Apple & Cherry Pest Update - June 12, 2012
Apples are at bloom and cherries are at petal fall here at the research station
Enviroweather stations on the peninsula have recorded at least three apple scab infection periods since green tip. Growers should be on a protectant fungicide schedule of 7 to 10 days. Tart cherry have progressed to the point that Bravo type protectant applications should be made through shuck split.
For more weather and fruit disease and insect information click here to go to the Enviro-weather home page. Once there click the yellow dot on the map for the weather station nearest to your location.
Tree Fruit Disease 2012
APPLE - Fire blight potential on apple has increased an is likely to remain high as long as flowers are open on susceptible varieties. Temperatures over the weekend will be in mid- to upper 70's and remain there. Any rain with those temperature will cause infection on susceptible varieties like Honeycrisp.
Apple scab potential will begin to wind down with the next rain or two as the final overwintering scab spores of the season are released.
Growers with varieties like Cortland and Honeycrisp, that are susceptible to powdery mildew, may need to be concerned as we progress through bloom and petal fall. Consider applying either a strobilurin or sterol inhibitor fungicide protectant application for both scab and for powdery mildew. The protectant fungicides Sovran or Flint are strobilurin fungicides that do an excellent job on apple scab and powdery mildew and will help with resistance management. Both do a much better job on fruit scab that the SI’s. Pristine is also available as a protectant for apple scab and powdery mildew control on apples. It should fit well in to a fungicide program at this time of year and through the rest of the primary scab infection season. Rates are 14.5 to 18.5oz/A. All early season fungicide applications should be tank mixed with a low rate of Captan or EBDC fungicide for scab resistance management.
CHERRY - Sufficient leaf area has developed on tart cherry trees that Chlorothalonil (Bravo, Equus, Echo, etc.) will now need to be applied to protect against cherry leafspot infection through shuck split.
For updates on apple & cherry diseases infections click the link below for the weather station nearest you
Casco Southern Door Sturgeon Bay Egg Harbor W Jacksonport Sister Bay
Tree Fruit Insects 2012
APPLE - European red mite has hatched in scouted orchards. Warm weather will cause populations to increase.
Pheromone traps for Codling moth should be out by now. Moth catches of more than 5 moths per week or more than 10 moths total in a single trap would indicate that control applications will be needed to keep fruit damage under control.
Plum curculio will begin to lay eggs as temperature move into the low and mid 70's. Applications of a Neonicitinoid (Assail, Calypso, etc.) ot Avaunt should be made for control soon after petal fall. This application can be skipped if a thinning spray containing Sevin is made during petal fall at higher label rates.