FFF04-07 July 9th, 2004

Crop conditions:  Apple season has started with early apples such as
Lodi being harvested in central and southern areas.  Peach season is
well underway with good crops and size being reported.

Excellent summer meeting at Anderson Orchard:  Our thanks go to Paul
Anderson, who along with Carolyn, Robin and Erin, were marvelous hosts
for the summer meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society last week.
 One of the strengths of the Society is the willingness of its members
to pitch in and volunteer, even when it requires significant effort and
work.  Once again, the meeting benefited from meeting jointly with the
Indiana Farm Marketing Association with whom the IHS has mutual
interests. The Andersons not only showed us their new kitchen in their
market, but also demonstrated it in a very practical way Ð the elephant
ears, biscuits and cobbler were delicious.  The orchard tours were very
worthwhile, viewing not only apples, but many other fruit and nut crops
also.  The tour was not only educational, but also exciting.  Thanks to
Dennis for demonstrating some ÒextremeÓ tractor driving! (Hirst)

HACCP is in for cider:  As cider makers know, this year HACCP is
mandatory for cider.  HACCP includes, but is not limited to,
pasteurization.  Those cider producers who sell ALL their cider from
their farm market can claim the retail exemption Ð warning labels are
still required but not HACCP or pasteurization.  Note that all means
all Ð not one gallon sold to a supermarket or even by you at a farmers
market.  We encourage all cider makers, whether you are under HACCP or
claiming the retail exemption, to attend a HACCP workshop.  Some have
already done this.  For those who havenÕt and would like to, another
HACCP training course will be held in West Lafayette on September
27-29.  Although the timing isnÕt the best for apple growers and cider
makers, remember that HACCP is much wider than just apple cider, and
this course is also for other industries such as seafood and poultry.
(Hirst)

Food handler certification: Some of you have been contacted by your
county health department regarding certification as a food handler.
New Food Handler Certification regulations go into effect in January
2005.  There are many exemptions so its not a clear black and white
issue. According to rule 410 IAC 7-22-15 part (g), the following
exemptions apply Ð the following is directly from the rule:

The certified food handler requirement does not apply to a food
establishment when the food establishmentÕs food handling activities
are limited solely to one (1) or more of the following: (1)	Heating or
serving precooked hot dog or sausage products, popcorn, nachos,
pretzels, or frozen pizza; (2)	Preparing or serving a continental
breakfast such as rolls, coffee, juice, milk and cold cereal; (3)	
Preparing or serving nonalcoholic or alcoholic beverages or ice; (4)	
Grinding coffee beans; (5)	Packaged foods that are not potentially
hazardous foods in accordance with the rules adopted by the executive
board; (6)	Heating when it is the only step for a bakery product; or
(7)	Providing prepackaged food in its original package.


According to Shirley Vargas at the Indiana State Department of Health,
if all you are doing is making cider and selling fresh fruit, then you
are exempt.  Therefore I expect that most orchards will be exempt.

If an operation is required to have a food handler certified, they need
to pass one of the three accredited exams.  It does not mean they must
take the course although many would have to in order to pass the exam.
You only need one certified food handler at an operation and they do
not need to be present at all times.  The food handler will need to be
recertified once every 5 years. Some county health departments may have
sent notices out to all orchards and farm markets in their county, but
this does not necessarily mean you are covered by this rule.  The
complete rule is on the Purdue Fruit Connection website at
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/ (Hirst)

Wet Weather and Diseases: With all the recent rains my thoughts go to
apple scab, sooty blotch and flyspeck, black rot, bot rot, collar
rotÉthe list never ends.  Wet weather is the disease accelerator, often
resulting in disease epidemics.  DonÕt cut rates, and donÕt extend
spray intervals and you should be okay. In many areas of the state the
ground has been saturated with water over the past few weeks.  This is
a situation which encourages the development of crown rot and root rot
on apple, peaches, cherries, brambles, blueberries, strawberries, etcÉ.
you name it and the Phytophthora fungus gets it!  Ridomil and Aliette
are recommended to treat for Phytophthora diseases.  Ridomil is applied
as a drench, while Aliette is applied primarily as a foliar spray.
Refer to ID-168, page 13, for a full discussion on crown rot (collar
rot) of apple and other fruit.   As always, follow all label
directions.  Of course the best solution is to improve drainage in wet
sites.

