Weekly Berry Call â April 3, 2012
Weekly Berry Call – April 3, 2012 Participants: Laura McDermott (Eastern NY/Upper Hudson/Lower Adirondack), Marvin Pritts (Finger Lakes region/Ithaca), Cathy Heidenreich (Western NY/Finger Lakes region/Geneva), Dale Riggs (Stephentown, Eastern NY), David Handley (Maine), Frank Caruso (UMASS), Heather Faubert (University of Rhode Island), Dan Welch (Auburn, Cayuga County NY) Growing conditions: (courtesy Scaffolds Vol. 24(4), April 2, 2012) Current DD accumulations 43°F 50°F (Geneva 1/1–4/2/12): 259 138 (Geneva 1/1–4/2/2011): 45 10 (Geneva "Normal"): 88 34 (Geneva 1/1–4/9 predicted): 289 149 (Highland 1/1–4/2/12): 301 151 (Highland 1/1–4/2/11): 59 19 Reports from the Field Finger Lakes region/Ithaca Lows were 20‐22 this past week. Some leaf damage including burning and scorching on brambles, blueberries; floral meristems did not appear damaged on blueberries. Western NY/Finger Lakes region/Geneva Lows this past week 20, 22, 24 oF with frost on 2 occasions. Some leaf damage on summer raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. Blueberries appear to be undamaged so far. Adult Tarnished Plants bugs observed in the field.
Frost 6:30 AM 4/2/12 Lyons, NY Temperature 22 oF. Blueberries: tight cluster to early pink bud Raspberries: ¼ to ½” green on summer varieties; primocanes just emerging. Blackberries: ‐ ½ to ¾” green. Red and black currants: budburst to leaf Gooseberries: budburst to leaf Auburn, NY (Cayuga County) Buds developing; northern part of the county not as far along as southern portions. Some reports of frost damage on strawberry leaves (scorching) closer to Auburn, NY. Eastern NY/Upper Hudson/Lower Adirondacks Strawberries were re‐covered to mitigate frost damage. In southern Columbia County blueberries and strawberries suffered some frost damage to primary buds. Reports are coming in of blueberry scale problems. Stephentown, Eastern NY
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Weekly Berry Call – April 3, 2012 Dodged a bullet last week in terms of frost with blueberry buds at stage 2. Stay tuned as low was 18 oF this morning with buds at stage 3. Blackberry buds lost last week from frost. Mulch just off strawberries. University of Rhode Island 25 ‐26 oF last week with apples at ½” green tip. Last night 30 F. Winter moth hatch first hatch 3/21; all eggs hatched by today (4/2). Growers are spraying for this pest. University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station Growers irrigating last 6 out of 9 nights to provide frost protection for cranberries and blueberries. March 26 to 27 had 14 oF as a low; irrigation headers iced over. Growers were out with hammers trying to free them up. We are now 3 ½ to 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Some minor frost damage in blueberries so far but by in large they remain OK so far. Winter moth observed in blueberries and cranberries. Big hatches this season are occurring as a result of huge flights last November and December. Growers are spraying in an attempt to stem the tide. Will these cold temperatures kill the newly emerging larvae? Maine Windy and 18 oF. Blueberries at bud swell; raspberries showing some green tissue. A little leaf burning but no flower damage so far. Strawberry mulch just off – very dormant still, no flower buds visible in crowns. Discussion 1. Blueberry frost protection – Not all growers are aware irrigation must be started above 32 oF if the dew point is low. Frost formulas available; also an earlier research article that discusses tolerances for main varieties (attached). New fact sheet on blueberry frost protection from Mark Longstroth MSU (attached). New frost protection web page: http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry/production/frostprotect.html. One excellent resource listed there are videos of basics of frost protection from University of California. How does one where on a continuum of risk from marginal to dangerous one would begin frost protection? Another thing to consider is the fact we are 6:” down precipitation wise for the year already due to lack of snow cover this past winter. Should water be held in reserve for irrigation during hotter months of July and August? 2. Managing Winter Moth – Larvae east to kill, but timing is critical. Organic growers may use Entrust. Conventional growers may use any insecticide of choice (apart from Dipel). Dipel as an early season product is not a good choice but fine for later season use. 3. Caution Urged When Talking to Media about Current Weather Issues – Remember bad news in regard to this season’s berry crop in the media is not good news for growers. Painting an extremely bleak picture or total crop failure before frost outcomes are known this season may be a serious disservice to growers who are not affected or perhaps are not seriously affected by the early frosts, even if you are! 4. Blueberry Scale – There are several different species of scale that can infest a blueberry planting. Putnam scale (Diaspidiotus ancylus) may be the most common in New York State while Terrapin scale is often associated with southern plantings. Other scale insects that can be problematic include Lecanium, oystershell and cottony maple scale among a few others. Scale, if