Healthy Fruit - Vol. 29, No. 13, July 6, 2021

Coming events	Degree days (Base 43 BE)
Apple maggot fly 1st catch	1222-1762
Apple maggot fly 1st oviposition punctures	1605-2157
Codling moth 2nd flight starts	1584-2211
Dogwood borer flight peak	1415-1487
Lesser appleworm 2nd flight starts	1429-2108
Obliquebanded leafroller 1st flight subsides	1642-2049
Oriental fruit moth 2nd flight peak	1463-1953
Peachtree borer flight peak	1085-2014
Redbanded leafroller 2nd flight peak	1507-1960
San Jose scale 2nd flight starts	1629-1979
Spotted wing drosophila PEAK ADULT EMERGE 2nd GEN*	1249**

*uspest.org ** DD’s Base 50 from January 1 (1264 on July 1 according to uspest.org for Belchertown)

Upcoming meetings

Massachusetts Fruit Grower’s Association Annual Summer Meeting, July 14, 2021, Clarkdale Fruit Farms, 303 Upper Road, Deerfield, MA

in cooperation with University of Massachusetts Fruit Team

WEDNESDAY, July 14, 2021, 9AM to 1:30 PM

Clarkdale Fruit Farms

303 Upper Road, Deerfield, Massachusetts

9:00 AM -- Sign in, coffee and donuts

9:15 AM -- Welcome. Ben Clark, Clarkdale Fruit Farms, MFGA President. Comments from: MDAR Commissioner John LeBeaux, State Representative Natalie Blais, and United States Congressman James McGovern

9:30 AM -- Orchard Tour: perennial fruit crop pathology, entomology, and horticulture research and updates

11:30 AM -- Education Program, "Weed Management: Biology and IPM," Dr. Hilary Sandler

12:30 PM -- Lunch and acknowledgments

Dr. Hilary Sandler is the Director of the UMass Cranberry station and Extension Associate Professor at UMASS-Amherst. Dr. Sandler's current research and field of study include; Factors that influence the dynamics of crop and weed ecology within the cranberry production system, Development and implementation of non chemical pest management, especially weeds, Investigations on cranberry vine establishment, weed colonization, and fertilizer management.

2 pesticide license recertification credit hours will be offered for the day.

Registration for this meeting will be $25 for Mass. Fruit Growers’ Association members ($35 for non-members) per person and will include the orchard tour, educational program, pesticide recertification credits, and lunch.

To ensure the availability of the meal, please pre-register by adding the appropriate number and type (member or non-member) registrations to your shopping cart and paying with a credit card.

*We must receive pre-registrations by NOON on MONDAY, July 12 to assure availability of lunch.

COVID Considerations -- Please remember the state of Massachusetts has issued an advisory that all unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear a mask indoors or when social distancing is not possible.

More information and to register (by July 12 PLEASE!) here…

Why are my trees growing so poorly? - Webinar

We have been increasingly noticing tree collapse in New York orchards over the past several years. There are a number of causal factors, both biotic and abiotic, that can cause tree death. In this webinar, Cornell and Penn State experts will provide a quick summary of some of the common agents of tree collapse typical of northeast apple orchards. Hosted by CCE-ENYCHP and CCE-LOFP.

Agenda:

2:45 – 3:05 - Credit Check in and Introduction - Mike Basedow

3:05 – 3:15 - Boring insects and tree decline- Janet van Zoeren

3:15 – 3:25 - Nematodes and their association with apple replant – Dr. Kerik Cox

3:25 – 3:35 - Could viruses be involved in poor tree growth? - Dr. Marc Fuchs

3:35 – 3:45 - Apple tree decline case studies and quality - Dan Donahue

3:45 – 3:55 - Investigating causes of apple tree decline in Pennsylvania – Dr. Kari Peter

3:55 – 4:05 - Abiotic issues, such as drought and cold damage – Dr. Terence Robinson

4:05 – 4:30 - Questions and discussion

1.5 DEC credits are available for this online meeting in categories 1a, 3a, 10, 22, and 25. In order to receive credits, you must complete the following:

* Enter your NYSDEC applicator ID number into the registration field when you register for the meeting. (Attendees from Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut may also enter in their ID’s to receive credits through their state reciprocity agreements.)

* Each employee seeking credit must register separately, and watch from their own device to receive credit.

* Send a photocopy of your applicator ID to Mike Basedow at mrb254@cornell.edu or (518) 410-6823 by noon on August 2nd.

* Log onto the meeting by 2:45 for a virtual roll call so we can ensure your screen name matches the applicator ID we have on file.

* Attend the meeting in its entirety.

* Using in-session polling, answer occasional poll questions to verify that you are actively engaged throughout the course of the session.

Questions may be directed to Mike Basedow at mrb254@cornell.edu or (518) 410-6823.

Time: Aug 2, 2021 03:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

To Register: Meeting Registration - Zoom

The way I see it…

Jon Clements

What’s on my mind this week?

