 4.0 and start the optimum harvest window for long term storage on Thursday, September 5. Using the Hudson Valley, NY formula, McIntosh maturity is forecast to reach starch index 6.0 on Monday, September 23.


The way I see it

Peach and nectarine harvest is well underway with quality quite good. Brown rot has been observed where a perpetual problem or trees have been under-sprayed. At the UMass Orchard we have picked Risingstar and are currently picking Garnet Beauty. Redhaven harvest will commence next week.

With the cooler weather, apple red color has really developed. Apples are large too. I expect harvest to begin right on schedule this year, however, Labor Day is early so that may push things a bit. Be ready, and Retain applications may begin any day now depending on your harvest timing strategy.

Otherwise: get a codling moth spray on as necessary; we are in the peak of apple maggot fly season; ongoing disease sprays for apple summer diseases and peach/nectarine brown rot; and calcium sprays on apple.


Insects

With a showery/downpour late summer weather pattern questions often arise about the rainfastness of various insecticides. John Wise, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology wrote a nice article on this very subject: Rainfast characteristics of fruit crop insecticides

A reminder that Portal now has a supplemental label for mite control on stone fruit. The rate is 2.0 pints per acre with a 7 day PHI.


Diseases

Re-visit the article by Dan Cooley on summer disease control of apple as necessary: http://fruit.umext.umass.edu/2013healthyfruit/hf072313abe634.html#cooley

For brown rot control of peaches and nectarines, see Integrated Preharvest Fungicide Programs for Brown Rot from Rutgers Plant & Pest Advisory.


Horticulture

Calcium should be included in all apple cover sprays and/or supplemental sprays now. Many sources of calcium are available, see Foliar Calcium Sprays for Apples for specifics.

Still leaf analysis time: From now until mid-August is the time to collect leaf samples for nutrient analysis. All blocks of apples, peaches, and cherries should be sampled every three years, or more often when deficiency symptoms, poor tree performance, or fruit quality problem show up. The University of Massachusetts Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory (http://soiltest.umass.edu/) has a plant tissue testing service. The cost is $25.00 per sample, including nitrogen. Detailed information on how to collect and submit a leaf analysis sample is available on their website. Also attached is the plant tissue test order form with instructions.

In case you missed it, last week's special edition of Healthy Fruit included an update on pre-harvest drop control of apple: http://fruit.umext.umass.edu/2013healthyfruit/hf073013spe730.html


Useful links

UMass Fruit Advisor: http://umassfruit.com

UMass Fruit Notes: http:umassfruitnotes.com

Scaffolds Fruit Journal: http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scafolds/

Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA): http://newa.cornell.edu

Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/jmcextman) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jmcextman)

UMass Vegetable & Fruit IPM Network (on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/umassipmteam)

2013 New England Tree Fruit Management Guide (http://fruit.umext.umass.edu/2013netfmg/)


The next Healthy Fruit will be published on Tuesday, August 20 (in TWO weeks) or thereabouts, 2013. As always feel free to get in touch with any member of the UMass Fruit Team (http://extension.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/team-members) if you have questions or comments.