Healthy Fruit
Vol. 21, No. 1, April 2, 2013
The way I see it
Well, things are off to a way slower start than last year and so is Healthy Fruit. I suppose that is good depending on your perspective.
First, be aware that you really need to sign up (and pay!) for this year's Healthy Fruit ASAP. Here: https://extensionsalesportal-umass.nbsstore.net/healthy-fruit-electronic-subscription (Note: make sure you sign up for Healthy Fruit if you want this newsletter. Fruit Notes is different! You can sign up for that too if you want -- Wes Autio would like that!) I may do one more freebie (next week) but that will likely be it, and then I will transition to the paid list for 2013.
I am unsure and a bit conflicted what format Healthy Fruit will take in 2013, but there will be a weekly 'official' edition published on Tuesday, and we hope to bring you more timely e-mail updates as well. Note that there will be no printed/mailed Healthy Fruit this year -- it's e-mail/web or nothing. You can also visit the UMass Fruit Advisor (umassfruit.com) for meeting information, etc. But the good stuff will be in this paid version of Healthy Fruit.
Regarding these e-mails I refer to, I am going to pass along on a regular basis information I get from numerous other sources. It's all good and there is no sense in us re-inventing the wheel. I also expect various alerts, deepening on conditions such as fireblight risk, will be passed along via e-mail.
So, for this week's HF, there is upcoming twilight meeting information and a re-print from Scaffolds on predicting green tip -- which by the way, is going to be like 3 weeks after last year's date! Enjoy...
1st Fruit Twilight Meeting
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 - 5:30pm
Place:
Big Apple Farm, Wrentham, MA
5:30 PM to 8 PM
1 pesticide re-certification credit will be available
There is a $20 meeting fee for Association member/$25 for non-members
Refreshments will be served
Indoor/outdoor program, dress appropriatel
Our host: John Morse
Event Website:
http://www.thebigapplefarm.com/
Contact's name:
Jon Clements
Contact's phone:
413-478-7219
Contact's email:
Location:
207 Arnold St.
Wrentham Massachusetts
2nd Fruit Twilight Meeting
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 - 5:30pm
Place:
Outlook Farm, Westhampton, MA
5:30 PM to 8 PM
1 pesticide re-certification credit will be available
There is a $20 meeting fee for Association member/$25 for non-members
Refreshments will be served
Indoor/outdoor program, dress appropriatel
Our host: Brad Morse
Event Website:
Contact's name:
Jon Clements
Contact's phone:
413-478-7219
Contact's email:
Location:
136 Main Rd.
Westhampton Massachusetts 02116
First Scab Spray
(Re-printed from Mike Fargione's Tree Fruit Grower Alert Message - Tuesday, April 2, 2013)
The first scab spray should include a protectant fungicide such as mancozeb, captan, copper, or sulfur (if you are growing apples under organic protocol). The first spray should go on before the first infection period once green tissue is visible in a block.
Mancozeb at 3 lbs./acre may be adequate for scab control at green tip in blocks that had little scab the previous season. Tank-mixing mancozeb with copper or captan or Syllit (dodine) may be advantageous if the block had a scab problem in 2012. Other tank mix options if you think you have dodine resistant scab include Scala or Vanguard (these don’t redistribute as well as Syllit).
Copper (mixed with a quart of spray oil per 100 gal of finished spray) has some real advantages as a first spray. Copper reduces fire blight inoculum from overwintering cankers. In addition, an early copper spray does as good a job as 3 lbs./acre of mancozeb at controlling apple scab. Finally, recent observations suggest that annual copper applications may also help reduce the level of resistance to other apple scab fungicides like the DMI’s and Strobies. Some copper formulations do not list apple scab on their label as a target pest at green tip, so be sure to note in your records what the appropriate pest is that you are treating.
The window to use copper is from silver tip or green tip to ¼” green, and this window may be very short once this season gets under way. Do not use Syllit or other adjuvants besides spray oil with copper. Avoid applying copper just before an expected frost.
Forecasting Bud Break in the Spring of 2013
(Reprinted from Scaffolds Fruit Jounral, Vol, 22 No. 2, April 1, 2013)
Using forecasts for the next 3 weeks (until April 21), we estimate that green tip in ENY will be on April 13 for early bloom varieties (Idared) and on April 14 for mid-bloom varieties (Delicious), while at Williamson, NY, we forecast green tip on April 16 for early blooming varieties and on April 17 for mid-bloom varieties. The weather forecast indicates that we will slowly accumulate growing degree hours in the next few days and then rapidly accumulate growing degree hours after April 4. We caution that the estimated date of green tip is dependent on the accuracy of the weather forecast we used and the accuracy of the models (which in most cases is quite good). Our prediction of April 13 in the Hudson Valley and 16 in WNY should allow growers a little more time to get spraying equipment ready; but we suggest growers be ready to begin fungicide sprays to control scab by April 8.
Ed. note: I am going for April 15 in Belchertown, as I think we are mostly in-sync with western NY. Someone owes me lunch if I am right!
The next official Healthy Fruit will be published Tuesday, April 9, 2013.
