Fruit:

Overall both apples and peaches are still looking good although scouts did note a large increase in both European red mites and 2-spotted spider mites on some varieties of apples the last couple of weeks.  Populations were large enough that miticide treatments were recommended.  Some traps for oriental fruit moth(OFM) had higher moth captures, indicating that we probably have second generation OFM so a biofix date will be set and growing degree days will be tracked to determine when insecticide applications should be made to peach trees.

In the small fruit area strawberry harvest has ended, and growers will need to start thinking about renovation in fields that will be kept for next year production.   Some red raspberries and black raspberries are beginning harvest, and some blueberry varieties also have ripe berries.  Birds are already working on some of the ripe blueberries.  Grapes are developing fruit which are approximately pea-sized to a little larger at this point. Japanese beetles are showing up in grapes but any damage is below threshold at this point. Scouts are monitoring and trapping for spotted wing drosophila fruit flies and all trap counts are negative at this point.

Vegetables:

            Recent rainfall events have caused ponding in some areas of fields and lots of areas of wet, saturated soils.  As a result scouts are seeing yellowing of plant leaves, damping off, and some dying plants.  While diseases were very minimal in most vegetable fields through mid-June, the rains and higher temperature and humidity since then has kicked off some disease cycles and scouts are noting more incidences of disease during the scouting week beginning June 22.  Sally Miller’s announcement of downy mildew being found in SE Michigan on June 22 triggered an advisory to begin a protectant fungicide spray program on cucumbers and melons.

Tomatoes are ripening and harvest is underway in some high tunnels, but some growers need to work on opening up the tunnel to get more air movement and to reduce some of the high relative humidity that can be present.  Scouts have noted leaf mold, early blight, sclerotina timber rot, blossom end rot and yellow shoulder in high tunnel tomatoes.  The first diagnosis of bacterial spot in high tunnel tomatoes was made this week.  Scouts also found some evidence of stink bugs, seeing stings on tomato fruit. (See photo below)

Field grown tomatoes are at flower and fruit set. Until the week of June 22 no diseases had been found by scouts in field tomatoes, however that has changed and scouts reported plants in some fields with symptoms of septoria leaf spot, early blight, and bacterial spot and possible bacterial canker.

Onions and garlic are developing well in the majority of fields.  Scouts have found yellow strip virus, a potyvirus, in garlic.  A couple of onion fields have some purple blotch (alternaria), while thrips have remained below treatment threshold level, possibly due at least in part to all the rainfall events.  Cole crops look good overall, although a few fields are at threshold level for imported cabbage worm larvae and need to be treated.

Green snap beans are at a range of development stages as staggered planting continues.  Some early plantings are just at harvest ready.  Common pest problems include, bean leaf beetle leaf feeding, flea beetles, potato leaf hoppers  and Japanese beetles.  Currently all pests are below threshold levels.  Eggplant and pepper plantings were doing well, but some saturated soils may change that status over the next couple of weeks in some fields.  Scouts did note Colorado potato beetle feeding on some eggplant at threshold level.  Some peppers have fruit with symptoms of blossom end rot and there is some leaf spot showing up on some plants as well.

Sweet corn is another crop at various development stages due to staggered planting and growth stages range from V-2 to tassel and silking.   Both corn earworm and European corn borer moths are being caught in pheromone traps.  Corn earworm moth numbers are low, 2-3/trap while corn borer moth counts ranged from 0 to 15/trap.   European corn borer larvae feeding damage and larvae are being found, and with some fields at tassel and silking stage, the threshold level of damage has been reached and growers have been advised to spray.  Japanese beetles and corn rootworm beetles are also present, currently at low levels in some fields.

As mentioned at the beginning of this report, cucumber and melon growers are being advised to start a protectant fungicide spray program against downy mildew.  Other diseases that have shown up in vine crops include angular leaf spot, anthracnose and alternaria/target spot.  Some water logged fields have plants dying back due to wet soils.  Growers have treated for cucumber beetle pressure in squash, pumpkins, zucchini and melons and treatment has been effective as scouts have noted the presence of dead beetles.  Other fields have reached threshold level and will need to be treated.

Many potatoes are in flower and tuber development. (See photo below)  Colorado potato beetles is at or above threshold levels in some fields and in others control treatments have been successful in bring beetle numbers down.  Potato leaf hopper numbers have remained low.  Other insects noted at low levels in potato fields include flea beetles and tarnished plant bugs.  In a few fields scouts have found some plants with black leg.

