Crop Update:

Strawberries

Some growers were busy frost protecting again last weekend (May 30-June 1) before temperatures rose through the week.  Field and table-top day-neutrals and row-covered June-bearing strawberries are being harvested. There is ripening fruit in early June bearing varieties and green fruit in mid and late-season varieties.

On spring-planted day-neutrals clip fruit buds and bloom until the plant is well established- about 4-6 leaves. Runners should also be removed from these fields. Fruit buds should be removed on newly planted June-bearing strawberries as well to help the plant establish.

Disease:

• Make sure to protect any late varieties that are blooming now or will be soon for botrytis and anthracnose. Spraying after bloom for anthracnose and botrytis is needed if there are warm & wet conditions.
• Now that day-neutrals are being picked and June-bearing are not far off, keep in mind the restrictions on using captan- there is a 6-8 day pre-harvest interval for hand harvest. Use Switch/Button (9+12) or Miravis Prime (7+12) for anthracnose control when there is high disease pressure (hot & humid with rain).
• See the  Strawberry Disease Decision Support System for the risk of anthracnose and botrytis infection.  Use the disease prediction models to time fungicide applications for anthracnose and botrytis.
• Neopestalotiopsis can cause leaf blight, fruit rot and crown rot on strawberries. Last week the PMRA announced the Emergency Use Registration for Allegro ® 500 F Agricultural Fungicide for the suppression of Neopestalotiopsis leaf blight and fruit rot on strawberries. See below or the onfruit.ca blog post for more details.

Insects:

• Continue to monitor for tarnished plant bug, thrips, aphids, cyclamen mite and two-spotted spider mite. In new fields monitor for aphids, flea beetles and potato leafhoppers.
• Cyclamen mite damage is easier to find in some fields where leaves are crinkled and plants are stunted. In late varieties there is still time to apply a miticide now to reduce injury. In varieties with harvest beginning plan to spray after renovation. Pick in clean blocks first before moving to infested blocks or fields.
• Tarnished plant bug: pressure remains fairly low where growers have applied an insecticide but don’t forget about late varieties like Valley Sunset and Malwina.

Raspberries

Raspberries are at the bloom to green fruit stage. Do not use an insecticide during bloom.  Check primocanes for raspberry cane borer injury. Cut any affected primocane tips below the lower girdle/zipper when you see injury. Watch for leaf shredding and check for raspberry sawfly larvae on the underside on damaged leaves.

Product Update

Gatten® (flutianil, PCP# 34297, FRAC group U13) is now registered for powdery mildew control on strawberries (outdoor).

• Rate: 440- 590 mL/ha
  • PHI: 0 days
  • REI: 12 hours
  • Max apps: do not apply more than 5 applications per year.
  • The registrant recommends the addition of a registered surfactant to improve coverage. Contact Cohort Wholesale for more information.

See the Hub for comments and more details.

Allegro ® (fluazinam, PCP# 27517, FRAC group 29) label expanded via Emergency Use Registration to manage Neopestalotiopsis on field strawberries.

• Rate: 1.5 L/ha
• PHI: 7 days
• REI: 2 days
• Max apps: Do not apply more than 4 applications per year.

Allegro has received emergency use registration for suppression of Neopestalotiopsis leaf blight and fruit rot (Neopestalotiopsis sp.). When applied for Neopestalotiopsis leaf blight and fruit rot Allegro may have activity against Botrytis and anthracnose fruit rot.

See this blog post for more information.

Spotted Wing Drosophila Monitoring

Traps have gone up for spotted wing drosophila at a few sites across the province- Norfolk, Elgin, Halton, and Hamilton. Watch the berry bulletin or the onfruit.ca blog for regular updates on traps catches.

A single spotted wing drosophila was identified at two sites last week, in Norfolk and Elgin counties. Management is not needed until we have sustained catch (2 weeks in a row) and ripe fruit is present.

Trap collected week of:	County/region where SWD was trapped	# of traps with SWD	Total number of SWD trapped this week	# SWD/positive trap
May 26- June 1	0	0	0	0
June 2-June 8	Norfolk, Elgin	2	2	1

While it is not unusual to identify SWD at this point in the season this is a reminder to prepare for SWD management now:

• Calibrate your sprayers now to get excellent spray coverage.
• Spray when adults are most active, in the early morning and evenings.
• Keep alleys clean, and destroy unmarketable fruit
• Use salt water tests or plastic baggie tests once harvest begins to evaluate your management program
• Make the environment less favourable to SWD- prune the canopy and manage water to reduce humidity (repair leaking drop lines).

Herbicide Resistance Testing

• No-cost Molecular Herbicide Resistance Testing Available for Ontario Growers. Check out onfruit for details on submitting samples for fast, accurate, resistance confirmation- for Free!

Upcoming events

Mark your calendars for these exciting events coming up for berry growers!

• August 12-13– NASGA Summer Tour, Nova Scotia
• September 3– Strawberry High Tunnel Grower Day, EZ Grow Farms (more details to come)
• September 4– BGO’s Annual Twilight Meeting, Howe Family Farms