left unchecked, can cause defoliation, loss of vigor and eventual death of the plant. Scale is frequently associated with plantings that have not been vigorously pruned, although I have seen scale in very well managed plantings. Scale can infest new and old wood and can also cause damage to fruit. Any planting over the age of 6 years is vulnerable. The scale insect carries an armored shell called a derm. This shell provides protection as the insect underneath it is soft bodied and easy to kill. Under the shell or ‘derm’, the adult female scale lives and grows. She mates and lays a mass of eggs under the derm. The adult male is winged. He emerges from his derm and mates with a female but does not feed. In mid‐to late May (in an ordinary spring!) the eggs hatch and the ‘crawlers’ emerge from the derm. This stage is very mobile and will move around the plant and to neighboring plants. The crawlers look like 6 legged mites with two flattened antennae. As scales mature they become less energetic and start feeding. The scale will then molt and flatten out and start to form the waxy scale covering. Scales secrete honeydew which supports black sooty mod which is often the first sign that there is a problem with the plants. Dormant oil should applied to blueberry bushes on warm days (>50°F) in late winter before flower buds begin to open. The oil is an effective way to kill overwintering scale. It is important to get a good covering of oil to insure control. Mix 2‐3 gallons of oil in 100 gallons of water and apply 50 to 100 gallons of water per acre (depending on bush size). Because scale is often found on lightly or poorly pruned plants, you need to insure that the plants are pruned on an annual basis. Follow the pruning with a dormant oil application right when young crawlers are emerging from the scale covering. Treat from early
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Weekly Berry Call – April 3, 2012 March to first bloom with three gallons of Superior oil mixed into 250‐300 gallons of water applied at 300‐400 psi. This amount of o spray should allow thorough coverage of an acre of blueberries. Do not apply oil sprays at 32 F or below and do not apply oil when temperatures rise into the upper 70’s. A quiet, cloudy, 50‐60 degree day is best. Oil should NOT be applied with lime sulfur, which is often used to control Phomopsis cane blight in blueberries as sulfur is incompatible with oil. Other materials that could be used to control scale include Molt‐X or AzaSol both of which contain the active ingredient azadirachtin. Molt‐X requires crop oil adjuvant. Brigade is a restricted use chemical that can be used but you are limited to 0.5 lb/acre per season. Esteem is also labeled and can be applied at delayed dormant. There are reports that parasites and predators may help control the terrapin scale including chalcid wasps and ladybeetle, Hyperaspis binotata. These same predators may work on Putnam scale and other scale insects.
Photo from WSU Whatcom County Extension, http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ipm/manual/blue/scale.html
Frost protection upland cranberry production, March 23, 2012, Oswego County NY, 240 acres.
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Frost 6:30 AM 4/2/12 Lyons, NY Temperature 22 oF. Blueberries: tight cluster to early pink bud Raspberries: ¼ to ½” green on summer varieties; primocanes just emerging. Blackberries: ‐ ½ to ¾” green. Red and black currants: budburst to leaf Gooseberries: budburst to leaf Auburn, NY (Cayuga County) Buds developing; northern part of the county not as far along as southern portions. Some reports of frost damage on strawberry leaves (scorching) closer to Auburn, NY. Eastern NY/Upper Hudson/Lower Adirondacks Strawberries were re‐covered to mitigate frost damage. In southern Columbia County blueberries and strawberries suffered some frost damage to primary buds. Reports are coming in of blueberry scale problems. Stephentown, Eastern NY
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Weekly Berry Call – April 3, 2012 Dodged a bullet last week in terms of frost with blueberry buds at stage 2. Stay tuned as low was 18 oF this morning with buds at stage 3. Blackberry buds lost last week from frost. Mulch just off strawberries. University of Rhode Island 25 ‐26 oF last week with apples at ½” green tip. Last night 30 F. Winter moth hatch first hatch 3/21; all eggs hatched by today (4/2). Growers are spraying for this pest. University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station Growers irrigating last 6 out of 9 nights to provide frost protection for cranberries and blueberries. March 26 to 27 had 14 oF as a low; irrigation headers iced over. Growers were out with hammers trying to free them up. We are now 3 ½ to 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Some minor frost damage in blueberries so far but by in large they remain OK so far. Winter moth observed in blueberries and cranberries. Big hatches this season are occurring as a result of huge flights last November and December. Growers are spraying in an attempt to stem the tide. Will these cold temperatures kill the newly emerging larvae? Maine Windy and 18 oF. Blueberries at bud swell; raspberries showing some green