Fruit Pest News

Volume 8, No. 1  March 14, 2007

A weekly, online newsletter whose goal is to provide all interested persons with timely information

on diseases and insects of commercial fruit and vegetable crops in Tennessee.

 

Text appearing in blue or red can be clicked to link to other web sites. Be aware that much of the linked

information is produced in other states and may not be applicable to Tennessee.

Welcome to the first issue of the eighth volume of Fruit Pest News, an IPM newsletter for fruit and vegetable crops grown in Tennessee. One of our most important functions is to keep you apprised of pest occurrences in the state. So please let us know when you see a disease or insect for the first time for the year, or if you have an unusual outbreak. We won't use your name. Our contact numbers are at the end of each issue of the newsletter.

Fruit Pest News also brings you research reports, pesticide registration changes, and other pest-related news. There will be a new issue each week through mid-July, then every two weeks through early October. The newsletter should be available for viewing on the Internet each Wednesday. We hope the newsletter is helpful to you, so please let us know of any changes we can make to better meet your needs.

In This Issue:

 

    1. Current Conditions

    2. Spray Guides: Where to Find

    3. Pheromone Trap Time Again

    4. Dormant and Delayed Dormant Oil Sprays

    5. Fruit and Vegetable Insecticide Registration Update

    6. Vegetable Disease Control Recommendation Additions for 2007

    7. Fruit Disease Control Recommendation Additions for 2007

    8. Avoid Contamination of Produce

    9. Indar Fungicide Approved for Use on Blueberries

    10. Indar Fungicide Approved for Use on Apples

1. Current Conditions

 The sudden onset of spring may have many people thinking that we are ahead of normal, and some types of plants may be. On the whole, however, we are close to normal. Last year at this time, unusually warm weather had peaches in full bloom and apples at tight cluster. Now, Redhaven peaches at Nashville are at pink tip and Golden Delicious apples are at green tip. O'Neal blueberries began blooming at Nashville on March 12, a couple of days behind normal. Keep a close eye on crop progress and make timely sprays. Frost appears likely this weekend, especially in East Tennessee. (SB)

2. Spray Guides: Where to Find

Some of the fruit and vegetable spray guides that we commonly use in Tennessee have been revised and are now available.

(SB

3. Pheromone Trap Time Again

Pheromone traps have been mailed to our cooperators. On February 22, a redbanded leafroller (RBLR) was caught in the old trap still in the tree from last year. On February 22, I put out new redbanded leafroller and variegated leafroller (VLR) traps with fresh pheromone at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville. There was one RBLR moth in the trap on February 28, three on March 2, fifty on March 12, and twelve on March 13. The biofix for RBLR is February 28. Warm night temperatures got the moths flying. The other pheromone traps will be put out soon. (FH)

4. Dormant and Delayed Dormant Oil Sprays

We continue to stress the importance of using superior oil as Dormant and Delayed Dormant sprays for tree fruit because they are relatively inexpensive and quite effective. Higher rates provide an incremental improvement in control, but two applications typically outperform a single, high rate application. Temperatures that are consistently cool are optimal for oil application. Avoid spraying when temperatures are to drop near freezing or are expected to be unseasonably warm. The delayed dormant sprays are especially effective on scale insects as they become more active with the warmer temperatures. (FH)

5. Fruit and Vegetable Insecticide Registration Update

Bifenthrin (Capture 2EC) by FMC Corporation has a new updated label. Crops added to the label include okra, cilantro, coriander, dried beans and peas, leafy brassicas, tuberous and corm vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes and other listed crops), and tobacco. Concerning tuberous and corm vegetables, Capture 2EC may be applied as an in-furrow planting time treatment for the control of wireworms, rootworms, and white grubs. Capture may also be used on these crops as a lay-by treatment for these same pests and can be used as a foliar spray for control of the adult life stages of flea beetles, click beetles (wireworms), cucumber beetles (rootworms), whitefringed beetles and May/June beetles (white grubs). (FH)

Dinotefuran (Safari 20 SG) is a neonicotinoid insecticide (Group 4A insecticides) by Valent. It is primarily for use on ornamental plants but a new supplemental label has revised information on treatments for field and container grown ornamentals, as well as new labeling for vegetable transplants grown in enclosed structures. On vegetable transplants (cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, head and stem brassica, and leafy vegetables), Safari 20 SG is labeled for control of aphids, leafminers, mealybugs, thrips (suppression), and whiteflies (including silverleaf/sweetpotato [B and Q biotypes]). Leafy vegetables have a 7 day preharvest interval (PHI) while the other listed vegetable crops only have a one day PHI. (FH)