Agronomic Field Crops:

Corn is at a range of maturity stages and in some fields that were planted on the same day there is a range in corn height, much of which can be attributed to drainage or lack of drainage and wet soils.  A lot of corn is in the v-8 to v-11 growth stage, corresponding to growth stages when the requirement for nitrogen increases.  Along with that, scouts did note some yellowing of bottom  leaves of corn.  Plants that are short of nitrogen and that need nitrogen for growth will pull nitrogen out of lower leaves and use it for new growth.  Nitrogen shortage in some fields could be attributed to nitrogen loss over the past couple of weeks due to rain and wet soils resulting in nitrogen leaching below the root zone and/or denitrification of nitrogen and loss into the atmosphere. (See photo below)

Scouts are noting low levels of corn borer larvae leaf feeding damage along with low levels of Japanese beetles, tarnished plant bugs and some slugs.  Disease-wise, grey leaf spot was noted at low levels in some fields.

In soybeans wet soils are causing plants to yellow and in some areas where plants were submerged, there is plant death.  Soybeans range from v-4 to R-l growth stage.  Bean leaf beetle, grasshoppers and Japanese beetles are all doing some leaf feeding but all damage remains below treatment threshold levels.  Scouts did find some brown spot and some possible bacterial leaf disease in soybeans this week.  Damage to stands is also being caused by deer and groundhog feeding.

Rain has hampered second cut harvest of alfalfa.  Once that happens, scouts will be monitoring for potato leaf hoppers.

Bottom corn leaves yellowing as plants mobilize N for upper leaves. Photo by Chris Smedley, IPM scout

Stinkbug stings on tomato fruit. Photo by Chris Smedley, IPM scout

Potato field in bloom, photo by Rory Lewandowski

General:  The common theme that was impacting fruit, vegetable and agronomic field crops this week was waterlogged, saturated soils as a result of all the rainfall we have had recently.  Depending upon the specific crop this is going to have impacts that will range from plant death, to root rots, to fruiting disorders, to reduced yields and secondary plant diseases. (See photo below)

Fruit:

Overall both apples and peaches are still looking good although scouts did note a large increase in both European red mite and 2-spotted spider mites on some varieties of apples.  Populations were large enough that miticide treatments were recommended.  In the small fruit area strawberry harvest is approaching an end, while some red raspberries will soon begin harvest, and some blueberry varieties also have ripe berries.  Grapes are developing fruit which are approximately pea-sized at this point.  Scouts are monitoring and trapping for spotted wing drosophila fruit flies and all trap counts are negative at this point.

Vegetables:

The biggest issue that scouts are running into is high tunnel management with tomatoes.   Tomatoes are ripening and harvest is underway in some tunnels, but some growers need to work on opening up the tunnel to get more air movement and to reduce some of the high relative humidity that can be present.  Scouts have noted leaf mold, early blight, sclerotina timber rot, blossom end rot and yellow shoulder in high tunnel tomatoes. (See photo below) Field grown tomatoes are at flower and fruit set with no disease problems currently being reported.

Onions and garlic are developing well in the majority of fields.  This past week scouts did find yellow stripe virus, a potyvirus, in garlic.  A couple of onion fields have some purple blotch (alternaria), while thrips have remained below treatment threshold level.

Growers have treated for cucumber beetle pressure in squash, pumpkins, zucchini and melons and treatment has been effective as scouts have noted the presence of dead beetles.  Other fields have reached threshold level and will need to be treated.

Green snap beans are at a range of development stages as staggered planting continues.  Some early plantings are just at harvest ready.  Common pest problems include slugs, bean leaf beetle leaf feeding and flea beetles.  Currently all pests are below threshold levels.

Sweet corn is another crop at various development stages due to staggered planting and growth stages range from V-1 to tassel and silking.  Black cutworm leaf feeding is still being detected at low levels not exceeding 10%, while European corn borers feeding damage and larvae are being found. (See photo below)

Many potatoes are in flower and tuber development.  Colorado potato beetles is at or above threshold levels in some fields and in others control treatments have been successful in bring beetle numbers down.

Agronomic Field Crops:

Soybeans: The big concern voiced from scouts was ponding and saturated soils.  This is a particular concern in soybeans where in many of the fields the crop just seems to be standing still and is not advancing in growth stage.  Some damping off has been observed in some portions of some soybean fields.  Insect pests present include slugs, flea beetles, bean leaf beetle and Japanese beetles.  None at threshold level.