A Banner year for Apple Summer Diseases:  Black rot, white rot, bitter
rot, sooty blotch & flyspeck will all be on the increase as we progress
into the summer months.  With all the rain weÕve had it could be a
banner year for apple rot and smut diseases (as we plant pathologists
so affectionately call them).  Since I can no longer remember which
fungicides are most effective for the summer rots, I turn to page 35 of
ID-168, Ô2004 Commercial Tree Fruit Spray GuideÕ to check out the table
on effectiveness of fungicides against apple diseases.  I first note
that the SI fungicides (Nova, Rubigan, Procure and Bayleton) are pretty
much worthless for control of most summer rot diseases.  On the other
hand, mancozeb and Polyram are excellent for control of summer
diseases, however they can only be applied up to 77 days of harvest.
After the 77-day to harvest restriction has passed captan and ziram
remain our best options for summer cover sprays; they should be used at
the full-labeled rate and on a tight schedule if wet summer weather
prevails.  We also suggest tank mixing with Topsin-M or Benlate if it
turns into a Ôsooty blotch/fly speck yearÕ; however, Benlate and
Topsin-M should be used sparingly (no more than once a month) to avoid
harm to predator mites and lessen the possibility of the development of
resistance.  Added help in control of summer diseases is now available
with the strobilurin fungicides, Flint and Sovran - See below article
on Sovran & Flint for details.  Infection from summer diseases,
especially sooty blotch and flyspeck, can further be reduced through
IPM strategies that lower humidity and promote rapid drying. These
include keeping grass mowed during summer and keeping trees well
pruned.  Tree spacing within and between rows should allow air movement
between all trees.  Removing adjacent woods or cutting breaks in
hedgerows will also help improve airflow in the orchard.  Of course it
goes without saying (so IÕll say it) that all the above suggestions are
pretty much a waste of time if good sanitation measures are not
strictly followed.

Sovran & Flint for Control of Sooty blotch & Flyspeck:  As mentioned
above, we now have added help in control of sooty blotch and flyspeck
and other summer diseases with the strobilurin fungicides, Sovran and
Flint.  In an earlier edition of this newsletter we suggested a 1st,
3rd, and 7th cover spray program using Sovran (our study included only
Sovran, not Flint). The 1-3-7 programs provided excellent control of
both fruit scab and sooty blotch and flyspeck under extremely high
disease pressure for all diseases.  The 3rd and 7th cover sprays were
especially critical in control of sooty blotch and flyspeck.  Just so
there is no confusion, this program is IN ADDITION TO your regular
summer fungicide cover sprays.  We are simply suggesting you substitute
Sovran (or Flint if you prefer) for those fungicides you generally use
in the 1st, 3rd and 7th covers.  Also, a reminderÉwe STRONGLY suggest
no more than three sprays of the strobilurins per year, and as the
label states: Ò do not apply as the final spray of the season.Ó