Hand thinning apples ASAP. Ditto for peaches. Crop of both is getting larger, are we surprised?

Honeycrisp crop in the Northeast and midwest are going to be light, if you got Honeycrisp, do not under-value them!

Mites! Pretty bad, particularly where canopy density is low. (Remember, they like hot, dry conditions.) I applied Prohexadione-calcium in the form of Apogee to a block of Fuji at pink at a pretty high rate and those trees have never come out of it, meaning terminal growth is very minimal and the canopy is very sparse. Apples are roped on too. Caution is advised going forward using Apogee at pink.

Please register for the MFGA summer meeting at your earliest convenience if you are planning on attending! http://massfruitgrowers.org/2021/2021summermeeting.html

Evaluating ACCEDE® Experimental Use Permit (EUP) applications across the state. This will be a useful thinner, however, not without some caveats. I will report later in the year on the outcome of this EUP in Massachusetts.

Tissue and soil testing. With some regret I don’t recommend the UMass lab currently as they are not doing tissue tests. The alternative I have found is Waypoint Analytical, https://www.waypointanalytical.com/AGServices. Their website is a little dense, and you need to set up an account, but once you do, their submittal form is easy to fill out and you get results back within a week. The Leola, PA location (https://www.waypointanalytical.com/PlantTissues) does soil, tissue, and fruitlet/fruit analyses. As a reminder, for leaf analysis, you want to collect leaves (50 is sufficient) from the middle of current season’s terminal growth. Be sure to gently wash and dry the leaves before sending. I wish Waypoint had better directions, feel free to contact me if you have any questions about doing a tissue (leaf or fruit) test. As an aside, this is the same lab your friendly Nutrien sales person uses if they are collecting and submitting the plant tissue test samples for you.

For your reading and viewing (respectively) pleasure: Fire blight’s ugly side… and NOTCHING promotes branching on “whip” apple trees

Picture of the week…

Not sure I have ever seen cracking of apples this early in the season, but I guess 4 inches of rain and a variety we not-so-affectionately call “River Beast” will do it!

Insects

Jaime Piñero

Weekly report of insect pest captures in monitoring traps at Cold Spring Orchard (Belchertown, MA)

There is no insect weekly capture report for this week. However, Jaime reports that apple maggot fly (AMF) has been active for the last week.

With thunderstorms on the horizon for much of the foreseeable forecast, insecticide wash off should be taken into consideration when managing AMF. A handy guide to rainfast characteristics of insecticides can be found here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/rainfast_characteristics_of_insecticides_on_fruit

Grower submitted a picture of the week, apple leaf curling midge. Anyone else seen it?

Ed. note. https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/diseases/apple_leaf_curling_midge Not generally worth an insecticide, unless it is really bad on young trees and causing a lot of stunting of new growth. From the 2021 Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Tree Fruit Production - “Damage caused by leaf curling midge infestations can take a number of forms.This insect attacks only the apple foliage, which causes the edges of leaves to roll tightly upwards and inwards towards the midrib. Heavy infestations may cause shortening of extension shoots, an effect that is probably more important in nursery stock than in mature trees. During the early stages of an infestation, there is a slight, irregular puffiness or "lumpiness" to the rolled portion of the leaf, which may become reddened and brittle. Eventually the leaf curves downward like a sickle, and the red areas turn black; leaf drop may follow. Early in the season, infested leaves occur only at the tips of shoots. As the shoot extends, however, the young leaves at the tip may in turn be attacked by later generations, so that affected leaves may be found at several levels along the shoot. Even when midge populations are high, evidence indicates that these pests do not significantly impact fruit production in established plantings.” But if you decide to treat, Exirel applied at petal fall and 1st cover is indicated in their Guide. Appearance of this pest might be a consequence of reduced and/or more targeted/alternative strategies insect management pesticide sprays.

Diseases

Liz Garofalo and Dan Cooley

Bitter rot. Just a reminder, the weather is perfect for bitter rot infection. Temperatures are up into the optimal range and the air is what I like to call “swampy”. Roving thunderstorms are dropping significant amounts of rain in various spots across the state. Phillipston, for example, recorded a little more than an inch (around 3am on July 6), according to the NEWA logs. All this adds up to the potential for leaves within canopies to stay wet longer than may be expected or shown by a leaf wetness sensor. Also, any sites that experienced significant rain will have to contend with wash off. This is all very site specific. So, if you know you have had bitter rot in the past and you have experienced rain events, especially in the afternoon evening leading to prolonged leaf wetness, maintaining good coverage will be important to preventing bitter rot infections. The table below, compiled by Dan Cooley, describes a number of materials effective for bitter rot and other summer diseases.

Notes from the field

Liz Garofalo

How widespread are stone fruit disorders in your orchard this year?

