FRUIT:

• Apples:  Fruit set and fruit development is progressing.  In orchards that did not keep up with a fungicide spray program or that did not get good coverage on trees, scab is showing up at a higher incidence level.  Scouts noted the presence of low numbers of red and 2-spotted spider mites on some apple trees.

• Strawberries:  Berry picking is in full swing.  Scouts noted some leaf spot and anthracnose along with light levels of spittle bugs and some light slug feeding on ripe berries in some strawberry fields.  No spotted wing drosophila found in any of the traps.

• Grapes:  Scouts noted symptoms of grape black rot in some locations. Early season fungicide spray for control of grape black rot and phomopsis cane blight needs to continue.  Grape berry moth numbers in pheromone traps declined from the previous two weeks. 

• Brambles, Blackberries and Raspberries: Some anthracnose and cane blight noted by scouts at low levels in some plantings.

• Blueberries:  Some early varieties just beginning to turn color, no problems noted by scouts.  No spotted wing drosophila found in any of the traps.

FRUIT:

• Apples:  Fruit set and fruit development is progressing.  Some growers are applying chemical thinning to apple trees.  A second spray for codling moth should be made the week of June 9-13 based on our May 12 biofix date for codling moth.  Scouts are noting some orchards with plum curculio over threshold levels.  Some light levels of scab and fire blight are being noted.

• Peaches:  Due to winter injury and lack of blooms and fruit set most growers do not need to spray for OFM control.  There does exist a possibility that the second generation of OFM may move into nearby apple orchards and damage fruit.  Beginning around 700 GDD since biofix scouts will monitor apple orchards for OFM 2^nd generation flight.  Currently (6-6-14) we are at approximately 575GDD since biofix

•  Strawberries:  Most berries are ripening and picking began in some strawberry fields this week.  Scouts noted some botrytis, leaf spot and light levels of spittle bugs in some strawberry fields.

•  Grapes:  Scouts noted symptoms of grape black rot in some locations. Early season fungicide spray for control of grape black rot and phomopsis cane blight needs to continue.  Grape berry moths continue to be caught in pheromone traps.  Growers should spray for grape berry moth control the week of June 9-14.

•  Brambles, Blackberries and Raspberries: Orange rust was found in some locations.  Control recommendations include the removal of infected plants.

•  Blueberries:  Most plants are setting berries. 

FRUIT:

• Apples:  Biofix date for codling moth control was set as May 12.  Growing degree day (GDD) accumulation since that date is 124 until May 23.  By early next week growers should be applying an insecticide for codling moth control. Depending upon variety, apple stage of development ranged from petal fall to the beginning of fruit development.

•   Peaches:  Oriental fruit moth (OFM) bio-fix date of May 7 was set.  GDD are being tracked and 260 have accumulated since biofix.  Due to winter injury and lack of blooms and fruit set most growers do not need to spray for OFM control.  There does exist a possibility that the second generation of OFM may move into nearby apple orchards and damage fruit.  Beginning around 700 GDD since biofix scouts will monitor apple orchards for OFM 2^nd generation flight.

•  Strawberries: Scouts noted strawberries ranged from bloom to fruit set.  It is important to use fungicides during the infective bloom period to prevent botrytis gray mold of strawberry fruit.  Scouts also noted a few spittle bugs, some light slug feeding damage and some leaf spot on strawberry plants.

•  Grapes:  Scouts noting some cluster development.  Scouts noted some early symptoms of grape black rot in some locations. Early season fungicide spray for control of grape black rot and phomopsis cane blight needs to continue.

•  Brambles, Blackberries and Raspberries:  Brambles are at the pre-bloom stage of growth. Scouts noted the presence of the lesser carpenter bee, which bores into bramble canes.  Orange rust was found in some locations, but the spore stage of this disease development has not yet been reached.  Control recommendations include the removal of infected plants.

•  Blueberries:  Most plants are in full bloom and in some locations plants are beginning fruit set.  Phomopsis twig blight was found on a few plants.  Control is pruning out infected branches.

Fruit Update:

• Apples:  Codling moth trap numbers increased and in several orchards averaged 3 or more moths per trap.   A bio-fix date has been set as May 12.    Growing degree days (GDD) are being tracked to determine when pesticide application needs to be made to control codling moth larvae. Depending upon variety, apple stage of development ranged from bloom to petal fall.

•  Peaches:  Scouts are continuing to note winter damage.  Most trees do not have blossoms.  A few trees have a couple of blossoms.  Oriental fruit moth catches were very high.  A bio-fix date of May 7 was set.  GDD are being tracked.

•  Strawberries: Scouts noted strawberries are in bloom.  It is important to use fungicides during the infective bloom period to prevent botrytis gray mold of strawberry fruit.  Scouts also noted a few spittle bugs and some leaf spot on strawberry plants.

•  Grapes:  Scouts noting some cluster development.  Early season fungicide spray for control of grape black rot and phomopsis cane blight needs to continue.

•  Brambles, Blackberries and Raspberries: Scouts noted the presence of the lesser carpenter bee, which bores into bramble canes.  Scouts are watching for orange rust.

•  Blueberries:  Most plants are in full bloom.  Scouts noted yellow leaves in one planting.  Very probably the yellow leaves are related to soil pH being too high.

Fruit Update

Apples: 

• Codling moth trap numbers were low across all orchards.  No bio-fix date has been set.  Depending upon variety, apple stage of development ranged from bud to pink to bloom starting.

 Peaches:  

• Scouts are continuing to note winter damage.  Most trees do not have blossoms.  A few trees have a couple of blossoms.  Monitoring for oriental fruit moth began this week.

 Strawberries:

• Scouts noted that some strawberries were starting to bloom.

 Grapes: 

• Scouts noting some winter injury and winter kill on some vines.  Other vines are beginning to bud and leaf out.  Early season fungicide spray for control of grape black rot and phomopsis cane blight will need to begin at the 1-3 inch shoot growth stage.

 Brambles, Blackberries and Raspberries:

• Scouts are seeing winter kill back to the soil level on thornless black berries.  Thorny type blackberries and all raspberries are leafing out normally.

 Blueberries:

• Some varieties are starting to bloom.  Scouts noted yellow leaves in one planting.  Very probably the yellow leaves are related to soil pH being too high.

Fruit:   Apples

• Scouts are monitoring codling moth activity with pheromone traps.  When codling moth numbers average 3 or more per trap, a biofix date is set and growing degree days (GDD) are tracked from that biofix date.  Treatment options are based on GDD days accumulated from the biofix date.  Surprisingly, despite the cool spring, codling moth number at some locations range from near, to at that biofix threshold of 3 or more moths per trap average.

• Scouts are noting winter injury on peach trees with few trees showing any blossoms at  this point.