Corn:  Corn ranges in development from V-1 to V-9.  European corn borer feeding evidence is being found in traited corn, but no live larvae are found.  In non-traited corn, European corn borer feeding varies from slight to one field where 49% of the plants sampled showed symptoms of feeding damage.  Water ponding is a concern in many fields. Also slug damage is being noted on the lower leaves and slug can be found in areas of heavy fodder. (See photo below)

Alfalfa: Rains are delaying second harvest.  Potato leaf hopper (PLH) counts increased this week, averaging between 1 and 9 PLH adults and nymphs per 10 sweep sample, but since alfalfa height is averaging between 15 to 30 inches, these numbers are still below threshold.  Other insects noted by scouts include pea aphids, alfalfa plant bug, tarnished plant bug and Japanese beetles.  None are at threshold levels.

Photos by Chris Smedley and Austin Pelyak

Vegetables:

Onions and garlic continue to develop and thrip numbers have remained low, below treatment threshold.  Purple blotch, a fungal disease was found by scouts in a planting and a sample taken to the Sally Miller vegetable pathology lab on the OARDC campus in Wooster, where the diagnosis was confirmed.

Beets, peas and lettuce plantings all are looking good with no pest problems found by scouts.  Cole crops, including cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli are also doing well with minimal pests detected.  Scouts have found light levels of flea beetles and slugs on these crops.  Some plantings of broccoli are ready to harvest.

Many potato plantings were in flower this week.  The pest present in the largest numbers is the Colorado potato beetle and it is above economic treatment threshold in several fields, triggering a recommendation to spray with an effective insecticide. (See photo below) Other insect pests noted by scouts included potato leaf hoppers and flea beetles.  Scouts did submit some samples to the vegetable pathology lab at OARDC suspecting black leg.  A diagnostic report will be forthcoming from the lab.

Zucchini is ready to harvest from some of the early plantings.  This week some blossom end rot showed up on some fruit.  Angular leaf spot, a bacterial disease, was found on some plants as well.  Scouts also noted the presence of cucumber beetles at low levels.  In some of the fall squash and pumpkin plantings angular leaf spot was detected and scouts noted evidence of mice damage.  Melons, after a slow start are responding to warmer weather and beginning to grow, with vines starting to run in some plantings, while others are at the bloom and fruit set stage of development.  Cucumbers have a range of growth stages from recently transplanted to plantings that are at the bloom to fruit set stage.  Scouts noted some low levels of angular leaf spot and some light slug feeding damage on various cucumber plantings.

Green snap beans are at flower to pod development in some plantings.  Scouts have noted the presence of slugs and bean leaf beetle feeding.  Both pests and the damage they are causing are below economic treatment thresholds.  In eggplant plantings scouts are noting both flea beetles and Colorado potato beetles present at low levels.   Some pepper plantings are at flower and fruit set.  This week scouts noted some potato leaf hoppers and slugs.  Some of the slug damage was heavy enough in some areas of some plantings to recommend the use of a bait to control slugs.  Scouts also noted some pythium damping off in some recent transplants.

Sweet corn growers are stagger planting sweet corn and development stages range from emergence to V-10 and approaching tassel.  Slugs continue to be present and leaf feeding damage ranges from 0 to 15%.  Black cutworms are still active and scouts are noting the occasional cut plant on younger plantings.  European corn borer feeding damage showed up on scout reports this week, on some plants ranging from 1 to 6 % leaf damage.

Tomatoes under high tunnels have ripening fruit and some harvest has begun.  Most high tunnel tomatoes look good but scouts are finding some botrytis gray mold and some early blight.  Also this past week, timber rot or sclerotinia was found in a few plants in a couple of high tunnels.  Field tomatoes are doing well and growers are busy staking and tieing up tomato vines.  Many plantings are in bloom and fruit is being set.

Fruit:

Both apples and peaches are developing and overall, minimal disease and insect problems are being noted by scouts. (See photo of Stink bug below) Depending upon their location in the county and their biofix date, growers have just completed, or will be completing in the coming week their follow up application against codling moth in apples.  Growers should have completed this week their follow up application against first generation oriental fruit moth in peaches.

Strawberries are being harvested.  Scouts did find some heavy slug damage in some areas of some strawberry plantings this past week, enough so that baiting was recommended.  Scouts are monitoring for spotted wing drosophila, but all trap counts are negative at this point.  The first trap catch of grape berry moths was noted by scouts this week.  This will trigger a recommendation to treat against larval feeding damage during the June 15-30 time frame.  Brambles and blueberries both are developing without any significant pest problems at this time.  Some blueberries are beginning to turn color.

