IPM News March 31, 2000 Safety and quality have always
been top priorities for Vermont apple growers. IPM is an important component in
producing high quality fruit and in reducing pesticide risks in apple production. The
following is part of an IPM checklist that Dr. Elena Garcia and I developed through a USDA project
entitled: "Linking Food Safety to Farm*A*Sys and IPM to Reduce Microbial and
Pesticide Risks in Apples." A checklist dealing with Food
Safety practices related to microbial concerns also has been pulled together by
other participants in this project. The IPM checklist was developed to serve as a quick reminder of IPM considerations during different times of the year. As such, it does not go into details. Details can be found in other parts of the newsletter, such as the 2000 IPM 'Quick' Summary for Monitoring Apple Arthropod Pests which appears as an insert at the end of this newsletter, or in other resource material.
December
to March (It's not too late for some of these !)
Use records to review pest management strategy and results from the previous growing season and make necessary adjustments. Read fact sheets, articles and other resources on the biology and life cycles of different orchard pests and beneficial organisms; attend fruit workshops and meetings to obtain updates on thresholds and IPM options; get on the mailing and email lists for newsletters and alerts. Review pesticide labels for any changes in use, pre-harvest intervals, handling, disposal or storage. Review information on non-target effects of pesticides on biological control agents and determine what materials will be effective yet conserve beneficial organisms. Investigate sources of local weather information; determine what equipment will be used to monitor environmental conditions (i.e., rain, temperature, leaf wetness) in the orchard for pest models and for assessing spray conditions. Start any major repairs to orchard spray equipment so that it will be ready to calibrate and function properly when the season begins. Order IPM monitoring supplies. Clean and sharpen pruning tools. Prune trees to provide good tree structure but also to open canopy for light and air penetration, which will have both horticultural benefit (i.e., better fruit coloring with more light) and pest management benefits (i.e., make conditions less favorable for disease development; allows better pesticide penetration). Remove cankers, dead or weak wood. Remove mummified fruit. While pruning, note any sections of orchard that have high numbers of overwintering European Red Mite eggs. Check for winter damage. Look for peeling or cracked bark. Contact beekeeper and write a pollination contract Start fertilizer application based on foliar and soils analysis recommendations. Weak or overly vigorous trees will be more susceptible to certain arthropod pests and/or diseases.
March
to Silver Tip Bud Stage
Calibrate sprayers; test spray pattern with water sensitive paper. Conduct a safety check including reviewing the signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning and posting the phone numbers of the poison control center, fire department, and healthcare professionals, etc., to be contacted in case of an emergency. Work with local fire/safety officials to develop a emergency response plan in case of spills, fires in storage areas, etc. Review tree-row-volume calculations for each orchard block. Set up map and record-keeping system for monitoring of orchard blocks Monitor critical temperatures for bud damage. Check for bud winter damage. Monitor bud stages. Remove prunings and brush piles from within and around orchard and burn if possible since they can harbor inoculum for Wood and Fruit Rot diseases and provide habitat for Voles. Note Vole activity during snow melt; a lot of activity in the snow could mean high overwintering populations As soon as snow cover is gone, flail-mow as a sanitation practice for management of Apple Scab (reduces overwintering inoculum). At bud break, begin to calculate and record degree days for use in predicting Scab ascospore maturity. At Silver Tip phenological bud stage, place visual sticky traps for Tarnished Plant Bug and Leafminers in orchard. Continue fertilizer applications based on foliar and soils analysis recommendations. Too much nitrogen contributes to Mite and Aphid populations, increases susceptibility to Fire Blight, and reduces fruit quality. Start to maintain a 18 inch weed free area next to tree to increase air circulation around tree, to eliminate competition for water and nutrients, and to remove habitat for Voles.
Green Tip
through Pink Bud Stages
Remove solid plastic Vole guards and replace with mesh guards that allow air, light and pesticide penetration. [Impacts Borer management] Scout your orchard at least once a week to be aware of what is going on so that if problems are developing, corrective or preventative measures can be taken. Monitor weather/environmental conditions for degree day calculations, disease models, etc., and to determine optimal conditions for spraying to optimize coverage and minimize drift. At Tight Cluster bud stage and again at the late Pink bud stage, determine the necessity to manage Tarnished Plant Bug and Leafminers. Apply oil application(s) for management of European Red Mites and San Jose Scale. [Oil acts to coat and suffocate the overwintering stages.] At early Pink bud stage, place visual traps in the orchard to monitor for European Apple Sawfly. Check at late Pink to see if traps have already reached threshold. If possible, delay mowing until 10-14 days past Petal Fall since mowing may remove habitat for the Tarnished Plant Bug and drive them up into the trees. Manage Apple Scab infections in the primary stage to reduce the need for fungicides during the latter part of the growing season. Determine when environmental conditions are favorable for Apple Scab infection periods. If monitoring during last autumn indicated orchard was at a "low risk" level, initial fungicide sprays can be delayed until after three infection periods (but before the fourth) or until Pink, which ever comes first. Begin checking for primary Apple Scab lesions about 9 days after first infection period to determine the effectiveness of your Scab program. Continue fertilizer applications based on foliar and soils analysis recommendations. Continue to maintain a 18 inch weed free area next to tree to increase air circulation around tree, to eliminate competition for water and nutrients, and to remove habitat for Voles. |
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