Strawberry Renovation:  Matted row strawberry plantings must be
renovated after harvest to establish new crowns for next yearÕs crop.
For best results, renovation should be started immediately after the
harvest is completed to promote early runner formation. The early a
runner gets set, the higher its yield potential. Renovation should be
completed by the end of July in normal years. Harvest is winding down
across the state so growers should begin renovation as soon as the last
marketable berries are harvested.  The following steps describe
renovation of commercial strawberry fields. 1.  Weed control:  Annual
broadleaf weeds can be controlled with 2,4-D amine formulations. Check
the label as only a few products are labeled for use on strawberries.
(e.g. Formula 40 [2,4-D alkanolamine salts plus 2,4-D
Triisopropanolamine salt (4 lbs./gal.)] or Amine 4 [Dimethylamine salt
of 2,4-D (3.74 lb./gal.)] at 2 to 3 pts./acre in 25-50 gallons of water
applied immediately after final harvest. Be extremely careful to avoid
drift when applying 2,4- D. Even though the amine formulation is not
highly volatile, it can volatilize under hot, humid conditions and can
cause damage to desirable plants a considerable distance from the site
of application. Some damage to strawberries is also possible. Read and
understand the label completely before applying 2,4-D amine. If grasses
are a problem, sethoxydim (Poast 1.5 EC) or clethodim (Select 2 EC)
will control annual and some perennial grasses. However, do not tank
mix these materials and 2,4-D. See ID 169 and the product label for
rates and especially for precautions. 2.  Mow the old leaves off just
above the crowns 3-5 days after herbicide application. Do not mow so
low as to damage the crowns. 3.  Fertilize the planting.  A soil test
will help determine phosphorus and potassium needs, but foliar analysis
is a more reliable measure of plant nutrition. For foliar analysis,
sample the first fully expanded leaves following renovation. Generally,
nitrogen should be applied at 25-60 lbs/acre, depending on vigor. It is
more efficient to split nitrogen applications into two or three
applications at regular intervals, rather than apply it all at once. A
good plan is to apply about half at renovation and half again in late
August when flower bud development is occurring. 4.  Subsoil:  Where
picker traffic has been heavy on wet soils, compaction may be severe.
Subsoiling between rows will help break up compacted layers and provide
better infiltration of water. Subsoiling may be done later in the
sequence if crop residue is a problem or if soils are too wet at this
time. 5.  Narrow rows:  Reduce the width of rows to a manageable width
based on your row spacing, the aisle width desired, and the earliness
of renovation. A desirable final row width to attain at the end of the
season is 12-18 inches. Wider rows lead to low productivity and
increased disease pressure. This means that rows can be narrowed to as
little as 6 inches during renovation. Use a tiller or cultivator to
achieve the reduction. Since more berries are produced at row edges
than in the middle, narrow rows are superior to wide rows.  Narrow rows
will give better sunlight penetration, better disease control, and
better fruit quality. 6.  Cultivate:  Incorporate the straw and other
plant material between rows and throw a small amount of soil over the
row by cultivation. Strawberry crowns continue development at the top,
and new roots are initiated above old roots on the crown, so 1/2 - 1
inch of soil on the crowns will facilitate rooting. This also helps
cover straw in the row and provides a good rooting medium for the new
runner plants. 7.  Weed control: Pre-emergence weed control should
begin immediately. Dacthal, Sinbar or Devrinol are suggested materials.
See ID-169 and check the product labels carefully. Devrinol must be
incorporated by irrigation, rainfall, or cultivation to be effective.
Rate and timing of Sinbar application is critical. If regrowth has
started at all, significant damage may result. Some varieties are more
sensitive to Sinbar than others. If unsure, make a test application to
a small area before treating the entire planting. Use 2 to 6
oz/acre/application and no more than 8 oz/acre/year total. Sinbar
should not be used on soils with low organic matter, or on sensitive
varieties like Guardian, Darrow, Tribute, Tristar and possibly Honeoye.
If Sinbar gets onto strawberry leaves, irrigate to wash it off. 8.
Irrigate:  Water is needed for both activation of herbicides and for
plant growth. DonÕt let the plants go into stress. Ideally the planting
should receive 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water per week from either rain or
irrigation. 9.  Cultivate to sweep runners into the row until plant
stand is sufficient. Thereafter, or in any case after early September,
any runner plant not yet rooted is not likely to produce fruit next
year and is essentially a weed and should be removed. Coulter wheels
and/or cultivators will help remove these excess plants in the aisles.
10.  Adequate moisture and fertility during August and September will
increase fruit bud formation and improve fruit yield for the coming
year. Continue irrigation through this time period and fertilize if
necessary. An additional 20-30 pounds of N per acre is suggested,
depending on the vigor. (Bordelon)

Japanese Beetles on Grapes and Berry Crops: The first of this yearÕs
Japanese beetles has started to emerge in the Lafayette area. Growers
familiar with this pest know that they have a voracious appetite for
leaves of a number of crops and non-crops plants, and the fruit of some
crops such as blueberries and brambles. Control of adult beetles is
relatively easy with insecticide applications. However, due to the
continual emergence of adults over a several week period, re-
application may be necessary several times during the season. Sevin is
the most effective material labeled for use on most fruit crops. The
preharvest interval (PHI) on small fruits is 7 days, which can present
a huge problem during harvest. Imidan is moderately effective and has a
3-day PHI, which may help somewhat. Malathion has a 1-day PHI on
blueberries and brambles, although it is not the most effective
insecticide. Insecticides containing pyrethrum can be used up to the
day of harvest, but provide only very short-term control.

Recent research has shown that neem products are effective repellents
of Japanese beetles. Extracts from neem trees contain the active
ingredient azadirachtin, which is not very toxic to the beetles, but
does repel them. Best results are obtained by applying the neem when
beetles first become active on the plants. If you wait until the plants
are infested before application, it may take 2-3 days before the
beetles leave. In that time, the beetles can do a lot of damage, so
applying neem early is the best way to avoid damage. In a study on
apples in 2003, a single application of neem kept beetles away for the
entire season, although in 2002, several applications were necessary.
Organic growers approve neem products for use. The PHI interval is 0
days, so there is little or no interference with harvest with this
product. Again, remember that neem is not the right product to clean up
a serious infestation, but works well for avoiding problems. Be sure to
adhere to the preharvest restrictions and Restricted Entry Intervals
for whatever pesticide you choose to use. Traps are generally not
recommended as they likely attract more beetles to the crop area.
(Foster and Bordelon)


Upcoming meetings

Sept 27-29.  HACCP training course, West Lafayette.  More details to
follow.

January 24-26, 2005.  Indiana Horticultural Congress, Adams Mark Hotel,
airport, Indianapolis.