Fruit Pest News

Volume 8, No. 16    July 5, 2007

A weekly, online newsletter whose goal is to update Extension agents and growers of commercial tree fruit and small fruit crops

on diseases and insects in Tennessee.


This issue of Fruit Pest News contains a subject index for all issues to date for this year. The opening page of the Fruit Pest News web site contains a list of all of the issues. You can connect to the issue of interest there.

We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your readership. Suggestions for topics to address are very welcome. We're grateful for the insect trap counts that some of you have been sending us. We would like to hear when you see a disease or insect for the first time for the year, or if you are experiencing a severe outbreak. The weekly format of this newsletter is designed for reporting such time-sensitive news. Try to phone or e-mail us your news. Of course, all reports are kept anonymous (unless you want us to use your name!). (SB)


In This Issue:

 

    1. Fruit Pest News Index, 3/14/07-6/20/07

    2. Control of Corn Earworm in Sweet Corn with Pyrethroid Insecticides

    3. European Corn Borer in Pepper and Sweet Corn

    4. Grape Berry Moth

    5. Inspect Apples for Signs of Feeding Damage

    6. Pheromone Trap Catch Reports


 Fruit Pest News Index, 3/14/06 through 6/20/06

Crop

Subject

Issue Date

Apple

cedar-apple rust, strategy

5/8

 

codling moth

4/3

 

copper sprays, dormant

3/21

 

dogwood borer

5/29

 

dormant oil spray

3/14

 

fire blight, control during bloom

3/28

 

fire blight, control on no-fruit trees

4/10, 5/8

 

fire blight, first report

4/17

 

fire blight, pruning strategies in young trees

6/12

 

fire blight, trauma blight

6/12

 

fire blight, what to do when appears

5/29

 

fungicide spray program, early-season

3/28

 

insects, pheromone traps, count updates

3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5, 6/12, 6/19

 

insects, pheromone traps, notes

3/14, 3/21

 

insects, possible effects of April freeze on

6/12

 

insecticides for tight cluster to pink sprays

3/28

 

Indar fungicide labeled

3/14

 

plum curculio

4/3

 

powdery mildew, strategy

5/8, 6/12

 

redbanded leafrollers

5/29

 

scab, strategy

5/8

 

spray program for de-fruited plantings

4/10

 Blackberry and Raspberry

anthracnose

5/1

 

orange rust, description and control

4/24

 

spray program, fungicides, for blackberry

5/1

 

spray program for de-fruited plantings

4/10

Blueberry

twig blight, compared with freeze injury

4/17

 

spray program for de-fruited plantings

4/10

Cucurbit Crops

cucumber beetles, striped

5/22

 

downy mildew, description and control

5/15

 

powdery mildew, planning

5/22

 

spray program for disease control

6/19

 Grape

black rot, critical period

5/8

 

bloom period disease-control needs

5/22

 

Botrytis bunch rot, time for spray

6/12

 

grape cane gallmaker

5/15

 

spray program for de-fruited plantings

4/10

Peach and other stone fruits

borers, peachtree and lesser peachtree

6/5

 

disease control in de-fruited orchards

5/1

 

insect control in de-fruited orchards

4/17

 

insects, pheromone traps, count updates

See apple

 

Leucostoma canker

5/22

 

Oriental fruit moth, degree-day predictions

4/3

 

plum curculio

4/3

 

spray program for de-fruited plantings

4/10

Pear

Fabraea leaf spot control in de-fruited trees

5/29

Strawberry

angular leaf spot, watch for

4/17

 

anthracnose control, plant dip

4/17

 

disease control after harvest, matted row

6/5

 

insect outlook

4/24

 

Sevin, corrections for regional IPM guide

5/8

 

spray schedule, suggested fungicide

3/21

 

spray program for de-fruited plantings

4/10

Sweet Corn

Caterpillar pests

5/22

 Tomato

leaf roll

6/19

 

spotted wilt control

6/12, 6/19

 

spotted wilt forecast

4/24

 

spotted wilt reports

6/5, 6/12, 6/19

 

spray program, suggested fungicide

6/5

 Miscellaneous

biopesticides, searchable database

5/29

 

coppers, verdict of special review

3/21

 

contamination of produce

3/14

 

chloroneb, possible cancellation

5/29

 

