We’re getting close to the time when growers need to make chemical thinning decisions – for many the most perplexing and risky decision they will make all year. This is usually a tricky call to make, even more so when we have had spring frosts. Luckily in most places the spring frosts have not been[Read More…]
Crop Management
Everyone knows that pollinators, including but not limited to honey bees, are important for the production of fruit crops. A big topic in recent years has been the stresses that reduce honey bee populations. Although not most important, pesticides are one factor that can reduce the populations of pollinators. Here are some things fruit growers[Read More…]
Crop management through shoot and cluster thinning is a critical management practice for most varieties. Many varieties grown in Indiana tend to produce a large number of “non-count” shoots from adventitious buds and basal buds at count nodes. This lead to excess crop and shading in the canopy. Shoot thinning reduces excess shoot number to[Read More…]
In Lafayette grapes are at bud break to 2-inch shoots. Blackberries are at 3 to 4-inch shoots with flower clusters showing, and raspberries are at 2-3 inch shoots. Strawberries are just starting to bloom. Apples in the northern half of the state are approaching full bloom whereas petal fall is more common in more southern[Read More…]
Weather for 2016 continues to be unpredictable. And although bad weather can damage crops, it does little to stop the pathogens that plague pome fruit. The past few weeks of cool weather has slowed things down, but not scab—at least, not completely. All plants, insects, and pathogens develop in response to temperature–The warmer the weather,[Read More…]
The 2016 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide (ID-465) is available for purchase from the Purdue Education Store. This publication replaces two previous annual publications: The Midwest Tree Fruit Spray Guide (ID-168) and The Midwest Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide (ID-169). This guide provides pest management recommendations for commercial tree fruit, small fruit, and grape[Read More…]
A number of growers have experienced increasing problems with woolly apple aphids over the last several seasons. Part of the reason for the increased populations may be related to the changing spectrum of insecticides you are using to control other pests. Our experience has been that many of the aphicides that are available that provide[Read More…]
Management of European red mites is a continual process. Decisions made throughout the growing season will affect your mite populations. Outlined here are steps that can help with mite management. For a more complete explanation, please see the following publication: https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-258.pdf. Put on a timely Superior oil spray. See the article above. Conserver predator[Read More…]
One of the first and most important parts of a good insect and mite management program is the application of an early season oil spray to control European red mites, San Jose scale, and several species of aphids. Scales overwinter on the tree as nymphs and European red mites and aphids overwinter as eggs. Because[Read More…]