Keeping Quality Forecast Archive

The forecast is GOOD for keeping quality.

As of April 1, there are 5 out of 10 possible points that favor keeping quality for the 2015 Massachusetts cranberry crop. The 5 points were based on the cumulative sunshine hours being low in February and high in March (3 points) and low average air temperature during March (2 points). High rainfall in March prevented us from getting any additional points. The final keeping quality forecast (available after June 1) may improve if temperature and rainfall conditions during April and May remain cool and dry. Unless the final keeping quality forecast worsens or you have areas with a history of high fruit rot disease pressure, the preliminary forecast suggests that fewer fungicide applications and /or using less than the maximum recommended fungicide application rate may be sufficient for proper fruit rot management. However, keep in mind that all chemical applications should be carried out according to product label instructions and that due to fungicide resistance concerns you should never use less than the lowest recommended fungicide rate.

As for holding late water this spring, it appears that there is no compelling reason to use late water to enhance fruit quality at harvest. Before considering this practice, assess if there was any major winter injury or if plants display any other stress symptoms and consider carefully your reasons for using later water.

Erika Saalau Rojas (Extension Plant Pathologist)

As of April 1, there are only 2 points out of a possible 10 that favor keeping quality for the 2014 Massachusetts cranberry crop. These points were awarded for favorable (low) temperatures in March. Consequently, the forecast is for POOR keeping quality. The final keeping quality forecast (issued after June 1) could be upgraded if we have a cool and dry April and May. Based on the present forecast, fungicide applications and the rate of fungicides applied should NOT be reduced, and close attention should be paid where fruit rot has been a major or regular concern and for fresh fruit beds.

This should be a fairly good year for holding late water as we discussed in the last newsletter. The winter was severe but most growers protected with floods. Other indicators for late water are all favorable. This practice can significantly reduce fruit rot incidence and allow for fewer and lower-rate fungicide applications.

Ice sanding that was done this past winter may help to reduce fungal inoculum by burying it and thus improve the outlook on those bogs.

Please take note that the Keeping Quality Forecast is a prediction of disease pressure, that is the amount of fruit rot expected if no measures are taken to manage the disease. Fungicide use or holding late water are management strategies to reduce fruit rot incidence. If you have any questions, please contact Carolyn (extension 25) or Hilary (extension 21).

As of April 1, there is only 1 point out of a possible 10 that favor keeping quality for the 2013 Massachusetts cranberry crop. The sole point was awarded for favorable sunshine hours in February. Consequently, the forecast is for POOR keeping quality. The final keeping quality forecast (issued after June 1) could be upgraded if we have a cool and dry April and May. Based on the present forecast, fungicide applications and the rate of fungicides applied should NOT be reduced, and close attention should be paid where fruit rot has been a major or regular concern. This should be a good year for holding late water because we have had a more typical winter, avoiding severe temperatures along with adequate water for the winter flood and sufficient snow cover over long stretches of time. Minimal ice sanding was done this winter due to a lack of sufficient ice thickness beyond a few days. Sanding is one of the best cultural control strategies, as it covers overwintering inoculum, so the lack of sanding resulted in a minimal reductive effect. At any rate, expect the worst regarding fruit rot in what appears to be a much more typical growing season than we had in 2012. If you have any questions, please contact me (extension 18) or Carolyn (extension 25).

FRANK CARUSO,
EXTENSION PLANT PATHOLOGIST

As of April 1, there is only 1 point out of a possible 10 that favor keeping quality for the 2012 Massachusetts cranberry crop. The sole point was awarded for favorable rainfall in March. Consequently, the forecast is for POOR keeping quality. The final keeping quality forecast (issued after June 1) could be upgraded if we have a cool and dry April and May. Based on the present forecast, fungicide applications and the rate of fungicides applied should NOT be reduced, and close attention should be paid where fruit rot has been a major or regular concern. Carolyn did not recommend holding late water because of the earliness of the season – we are running about 23-25 days ahead of a normal schedule. At this point it is too late to start late water. There are several factors that could also help contribute to higher levels of fruit rot in 2012. Minimal sanding was done this winter due to a lack of ice. Sanding is one of the best cultural control strategies, as it covers overwintering inoculum. The mild temperatures probably resulted in a reduced mortality of a certain percentage of this overwintering inoculum as well. Should this drought pattern continue (we are currently 7 inches below normal for precipitation for the year), this will be another stress on the plants, possibly contributing to higher levels of fungal infection during bloom. Warmer than average temperatures will only continue this trend of increased susceptibility of the cranberry vines. At any rate, expect the worst regarding fruit rot in what appears to be a very odd growing season. If you have any questions, please contact me (extension 18) or Carolyn (extension 25). 

Frank Caruso, Plant Pathology

The forecast is for FAIR TO GOOD keeping quality. As of April 1, there are 4 points out of a possible 10 that favor keeping quality for the 2011 Massa-chusetts cranberry crop. The 4 points were awarded for favorable sunshine hours in February (1 point), favorable sunshine hours in March (2 points) and
favorable rainfall in March (1 point). The final keeping quality forecast (issued after June 1) could be upgraded if we have a cool and dry April and May. Based on the present forecast, fungicide applications and the
rate of fungicides applied could be reduced, but only in those situations where fruit rot has not been a major issue.

As for the holding of late water, there are no negative indicators that rule against doing it this spring. Growers should determine whether to hold late water based on bed condition: was the bed sanded (and there are some
of these), does the bed show visible winter injury or other stresses (there may be some yellow vine syndrome showing up at this point) and was fruit rot incidence high in 2010? There should be minimal winter injury to vines because most beds were properly flooded with good snow and ice cover during the periods of coldest temperatures. Check the section on late water in the Chart Book for advice regarding whether to use this cultural practice. If you have any questions, please contact me (extension 18) or Carolyn
(extension 25).

Frank Caruso, Plant Pathology

As of April 1, there are 5 points out of a possible 10 that favor keeping quality for the 2010 Massachusetts cranberry crop. The 5 points were awarded for favorable sunshine hours from the previous year (4 points) and 1 point was awarded for favorable sunshine hours in February. The forecast is for GOOD keeping quality. The final keeping quality forecast (issued after June 1) could be upgraded if we have a cool and dry April and May. Based on the present forecast, fungicide applications and the rate of fungicides applied could be reduced.

As for the holding of late water, because we are currently two weeks ahead of normal plant phenological development, it is too late to start flooding for late water unless the bed was already flooded in the heavy rains of March 29-30. If the bed still has a significant depth of water, the vines should be totally submerged (see page 3). As for flood duration, call Carolyn DeMoranville (x 25) for advice. Check the section on late water in the Chart Book for advice regarding general information on this cultural practice. If you have any questions regarding the forecast, please contact Frank Caruso at x18.