Brown rot, bacterial spot (aka bacterial shot-hole) are showing up in various locations. Cherries continue to ripen and peaches are beginning to as well. Now is an excellent time, if you're a fungus, for brown rot to develop in these fruits. Another fungal issue that has popped up on this year’s weather roller coaster ride is bacterial spot. Mycoshield and some copper products (check label for post-bloom use) can be used to reduce pressure. When using copper, care should be taken to reduce phytotoxicity (avoid penetrants, foliar nutrient additions, etc.). The humid conditions we experienced earlier in the spring have led to powdery mildew (PM) developing susceptible apple varieties which in turn can infect nearby peaches. At this point there is not a whole lot to be done to deal with PM. Making a note in your records of locations where it occurred in your orchard this year is a good idea for next year’s management.

Horticulture

Jon Clements, Editor

No Horticulture this week, but be sure to read the Guest article below...

Guest article

About the safe use of glufosinate and glyphosate herbicides in apple and peach orchards

JUNE 29, 2021 THIERRY BESANCON Reprinted from PLANT & PEST ADVISORY, Rutgers Cooperative Extension https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/about-the-safe-use-of-glufosinate-and-glyphosate-herbicides-in-apple-and-peach-orchards/

Recently, New Jersey tree fruit growers have expressed concerns regarding the use of glufosinate for weed control in apple and peach orchards.

Glufosinate is a nonselective post-emergence foliar herbicide that can be used for directed applications around trees, vines, and berries. Glufosinate provides control of many annual broadleaf and grass weeds, however, control of large or well-tillered annual grasses, such as yellow or giant foxtail can be marginal. Glufosinate has no soil activity.

Work conducted by Dr. Brad Majek a few years ago indicated that direct application of glufosinate to the mature brown bark of the lower trunk may cause severe injury by killing the cambium layer at the point of contact (https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/glufosinate-products-sold-as-rely-280-expand-as-generic-products-enter-the-market/). However, this type of injury is not systematically associated with glufosinate application as we observed it in a trial conducted in 2017 at the Snyder Research Farm on mature “Pink Lady” apple trees which were not damaged following glufosinate application (Rely 280 at 64 fl oz/A). Additionally, injury in the form of vertical cracks in the of trunk bark have also be observed on apple trees exposed to glyphosate (https://nyshs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Pages-23-28-from-NYFQ-Winter-12-12-2013.cmc_.pdf), not only to glufosinate.

As highlighted by Dr. Dave Rosenberg (retired Plant Pathologist at Cornell’s Hudson Valley Lab) on his blog (https://blogs.cornell.edu/plantpathhvl/2014/06/30/apple-summer-diseases-herbicide-problems-and-irrigation/), “NEITHER glyphosate nor glufosinate cause trunk injury to apple trees EVERY time that they are used or in every orchard in which they are applied.” Field reports suggest that injury is detected when trees are exposed to specific conditions that still need to be precisely defined. Dr. Rosenberg’s opinion is that “the potential for damage is significantly higher if tree trunks are hit with either of these herbicides during or just prior to periods of drought stress”. Under these drought conditions, “the additional desiccation from herbicide exposure may predispose the trunks to invasion by Botryosphaeria dothidea, a canker pathogen that is incapable of killing the cambium in healthy functioning trees, but which becomes very pathogenic in drought-stressed trees.” Dr. Rosenberger also suspects that similar injury can be observed on young trees following application of paraquat. Other stress factors, such as cold injury or previous bark damages, may also increase the risk of herbicide injury.

So, to safely apply glyphosate or glufosinate in peaches or apples, it is important following some guidelines that will help minimizing glyphosate or glufosinate damages to the bark:

As specified by the label for glufosinate products and the Rutgers 2021-22 E002 Rutgers Tree Fruit guide, contact by the herbicide of parts of trees other than mature brown bark (including suckers) can result in serious damage. It is therefore especially important to protect young trees from potential glufosinate or glyphosate injury by wrapping them with grow tubes or waxed containers.
For mature trees, the use of a shield boom is required for minimizing as much as possible contact between the herbicide spray and the tree bark. Shields will also minimize the bounce-back from bare soil that sometimes allows a haze of small droplets to drift upward into the trees.
Avoid applications of herbicides during periods when trees are already experiencing water stress or where water-stress can be expected in the near future. Additionally, weed control efficacy of herbicides such as glyphosate of glufosinate can severely decrease when weeds are under heat stress.
Keep the pressure as low as possible (no more than 30 psi) to minimize generation of small droplets. If not feasible, use air-induction nozzles to reduce the production of small droplets.
Glyphosate should not be applied immediately after suckers are cut because it is readily absorbed by freshly cut stems.

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Useful links

UMass Fruit Advisor: http://umassfruit.com

UMass Extension Fruit Team YouTube Channel

UMass Fruit Loop IPM Podcast

Scaffolds Fruit Journal (1995-2020). With the retirement of Dr. Art Agnello from Cornell University, this publication has come to an end. See Peter Jentsch’s blog below.

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)

Acimovic Lab at Hudson Valley

Peter Jentsch's Blog

The next Healthy Fruit will be published on or about July 20, 2021. In the meantime, feel free to contact any of the UMass Fruit Team if you have any fruit-related production questions.