The Massachusetts Fruit Growers meeting is Wednesday, July 9 from 10-2. The last day to pre-register was today, but if you show up on Wednesday you can still participate – there may not be enough food.

WEDNESDAY, July 9, 2014
UMass Cold Spring Orchard Research & Education Center
391 Sabin Street, Belchertown, Massachusetts

10:00 AM Welcome to UMass Cold Spring Orchard — Duane Greene & Shawn McIntire
10:15 AM Orchard Tour
NOON Outlook Farm BBQ Lunch provided with the registration charge
1:15 PM Welcome to the Annual Summer Meeting and announcements– Al Rose, President
1:20 PM Welcome from the Dean — Steve Goodwin, Dean, College of Natural Sciences
1:30 PM Educational Program — Tracy Leskey, USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station
2:30 PM Adjourn

2 pesticide license recertification credit hours will be offered for the day.

We got some greatly needed rain last week, which also washed off any pesticides. Several growers I talked to today were re-applying fungicides and some growers included insecticides. We start being concerned with apple maggot fly this time of year. A few apple maggot flies were caught in Geneva, NY and in the Hudson Valley. I don’t know of any red-sphere apple maggot traps set up in RI.

Most apple varieties aren’t attacked by apple maggot this early in the season. Varieties that might be at risk from apple maggot attack now include Honeycrisp, Ginger Gold, Jersey Mac, and Redfree. Other apple varieties start being attractive to apple maggot flies around July 20th or so. Imidan applied at half the labeled rate provides excellent apple maggot control. Calypso and Assail also control apple maggot well. Delegate also provides some control against apple maggot. Avaunt does not control apple maggot very well.

Hope to see some of you in Belchertown on Wednesday,

Heather