SW Michigan Fruit Update
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Southwest Michigan Fruit Update, July 3, 2007
Weather
Last week was warm with highs in the 80s and lows around 60F. The last few days have been cool with highs in the 70s. A cold front on June 27 brought some rain to part of the region. Soils are dry and soil moisture reserves are low. The forecast is for warmer weather with a chance of thunderstorms in mid-week. .
Southwest
Michigan Growing Degree Days (GDD) Totals
|
Grapes from April 1 |
|||
Location |
GDD 42 |
GDD 45 |
GDD 50 |
GDD 50 |
2035 |
1755 |
1334 |
1227 |
|
1939 |
1668 |
1258 |
1160 |
|
1913 |
1643 |
1234 |
1134 |
|
1853 |
1584 |
1179 |
1084 |
|
2047 |
1753 |
1333 |
1225 |
|
1957 |
1688 |
1274 |
1131 |
|
1784 |
1527 |
1141 |
1048 |
|
1767 |
1502 |
1108 |
1028 |
|
Insects
Japanese beetles are easy to find. San Jose scale crawlers are out and settling on fruit. We are catching peach tree borer and now is the time to apply trunk sprays.
Tree fruit
Peaches are coloring and PF1 harvest will begin this week. Oriental fruit moths trap catches are rising. The second generation of Oriental Fruit Moth was biofixed for June 18 (1353 base45). Control sprays are targeted for 200 GDD past Biofix, the beginning of egg hatch. We have already accumulated this amount and growers need to protect their fruit. Peach tree borer trunk sprays should be applied soon.
Tart cherry harvest is ending. Growers should be prepared to apply cherry leaf spot controls before the next rain. At this time there is little sign of the disease in sprayed orchards, but last weeks rain was an infection period for orchards that got rain.
Sweet cherry harvest is winding down. Eastern cherry fruit fly maggots and cherry fruit worm larvae have been found in fruit. Growers should maintain brown rot protection.
Plum fruit are about an inch in diameter. Some European plum trees are collapsing apparently due to winter injury to the trunk.
Apples are 2 inches in diameter. We should be seeing the start of the second generation of codling moth soon. Obilquebanded leafrollers larvae are feeding. The second-generation of Oriental fruit moths is hatching. European red mites numbers are high in some orchards and growers are applying controls. Aphids are common on actively growing shoots. Leafhopper burn from potato leafhopper is easy to find. At this point in time growers are typically applying an insecticide treatment every other week, due to multiple pest emergence. Growers should include a fungicide in their next cover spray to control sooty blotch and flyspeck. Bill Shane has calculated that we have accumulated 250 hours of wetness since petal fall and disease symptoms should appear soon.
Pear fruit are 1-¼ inches in diameter. Pear Psylla adults are flying.
Small fruit
Blueberry harvest continues. Growers should irrigate to maintain plant vigor and fruit size. Sprinkler irrigation is conducive to fruit rot development and fungicide protection is very important in these fields. Blueberry maggot is flying. Be sure to check the new Blueberry IPM Newsletter at the MSU Blueberry Site.
Grapes are at berry touch. Berry growth has been rapid. We are now around reaching 1200 GDD and berries are about half of the final berry weight. Now is an excellent time to estimate harvest yields. Grape berry moth larvae are moving into the fruit. Given the dry conditions, powdery mildew in the primary disease concern but growers should maintain control of black rot, phomopsis and downy mildew as well. All these diseases have been found in sprayed vineyards. Japanese beetle and grape leafhopper numbers are beginning to build. The annual Viticulture Day is scheduled for July 25. See the SWMREC website for registration information. Check the MSU Grape website for scouting updates.
Strawberry growers have renovated their fields. Growers should consider Admire treatment to control Potato Leafhopper on renovated plants.
Raspberry harvest continues. Japanese beetles and potato leafhopper are easy to find. Early treatment will discourage feeding.
Cranberries are pinhead fruit and a post bloom fungicide treatment should be applied.
Upcoming Meetings
The final Monday Fruit Update meeting will be Monday July 10, 5 p.m., at the Fruit Acres Farm in Berrien County. There are RUP credits available for the Monday Fruit Update meetings.
The next grape IPM scouting meeting will be July 12 at Bob Dongvillo's farm, south of Scottdale; and August 19 at Lemon Creek Vineyards, west of Berrien Springs. These meetings start at 6 PM. For more information on these meetings call Mark Longstroth at (269) 675-8313.
