Current degree day accumulations
Orchard radar apple insect key dates (and preliminary McIntosh harvest date forecast)
Location: UMass Cold Spring Orchard, Belchertown, MA
5-August, 2013 |
|
| Base 43 | 2554 |
| Base 50 | 1862 |
| 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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.