Fenpropathrin (Danitol 2.4 EC Spray) has a new supplemental label for use on bushberries (blueberry, elderberry, gooseberry, huckleberry, Juneberry, lingonberry, salai, and currant), fruiting vegetables (only had tomatoes on label prior to this supplemental label), and pea (succulent). This latest update (Form 2006-Dan-0012) has plum curculio added for bushberries. Currant has cane borer listed with a 21 day PHI while the other bushberry crops only have a 3 day PHI. (FH)

6. Additions to Vegetable Disease Control Recommendations for 2007

Crop

Product

Important diseases

Bean, dry

Nova

soybean rust

Bean, lima

Nova

soybean rust

Corn, sweet

Stratego

blights, rusts

Cucurbits (all)

Ranman

downy mildew, Phytophthora blight

Sovran

gummy stem blight

Lettuce

Quintec

powdery mildew

Potato

Evito

early blight

Ranman

late blight

Tomato, field

Ranman

late blight

Tomato, greenhouse

Tanos

early blight, late blight, leaf mold

Endura

Botrytis, early blight

sulfur

powdery mildew

(SB)

7. Additions to Fruit Disease Control Recommendations for 2007

The following registration and other changes have occurred within the last year and have been made in our recommendations for 2007.

Apples

Blueberries

Plums

Strawberries

(SB)

8. Avoid Contamination of Produce

With strawberry frost protection season coming up, keep in mind that any water that contacts ready-to-eat produce represents a contamination threat. In light of the various situations we have faced over the last year with contamination of produce, we should make sure any water that contacts ready-to-eat produce is of good microbial quality. The USDA and FDA guidance on Good Agricultural Practices can be found at:  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodguid.html. It is not thrilling reading .... I hope to have a guest expert present a reader-friendly article in the next issue of Fruit Pest News. (SB)

9. Indar Approved for Use in Blueberries

Indar 75WSP fungicide has received a supplemental federal label for use in blueberries. Indar (fenbuconazole) belongs to the sterol demethylation inhibitor (DMI) class of fungicides, and is the only member of this class currently registered for use on blueberries. Indar has been used in stone fruit crops for several years.

On blueberries, Indar provides excellent control of mummy berry and good control of Phomopsis twig blight. It can be applied at green tip and two to three times during bloom for control of mummy berry and Phomopsis twig blight. In Georgia, where Indar has been used under a Section 24C state label, it has been observed that Indar, when used alone, will actually increase rots like anthracnose rip rot. Tank mixing with captan during bloom is required to circumvent this problem. Since anthracnose tends to be more of a problem in Tennessee blueberries than mummy berry or twig blight, tank mixing is especially important. Indar will also control blueberry rust, Septoria leaf spot, and powdery mildew, but these diseases are not usually important in Tennessee.

The application rate is 2 oz per acre, with a limit of 4 applications per year. The re-entry interval is 12 hours and the pre-harvest interval is 30 days. Incorporate Indar into a resistance management program, tank mixing or alternating with other fungicides.

The new Indar use instructions are not presently included in the blueberry section of the southeast regional spray guide, but will be added soon. (SB)

10. Indar Approved for Use on Apples

Indar 75WSP, a DMI fungicide from Dow Agrosciences, has received a supplemental federal label for use in apples. Indar (fenbuconazole) joins Nova, Procure, Rubigan, and Bayleton as DMI's registered for use in apples.

The diseases listed on the Indar label are apple scab, rusts, powdery mildew, sooty blotch, and flyspeck. Scab and rust control are Indar's strengths. According to Dr. Turner Sutton, NC State University, Indar's activity against powdery mildew may lag that of Nova, but Indar may have the edge in scab control. The DMI's are best known on apples as springtime fungicides, but Indar has moderate activity against a couple of summer diseases - sooty blotch and flyspeck. However, Indar should be used as a springtime fungicide. Although it could double as secondary scab material during the summer, we have other fungicides that we can use for that purpose and, at the same time, obtain better control of sooty blotch and flyspeck.

Indar is labeld at 2.67 oz per acre, with a limit of 4 applications per year and a preharvest interval of 14 days. It should be applied as a tank mix with a contact fungicide such as captan or mancozeb.

This registration occurred after the 2007 apple spray guide went to press, so it will not appear in our recommendations until 2008. (SB)

The Fruit Pest News URL is: http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/fpn/fpn.htm

Contacts:

 

Steve Bost, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist

scbost@utk.edu

 

Frank Hale, Professor and Extension Entomologist

fahale@utk.edu

 

Both authors available at:

615-832-6802

fax 615-781-2568

Plant and Pest Diagnostic Center

5201 Marchant Drive

Nashville, TN 37211

 

Copyright 2007 The University of Tennessee. All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to University of Tennessee Extension.

 

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.