Commercial Vegetable Disease, Insect & Weed Control Guide, status

6/5

 

current conditions and crop development stages

3/14, 3/21, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/22, 5/29

 

digital camera - a great diagnostic tool

5/15

 

first reports for the year

5/8, 5/15, 6/5, 6/12

 

fungicides, recommendation changes for 2007 for fruit

3/14

 

fungicides, recommendation chages for 2007 for vegetables

3/14

 

honeybee losses, recent

4/3

 

insect update, vegetables (Colorado potato beetle, squash bug, flea beetle, potato leafhopper)

5/29

 

insecticides, recommendation changes for 2007 for fruits and vegetables

3/14

 

insecticide update

3/21, 6/19

 

Japanese beetles and green June beetles

6/5

 

miticide update, fruit and vegetable crops

6/19

 

Mustange Max, new fruit uses

5/1

 

Kocide, new formulation

5/8

 

seed treatment news, fungicides

4/24

 

spray guides, where to find

3/14

 

spray equipment web site

5/15

 

vegetable diagnostics, how whiteflies can affect

5/15

 

water quality and fresh produce

3/28


2. Control of Corn Earworm in Sweet Corn with Pyrethroid Insecticides

It was reported in the June 18 edition of Kentucky Pest News by Ric Bessin that pyrethroid insecticides have been shown to be much less effective in controlling corn earworms in recent tials in the midwest and at the Princeton Research Station in Kentucky. They state that early planted sweet corn (before the first part of May) generally escapes high corn earworm pressure and the pyrethroids should provide very good control. Plantings made after mid-May will have more problems because corn earworm populations tend to be larger and pyrethroid activity will drop with increasing temperatures. The preventive insecticide sprays should start when 10% of the plants start to show fresh silks and should be repeated on a 3 to 5 day schedule until silks dry. Drop nozzels targeting the ears in the middle third of the plant are also important. If the level of control is not satisfactory, reveiw the basics and then possibly look into trying some of the alternative insecticides with different modes of action in a rotation. (FH)


3. European Corn Borer in Pepper and Sweet Corn

The European corn borer (ECB) can do considerable damage to peppers. The egg masses are layed on the underside of leaves. The tiny larvae move to the leaf axils or fruit to bore into the plant. Often, they make a tiny pinhole tunnel into the fruit in or around the cap. These pinholes might have a bit of frass showing but in general are hard to see. This makes it difficult to cull fruit using visual inspection. If the fruit begins to rot, the larvae often will exit and attack uninfested fruit. It is best to plant peppers as far away as possible from corn.

Just like the corn earworm, damage to sweet corn by ECB is greater in late-planted sweet corn and long-season varieties. The primary concern in sweet corn is feeding damage in the ear. The ECB can feed on kernels near the tip of the ear or in the side of the ear. It is probably harder to detect the damage when the larvae enter the side of the ear. The ECB can also cause damage by feeding on the leaves and stalk and even the butt of the ear. (FH)


4. Grape Berry Moth

I recently visited the on-line Virginia grape page to find out more about controlling the grape berry moth. I found an excellent article that was modified from an extension bulletin by D. G. Pfeiffer & P. B. Schultz, entitled "Major Insect and Mite Pests of Grape in Virginia" (Va. Coop. Ext. Serv. 444-567 (1986)). I learned that while chemical control is extremely important in managing grape berry moth, mating disruption and cultural control are also valuable tools. Cultural controls include raking and burning the leaves in the fall. Cultivation of the soil beneath rows will bury overwintering pupae. Pile soil from row centers beneath vines about a month before harvest. Pull this ridge of soil back into the row center and plow or disk in the spring (two or more weeks before bloom). (FH)


5. Inspect Apples for Signs of Feeding Damage

It is a good idea to periodically inspect apples on the tree for direct fruit damage from pests such as codling moth, oriental fruit moth and plum curculio. The caterpillars (larvae) of codling moth and oriental fruit moth are very similar in appearance and are messy feeders. Cut open some of the infested fruit to see if you can find the larvae. If the exit hole is present and the larva is gone then you know that the larva had time to mature and exit the fruit. These larvae came from eggs probably laid over a month ago. If larvae are found in the fruit, note whether they are nearly full grown or small. If they are still small, then you know that there was a breakdown in recent sprays while the presence of more mature larvae puts the spray period in question closer to three weeks back. (FH)


