SW Michigan Fruit Update
April 26, 2005
Weather
Our warm dry weather changed last Friday to wet and cold. Highs dropped to
the 40s with lows near freezing. It rained all day Friday, with light snow Saturday. One
to three inches of snow accumulated Saturday night. Wet windy conditions kept low
temperatures at about 30 F, above the 28 F that will damage blooming fruit crops. Strong
Northern winds melted much of the snow Sunday. Clearing skies and falling winds Sunday
night resulted in light frosts in lower sheltered areas Monday morning. Other areas reported no frosts with temperatures
in the mid 30s. Generally, the Northern edges of fruit plantings show more damage such as
browning petals and buds. The strong winds blew flowers and leaves off trees. Freezing temperatures will a
risk any time we have clear calm conditions in the next few weeks. Frost will be a danger
for another month. Precipitation totals for last week ranged from one to one quarter inch.
In sandy soils the topsoil is moist but the sub soils are still dry. Soil temperatures
have fallen to about 40. Cooler and wetter than normal weather is forecast for the
upcoming week.
Southwest Michigan Growing Degree Day Totals March 1 through April 24, 2005 |
Grapes April 1 |
|||
Location |
GDD 42 |
GDD 45 |
GDD 50 |
GDD 50 |
336 |
272 |
184 |
151 |
|
352 |
287 |
196 |
173 |
|
Lawton: ???? |
290 |
235 |
157 |
137 |
323 |
261 |
175 |
155 |
|
369 |
302 |
209 |
184 |
|
295 |
238 |
158 |
138 |
|
Tree fruit
Insect activity was very brisk last week but stopped with the cold weather and activity will remain low while we suffer through this cool week. Growers should be scouting for insect feeding in bud and flower clusters. The weekend rain resulted in marginal apple scab infection periods. Growers should apply protectant fungicides since long wetting periods seem likely. Tarnished plant bug adults are out. European red mites have hatched.
Apricots are at shuck split, with a very heavy set. Crop potential looks good.
Peaches bloom is ending. Most varieties are in the shuck. Winter fruit bud loss was easy to assess during bloom. The crop was reduced for some varieties and sites and in some areas there will be no peach crop. Growers are seeing vertical splitting of bark on the trunk due to winter damage. Oriental fruit moth adults have emerged. Biofix for SWMREC was April 15 at 175 GDD base 45. The cool (50F) wet conditions forecast are too cold for brown rot infections, but if temperatures rise into the 60s then grower should protect against brown rot.
Cherries: Sweet Cherries are at petal fall. Tart Cherries began to bloom last Tuesday, with full bloom Wednesday. Leaves are beginning to unfold and growers need to protect against cherry leaf spot. There seems to have been little damage from the frost. But by Monday afternoon, browning of the petals in cherries was easy to see. Pollination should have been good for sweet cherries but cold wet weather started soon after full bloom in tart cherries. This means that only flowers pollinated before Friday are likely to set fruit.
Plum bloom is ending. Japanese plums are in the shuck. European plums are still at full bloom. Growers report that Japanese plum leaves look poor either due to the cold or the high winds, probably both. Growers need to protect against black knot now that shoot growth has started.
Apples blooms began to open last week. Early varieties are at king bloom. The warm conditions were good for fire blight development but cooling conditions before the rain reduced the risk of infection. The cool conditions forecast for this week will not be good for fire blight development. The weekend rain snow event did result in marginal apple scab infection periods. Higher exposed areas probably dried off early but there were probably areas that stayed wet most of the weekend. Many growers covered up for apple scab last week. Growers should reapply protectant fungicides while rain seems likely. European red mites have hatched. There were heavy flights of redbanded leafroller and spotted tentiform leafminer, but few reports of leafroller larvae feeding.
Pear bloom continues. Most of the flowers have opened. Pear Psylla adults are out.
Small Fruit
Blueberries are at early pink bud. Leaves are unfolding. Bluecrop pink bud, Jersey bud burst, Early Varieties almost blooming. Growers should be scouting for insect feeding in bud clusters. The dry weather held back mummyberry mushroom development. They should develop quickly with the rain forecast this week. Growers should apply fungicides to control mummyberry if they get a freeze.
In Grapes, the most advanced Concord shoots are about one inch long. In minimally pruned vines, buds are still swelling. Chardonnay buds are at bud burst. There is winter damage to vinifera wine grapes as many buds are not moving. Grape flea beetle damage has been reported. Now is the time to apply the first EDBC spray to protect against phomopsis.
Strawberry trusses are emerging. Growers are complaining of poor weed control from residual herbicides applied last year. Others are applying grass herbicides.
Summer Raspberry leaves are out. We are seeing a wide range of winter injury symptoms. Some varieties are leafing out normally and others show few live buds or only new shoot growth from the ground. Flower buds are plainly visible in Prelude.
Cranberry buds are swelling.
Miscellaneous
Growers have been busy spraying fertilizing or planting. The next Monday Update meeting will be, Monday May 2, at the Overhiser Fruit Stand, NW Corner of 109th Ave. and 64th Street. East of Pullman Exit 26 off I-196 in Allegan County. There will be one MDA restricted use pesticide recertification credit available at this meeting.