Agronomic Field Crops:

Corn is responding to the recent warm temperatures and sunny days.  Fields that had shown some striping with possible sulfur deficiency symptoms are growing out of that appearance.  Many fields range in development from V-6 to V-8 stage of growth.  Scouts noted slug leaf feeding at 2-15% in some fields, and also found some stalkborer damage at light levels.  European corn borer  larvae feeding damage was also found.  See photo below of a European corn borer pheromone trap set this week in sweet corn.

Soybean stage of growth ranged from emergence to V-2 this week.  Some low lying fields with heavy corn residue have spots where crusting combined with the residue have reduced emergence.  Scouts found that the seeds have germinated but have not yet been able to push through the soil surface.  Slugs are being found and in a few areas leaf feeding damage is at 30%.  Bean leaf beetle leaf feeding is present in some fields, but at very light levels, not exceeding 8%.  Ground hogs are doing damage in some fields as well.

Alfalfa is growing well after first harvest and heights have ranged from 6 to 21 inches depending upon the field and harvest date.  Scouts started sweeping fields for potato leaf hoppers this week and some have been found, but at low levels, typically 1 or fewer per 10 sweep sample.  Other insects noted in alfalfa fields include aphids, some at moderate levels, but scouts are also noting the presence of lady beetles as an aphid predator.  Some clover worms and grasshoppers have also been detected.

Photos by Austin  Pelyak and Rory Lewandowski

Fruit:

Overall apples look good.  Scouts are noting some fire blight symptoms in susceptible varieties and also noted some low levels of scab present on a few trees.  Most growers are following the spray recommendations for control of codling moth in apples and oriental fruit moth in peaches based on growing degree days (GDD) from biofix or making a second follow up application based on 10-14 days after the first spray application.  Scouts did note some low levels of green apple aphids and red mites present on some apple trees.

Strawberry harvest has started.  Some common pests noted by scouts included slugs, spittle bugs, and tarnished plant bugs, all below economic treatment levels.  The cooler, wet weather we had the past week was favorable to the development of botrytis gray mold, especially on any berries in direct contact with the soil.  On some varieties, leaf spot is a moderate to high levels.

Other small fruit including grapes, brambles and blueberries all look good and did not have any insect or disease problems at this time.

Vegetables:

Tomatoes are starting to be harvested from some high tunnels.  Probably the most frequently observed issue is botrytis gray mold.  Scouts did note the presence of early blight symptoms on some plants in some high tunnels this week.  Field tomatoes are in bloom and beginning to set fruit in some fields.  In other fields plants still have some symptoms of transplant shock and are leggy.  No disease or insect problems were observed in field grown tomatoes.

Thrips have remained at low levels in onions and garlic.  Botrytis gray mold symptoms were observed on some onion leaves. (See photo below)  Cole crops generally look good.  Slugs and flea beetles are present and doing some leaf damage but a low, non-economic threshold levels.  A few imported cabbage worm larvae were found, nothing at economic treatment levels.

Cucumber beetle numbers are increasing and in some summer squash, melon and cucumber plantings numbers were at or above economic treatment levels and growers were being advised to spray.

Eggplant and pepper transplants in some fields were showing symptoms of cold stress.  Low levels of flea beetle and Colorado potato beetle were observed on eggplants, while low levels of aphids and slugs were found on peppers.

Sweet corn has been staggered planted and growth development ranges from v-1 to V-7.  Slugs, black cutworm, and armyworm have all been noted in sweet corn plantings, but none of the pests were at an economic treatment level.

Colorado potato beetles have increased to economic treatment levels on several potato fields this past week and flea beetles are also present.

Beets, peas and lettuce were all noted as doing well with no pest problems observed.

Agronomic Field Crops:

Corn ranges from emerging to V-6 stage of development, with a lot of corn in the V-4 to V-5 stage.  Slugs, black cutworm and armyworm pests were all noted this past week but none at an economic treatment threshold.  Deer damage is being noted in some fields.

Most soybeans are at the V-C to V-1 stage of development.  Bean leaf beetle feeding damage is being noted in some feeds, generally very light and under 10% damage.  Slugs are also present at low levels.

Alfalfa is regrowing following first harvest and regrowth ranges in size from a couple of inches to 10 inches.  Aphids are showing up in low numbers.  Some fields have light to  moderate levels of leaf spot disease symptoms.