6. Pheromone Trap Catches for 2007

Nashville (Davidson County)
Oriental fruit moth (OFM), redbanded leafroller (RBLR), obliquebanded leafroller (OBLR), codling moth (CM), grape berry moth (GBM), variegated leafroller (VLR), black cutworm (BCW), diamondback moth (DBM), armyworm (AW), cabbage looper (CL)

OFM RBLR OBLR CM GBM VLR BCW DBM AW CL
2-22 (caught one RBLR in last year's trap) put out new trap -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
2-26 -- 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
2-28 -- 1* -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
3-2 -- 3 -- -- -- 0 -- -- -- --
3-12 -- 50 0 -- -- 0 -- -- -- --
3-14 (Put out OFM, CM, OBLR, BCW) -- 26 -- -- -- 0 -- -- -- --
3-20 0 33 0 0 -- 0 0 -- -- --
3-21 1 7 0 -- -- 0 0 -- -- --
3-26 20** 34 0 -- -- 0 0 -- -- --
3-27 (put out AW trap) 8 4 0 0 -- 0 0 -- -- --
3-30 12 16 0 0 -- 0 0 -- 0 --
4-2 18 18 0 0 -- 0 0 -- 1 --
4-3 (put out DBM, GBM, CL) 10 1 0 0 -- 0 0 -- 0 --
4-5 11 0 0 0 4*** 0 0 0 0 0
4-10 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4-17 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
4-23 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4-25 8 0 2**** 0 0 0 0 4^ 0 0
4-30 5 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
5-21 3 2 6 0 0 0 0 4 5 5
5-29 6 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6-4 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
6-11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
6-19 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6-26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7-2 0+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* Biofix for RBLR in Davidson County was February 28.
** Biofix for OFM in Davidson County was March 26.
*** Biofix for GBM in Davidson County was April 10.
**** Biofix for OBLR in Davidson County was April 25.
^ Biofix for DBM in Davidson County was April 25.
+ Pheromone lure missing

Bradley County

OFM CM
3-26 1 0

Putnam County

OFM RBLR OBLR CM VLR
3-19 1 9* 0 4*** 0
3-21 1** 3 0 2 0
3-23 2 6 0 1 0
3-26 2 15 0 2 0
3-28 4 7 0 1 0
3-30 2 14 0 0 1
4-2 6 32 0 0 0
4-6 2 28 1 1 0
4-13 0 2 1 0 0
4-20 0 7 0 0 0
4-23 0 1 1 2 1
4-25 0 0 1**** 0 0
4-27 0 1 3 0 0
5-4 0 1 5 6 2
5-11 0 15 0 0 1
5-25 0 24 0 0 0
5-28 0 15 0 2 0
6-2 0 26 0 0 0
6-4 0 8 0 0 0
6-8 0 0 0 0 0
6-13 3 11 0 0 0
6-15 4 0 0 0 0
6-20 13 25 0 0 0
6-22 5 0 0 0 0
6-25 5 0 0 0 0
6-27 2 3 0 0 0

*Biofix for RBLR in Putnam County estimated as March 2 (trap not out early enough).
**Biofix for OFM in Putnam County March 21.
***Waiting to verify biofix for CM, many unknown moths being caught in these traps that can easily be mistaken for CM.
**** Biofix for OBLR in Putnam County for OBLR was April 25.

Obion County

OFM RBLR OBLR CM VLR
3-19 0 17* 0 0 0
3-26 5** 89 0 1 0
4-11 0 0 0 0 0
4-16 2 0 0 0 0
4-23 0 0 0 0 1
4-30 7 0 10*** 0 17****
5-7 10 0 3 0 2
5-17 11 3 7 1 14
5-21 0 7 1 0 5
5-29 0 5 0 0 0
6-4 2 7 1 0 2
6-11 10 2 0 0 0
6-20 6 0 2 0 3
6-25 2 0 0 0 0
7-2 3 0 0 0 6

* Biofix for RBLR in Obion County estimated to be on March 2 (trap not out early enough).
** Biofix for OFM in Obion County on March 26.
*** Biofix for OBLR in Obion County on April 30.
**** Biofix for VLR in Obion County on April 30.

(FH)


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

 

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