Insects.
Now that rented bee hives have started to be removed from farms, Actara applications for weevil could be applied. Be aware that much of the damage to pinheads has already occurred and weevil numbers should be going down naturally as they move off the bog. You would have to have a very high weevil count (30-50/sweep set) to actually make a spray at this point in time worthwhile.
Black bug adults have been found on a few bogs with associated spring damage. If you have a poor set, it could be the culprit.
Disease.
Remember that fungicides applications to manage fruit rot pathogens are effective when flowers are present, and once the fruit has set and begun to increase in size (mid-late July), fungicides are no longer necessary or effective.
If you have a bog with phytophthora, summer can be an ideal time to treat for root rot (after improving your drainage). You can apply phosphonates or soil phenylamides now, when soil temperatures are conducive for root development and pathogen multiplication (June, July and August).
A handful of growers have seen funky flower on their bogs this year. This is a poorly understood disease, but it can be mistaken for false blossom disease. If you think you have seen Funky Flower OR False Blossom Disease, please contact Marty 508-265-6921 or martys@umass.edu!
Weeds.
Poverty grass is at an active growth stage, and the active growth period is the best time to apply a grass herbicide for maximum efficacy. Poverty grass can develop quickly, and herbicide treatments will be much less effective after it flowers (when you can see the tall stalks shooting up)! Remember to ALWAYS include a surfactant with your grass herbicide. If you can treat it at least twice, you will get better control. Repeat applications need to be at least 14 days apart and there is a 30-day PHI for clethodim products (and an even longer 60-day PHI for Poast).
Dodder is suddenly very visible on many bogs, and it has begun flowering. Some research from NJ found that a single post-bloom application of QuinStar did not seem to be effective for dodder control in the year of treatment BUT some growers feel they get control the year after they apply QuinStar.
Callisto applied by chemigation for dodder seems to work very well for some growers and not at all for others! We are not sure if it is timing issue, surfactants, variation in the dodder itself, efficiency of the chemigation systems, or other unknown factors that leads to such mixed results from bog to bog and grower to grower. You can apply up to two applications of mesotrione (Callisto) per year. Apps need to be at least 14 days apart and there is a 45-day PHI.
