June 30, 2017
Crop development: June bearing strawberry harvest continues; late varieties including Valley Sunset have begun to be picked in Southern Ontario, and will start soon in Eastern Ontario. Raspberry and blueberry crop potential continues to look good. Growers are picking the first harvest of fall bearing raspberries in Southern Ontario.
Growers experienced hail damage in different parts of the province this week, and wet weather continues to challenge growers in most of the province.
Blueberries:
Blueberries are turning colour and the first berries should be picked this week in Southern Ontario. Keep an eye on scale insects- it looks like the crawlers are about to emerge and move to other parts of your field. Use Movento to control the crawlers.
Raspberries: The first fall bearing raspberries and early summer raspberries have started to be harvested. Keep your fields picked clean to manage SWD as we move later into the season. Crown borer damage has been seen in a couple raspberry fields. Canes will wither and die, or have limited growth if crown borer is present. Dig up and cut through the crowns to find the larvae, frass and tunnels. Canes infested with crown borers will be easy to pull out of the ground.
Strawberries: Day neutrals: Continue to check for tarnished plant bug as the 2nd generation moves in. Hopper burn has been noticed in new June bearing and day neutral fields. Check the lower leaf surface for potato leafhoppers to determine if they are causing the leaf curl and discolouration. Nymphs are easiest to find or the white, empty skin from previous instars. Try to control PLH when nymphs are present. Anthracnose has shown up in a couple day neutral fields. Include a group M fungicide in your disease management program to manage both botrytis and anthracnose.
June bearing: plant bug, aphids, and cyclamen mite continue to be found this week. Mark the cyclamen mite hotspots for control next year. TPB could still be an issue in the late varieties, including Malwina which is still in bloom. Monitor your aphid populations and if the population begins to build up after an aphicide consider making another application.
Root and leaf diseases are easier to find this week. If you suspect phytophthora crown rot dig up the crowns and make a longitudinal cut. Phytophthora crown rot will cause a brown-reddish spongy rot in the crown, and roots will often appear black (Figure 1). Crown rot symptoms become more noticeable this time of the season, during fruit development or warm and hot weather. Leaf scorch, powdery mildew and angular leaf spot presence has increased this week.
Spotted-Wing Drosophila:
Michigan and New York have caught SWD across their states. Southwest Michigan has caught SWD earlier this year than in previous years, and are trapping two SWD flies per trap on average.
We are doing small scale regional monitoring this year. One or two SWD have been identified in traps in Kent, Essex, Niagara and Haldimand County. Presence in your county does not necessarily mean the flies are present in your crop. Check for SWD with a salt water test or plastic baggie test to confirm SWD is in your crop. Use regular sprays, thorough, clean harvest, and immediate post-harvest cooling to less than 5C or cooler to manage this pest. Check for SWD product registrations on OMAFRA’s website. A couple registrations to note: the Exirel label has been expanded to include SWD control on caneberries, Mako and Malathion have received emergency use registration again this year, and Entrust has a 1 day PHI for bushberries.
Happy 150th Canada!
0 comments on “Berry Bulletin June 30”