Hello Apple Growers,
8/13/10
We are so close to the end – though it’s really the beginning! Everyone should be putting on their final sprays of Captan plus Topsin M or a strobilurin fungicide such as Flint (14 day preharvest interval) or Pristine (0 day preharvest interval ). You can apply a total of 4 strobilurin sprays per season, so this may not be an option for some growers. I’ve seen very little flyspeck or sooty blotch, which is expected in a dry season like this. Still, you know how wet fall can be so make one more fungicide application. Some growers also apply a fungicide in early September to late maturing varieties. This is especially helpful to late, light colored skin varieties like Mutsu.

I returned to the orchard where with a few apple maggot fly traps. In this orchard I found one trap with 3 apple maggot flies and two traps with no apple maggot flies. I don’t think the grower removed other apple maggot flies from the traps since I checked the traps one month ago. I don’t know if this orchard is representative of other orchards, but it is nice that the population seems low. Use half rates of Imidan or full rates of Avaunt, Assail, Calypso or Delegate. Delegate and Avaunt should protect against moderate apple maggot pressure. Assail and Calypso both give excellent control as well as controlling obliquebanded leafroller and other caterpillars.

I did not see high pest mite populations today, but I did see lots of predator mites. Hopefully no one needs to spray for mites at this time. By the middle of August we like to be finished with controlling mite problems. If your trees looked bronzed be sure to look at the leaves with a magnifying glass before you decide to spray. It could be that the mites have been consumed by predator mites. The threshold for red mites is 5-7 motile mites per leaf. Don’t spray if there are only eggs present.

This is the final recorded message for 2010. If I have more to report I’ll send out an email, but not record a message. Jim Steere needs this phone line back for the harvest season. You can always call me if you need assistance at 874-2967 or on my cell phone 256-7438. And if you see Jim, tell him thanks for letting us use his phone!

I hope we have a beautiful autumn and a successful harvest.
Heather