July 25, 2019
Strawberries: The June bearing harvest is slowing down across the province and growers are beginning to renovate. Malwina continues to be picked but will wrap up this week or early next week. Overall growers are happy with the strawberry crop this year. Renovation is ongoing.
Early day neutral harvest has begun in spring-planted fields.
Insects: Monitor for strawberry aphids and cyclamen mites in June bearing fields and tarnished plant bugs, potato leafhoppers, and two-spotted spider mites in day-neutrals. In new fields insecticides may be needed for potato leafhoppers and aphids. After harvest renovate and mow the plants as soon as possible to reduce SWD populations building up if there are other berry crops or later strawberry varieties on the farm.
Strawberry Aphids & Virus: Bearing fields will need an insecticide after mowing and new growth has emerged. Continue to protect your new fields through the summer as well. In new strawberry plantings choose products that will control aphids and leafhoppers, such as Sivanto Prime, Assail, Admire, Cygon or Lagon.
Cyclamen mites: Before renovating check fields for any mite damage. Flag any areas with damage for management after renovation or next spring. If there is damage on new growth after renovation control is needed. Check newly planted fields as well.
If a miticide is needed after renovation it is very important to slow down and get thorough coverage of the plants and crowns. Check previous bulletins for more recommendations and precautions on managing cyclamen mites.
If applying a miticide in the spring and after again renovation, alternate between Agri-mek and Vegol crop oil for resistance management.
There is limited Agri-mek available so if a spray is needed line up Agri-mek earlier than later. If there is damage the entire field or at least the entire variety should be sprayed.
Tarnished Plant Bug: Nymphs and adults are present in day-neutral fields. Continue to monitor for TPB in day-neutrals and include an insecticide when necessary. Malathion for SWD will also control TPB.
Disease: Powdery mildew can be found in day-neutrals. Powdery mildew, botrytis and anthracnose need to be managed on day-neutrals at this time. Anthracnose resistance to group 11s (including Pristine, Cabrio and Quadris Top) has been identified in Ontario. Tank mix these products with a group M for resistance management.
Leaf diseases (leaf spot, leaf blight) have been found in June bearing fields. Leaf spot can be managed with Group M and Group 3 products if necessary.
Blueberries: Harvest continues this week in southern Ontario and is beginning in eastern Ontario.
If possible, do not spray late blueberry varieties until they are close to harvest. There are limited options for blueberry growers so if you can leave blocks unsprayed until necessary the more options you will have later. Fruit is not susceptible to SWD until it is turning colour. Exirel will control SWD and Japanese beetle.
Raspberries: harvest continues this week and there is a good crop of summer raspberries being harvested this week. Harvest will end next week in southern Ontario. Black raspberry harvest has also begun. Raspberries are very attractive to SWD so it is important that you keep your fields as clean as possible and maintain a tight spray schedule. Primocane fruiting raspberries are in bloom.
Potato leafhopper damage can be found on new growth on primocanes. Malathion and Assail can be used to control leafhoppers. Malathion is a good choice as it will also control SWD. Management for SWD continues- see below for recommendations.
Spotted Wing Drosophila: SWD has been caught in Chatham- Kent, Essex, Elgin, Norfolk, Hamilton-Wentworth, Niagara, Wellington, Halton, Durham, Northumberland and Ottawa-Carleton county and numbers are increasing.
If there is ripe fruit present in your area it is at risk for SWD damage. SWD should be managed by harvesting early, thoroughly and often- every 1 to 2 days. Weekly sprays are also needed in to help keep SWD under control. Stay up-to-date on SWD trap catches by following our blog: onfruit.ca.
Do not count on sprays alone– use as many of these tools as possible through the season to control SWD:
- Keep your fruit picked regularly and clean!
- Cool fruit immediately after harvest.
- Keep alleys clean- either remove unmarketable fruit or crush it in the alley
- After unmarketable fruit is removed it should be destroyed (disposed of or leave in plastic bags in the sun).
- SWD is more active in the early morning and evenings. Spray from 6-10 am or 6-10 pm is possible.
- In fall bearing raspberries, SWD can build up on the early fruit at the base of the cane. If you are not harvesting this fruit, consider removing it. If this is not possible, direct a nozzle to the base of the canes and start an insecticide program now on fall bearing varieties where fruit is ripening
- SWD registrations are posted on our blog here: https://onfruit.ca/2019/06/21/registrations-for-spotted-wing-drosophila-june-2019/
- Check our blog for regular SWD updates and counts
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