tissue. A little leaf burning but no flower damage so far. Strawberry mulch just off – very dormant still, no flower buds visible in crowns. Discussion 1. Blueberry frost protection – Not all growers are aware irrigation must be started above 32 oF if the dew point is low. Frost formulas available; also an earlier research article that discusses tolerances for main varieties (attached). New fact sheet on blueberry frost protection from Mark Longstroth MSU (attached). New frost protection web page: http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry/production/frostprotect.html. One excellent resource listed there are videos of basics of frost protection from University of California. How does one where on a continuum of risk from marginal to dangerous one would begin frost protection? Another thing to consider is the fact we are 6:” down precipitation wise for the year already due to lack of snow cover this past winter. Should water be held in reserve for irrigation during hotter months of July and August? 2. Managing Winter Moth – Larvae east to kill, but timing is critical. Organic growers may use Entrust. Conventional growers may use any insecticide of choice (apart from Dipel). Dipel as an early season product is not a good choice but fine for later season use. 3. Caution Urged When Talking to Media about Current Weather Issues – Remember bad news in regard to this season’s berry crop in the media is not good news for growers. Painting an extremely bleak picture or total crop failure before frost outcomes are known this season may be a serious disservice to growers who are not affected or perhaps are not seriously affected by the early frosts, even if you are! 4. Blueberry Scale – There are several different species of scale that can infest a blueberry planting. Putnam scale (Diaspidiotus ancylus) may be the most common in New York State while Terrapin scale is often associated with southern plantings. Other scale insects that can be problematic include Lecanium, oystershell and cottony maple scale among a few others. Scale, if left unchecked, can cause defoliation, loss of vigor and eventual death of the plant. Scale is frequently associated with plantings that have not been vigorously pruned, although I have seen scale in very well managed plantings. Scale can infest new and old wood and can also cause damage to fruit. Any planting over the age of 6 years is vulnerable. The scale insect carries an armored shell called a derm. This shell provides protection as the insect underneath it is soft bodied and easy to kill. Under the shell or ‘derm’, the adult female scale lives and grows. She mates and lays a mass of eggs under the derm. The adult male is winged. He emerges from his derm and mates with a female but does not feed. In mid‐to late May (in an ordinary spring!) the eggs hatch and the ‘crawlers’ emerge from the derm. This stage is very mobile and will move around the plant and to neighboring plants. The crawlers look like 6 legged mites with two flattened antennae. As scales mature they become less energetic and start feeding. The scale will then molt and flatten out and start to form the waxy scale covering. Scales secrete honeydew which supports black sooty mod which is often the first sign that there is a problem with the plants. Dormant oil should applied to blueberry bushes on warm days (>50°F) in late winter before flower buds begin to open. The oil is an effective way to kill overwintering scale. It is important to get a good covering of oil to insure control. Mix 2‐3 gallons of oil in 100 gallons of water and apply 50 to 100 gallons of water per acre (depending on bush size). Because scale is often found on lightly or poorly pruned plants, you need to insure that the plants are pruned on an annual basis. Follow the pruning with a dormant oil application right when young crawlers are emerging from the scale covering. Treat from early
2
Weekly Berry Call – April 3, 2012 March to first bloom with three gallons of Superior oil mixed into 250‐300 gallons of water applied at 300‐400 psi. This amount of o spray should allow thorough coverage of an acre of blueberries. Do not apply oil sprays at 32 F or below and do not apply oil when temperatures rise into the upper 70’s. A quiet, cloudy, 50‐60 degree day is best. Oil should NOT be applied with lime sulfur, which is often used to control Phomopsis cane blight in blueberries as sulfur is incompatible with oil. Other materials that could be used to control scale include Molt‐X or AzaSol both of which contain the active ingredient azadirachtin. Molt‐X requires crop oil adjuvant. Brigade is a restricted use chemical that can be used but you are limited to 0.5 lb/acre per season. Esteem is also labeled and can be applied at delayed dormant. There are reports that parasites and predators may help control the terrapin scale including chalcid wasps and ladybeetle, Hyperaspis binotata. These same predators may work on Putnam scale and other scale insects.
Photo from WSU Whatcom County Extension, http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ipm/manual/blue/scale.html
Frost protection upland cranberry production, March 23, 2012, Oswego County NY, 240 acres.
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