Crop Conditions:  Both apples are peaches are sizing well 
(mostly due to the short crop) despite the dry weather. 
Blueberry and raspberry harvest will start within a week in 
southern and central Indiana. Strawberry harvest is winding 
down and most growers report a pretty good year. The 
harvest season was one of the shortest on record due to the 
hot, dry conditions we experienced in May. The grape crop 
looks pretty good overall and some growers are even doing 
some cluster thinning to bring vines into balance.

Blueberry Crop Estimate: The Blueberry Growers of Indiana 
met recently at Blueberry Dune Farm near LaPorte. The 
evening was very enjoyable and thanks go to Don Kepler and 
family for hosting the event. The group enjoyed a tour of 
the farm and wonderful potluck dinner. Several items were 
discussed at the BGIN business meeting, including the 
annual crop estimate. While some growers have experienced 
almost complete crop loss from the Easter freeze, BGIN 
feels that, overall, the state will produce about 60% of a 
normal crop. It is estimated that Indiana growers will 
produce 2.2 million pounds of blueberries this year. About 
1.2 million will be for fresh sales and the remainder will 
go for processing. While prices are still very strong for 
blueberries, expenses are up as well. Many growers expect 
that their labor costs will increase at least 20% this 
year. Most growers are now paying 50˘ or more per pound to 
have berries picked. Consumers can expect a good supply of 
berries at local u-pick farms, farmers markets and grocery 
stores. Prices should be in the $2.00-2.50 per pound range. 
Melvin Van Kley stepped down as President of BGIN after 10 
years of service. Dale Bryant of New Salisbury was elected 
President for 2007-08. (Bordelon)

Strawberry Renovation:  Matted row strawberry plantings 
must be renovated after harvest to establish new crowns for 
next yearâs 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. 
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. See 
the Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook for a 
table showing variety sensitivity to Sinbar.
8.  Irrigate:  Water is needed for both activation of 
herbicides and for plant growth. Donât let the plants 
become stressed. 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 can 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 yearâs Japanese beetles started to emerge in the 
Lafayette area this past week. 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 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. Insecticides that contain Neem extract appear to 
have some repellency against Japanese beetle. Be sure to 
adhere to the preharvest restriction 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. In recent years research has 
found that use of soil-applied insecticide, imadicloprid 
(Admire) at egg-laying will significantly reduce the number 
of larvae in the soil. However, it is unclear whether 
reduction of larvae in and around a planting will 
significantly reduce the number of adults feeding in a 
planting since they can travel quite a distance to feed. 
(Foster and Bordelon)

Japanese Beetles:  In the Lafayette area, we saw our first 
Japanese beetles on June 3, about 2 ¸ weeks earlier than 
normal and 1 week earlier than we had ever seen them 
before. We can expect the numbers of beetles to increase 
over the next 3-4 weeks at least. At this point we donât 
know if this early emergence will correlate with higher 
numbers of beetles. Fruit growers who are on a reduced 
spray schedule because of a freeze induced crop loss should 
be especially vigilant, because defoliators like Japanese 
beetles can reduce the vigor of your plants. Your normal 
spray schedule may normally keep them in check, but now you 
may need to treat specifically for the beetles. Also, newly 
planted trees can be stunted by unchecked defoliation by 
Japanese beetles.

For organic growers who are trying to control Japanese 
beetles with neem, please remember that neem is a 
repellent, not a toxicant. Therefore, you will get your 
best results if you make your first application when you 
see the first beetles on your plants. Multiple applications 
may be necessary to protect your plants. (Foster)

Strawberry Leafroller:  Weâve seen one strawberry patch in 
northern Indiana with a severe infestation of strawberry 
leafrollers. From a distance, the patch had a scorched 
appearance, but upon closer inspection, many leaves were 
rolled up. When they were unrolled, there was webbing and a 
small, green leafroller larva inside. Since this pest 
generally shows up during harvest, the best control 
alternative is one of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) 
insecticides. (Foster)

Potato Leafhopper: This migratory pest has arrived in 
Indiana a couple of weeks earlier than normal. Potato 
leafhoppers can be a problem on apples, grapes, brambles, 
and strawberries. They can be distinguished from other 
leafhoppers in the nymphal stages because the potato 
leafhopper nymphs crawl sideways. This is another one of 
those indirect pests that can become a problem if you are 
on a reduced spray program. Look on the underside of leaves 
and treat before you start to see ăhopperburnä symptoms on 
the leaves. For apple growers, if you have a leafhopper 
problem, this may be a good time to use one of the 
neonicotinoid insecticides (Assail, Calypso, Clutch) for 
your next cover spray. (Foster)

Insuring the eradication of plum pox virus in southwest 
Michigan:  In July 2006, plum pox virus (PPV) was detected 
in a single plum tree sampled at the MSU Southwest Michigan 
Research and Extension Center (SWMREC) in Benton Harbor, 
Michigan. PPV is a serious disease of stone fruit that can 
cause significant yield and quality loss. PPV has been the 
most significant disease of stone fruit in Europe for many 
decades and was detected for the first time in Pennsylvania 
in 1999, Ontario in 2000 and in New York and Michigan in 
2006. The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has 
worked very intensively since that time to test the Prunus 
trees at risk at this and other Michigan locations. After 
testing more than 50,000 samples in late summer, no new 
ăpositivesä were found in Michigan.

Under order of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and 
with the guidance of the United State Department of 
Agriculture, SWMREC is eradicating all peach, plum, 
nectarine and apricot trees (approximately 13,000 trees) 
within 500 meters of the block that once contained the PPV 
contaminated plum tree. Plum pox virus strain D, the type 
detected at SWMREC, will not infect cherry, but can infect 
several other Prunus species such as dwarf flowering almond 
(P. glandulosa), black thorn (P. spinosa), and Japanese 
flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), among others. The 500 
meter eradication order issued by the MDA is similar to 
action taken in Pennsylvania to deal with a much larger 
plum pox virus contamination problem. Because plum pox 
virus is a disease that is slow to show symptoms, the 
extensive eradication zone around a detection site is 
necessary to eliminate the possibility of latent infections. 
The 500 meter eradication zone is part of a larger quarantine zone 
of approximately a two-mile radius and a larger nursery 
stock regulated area of 7.15 mile (11.5 km) radius around 
the positive plum pox virus site.

The quarantine will be cancelled when sampling of all 
susceptible fruit bearing and ornamental trees in the 
quarantine zone is negative for plum pox virus for three 
consecutive years. In the interim, much of the activity of 
the MSU peach breeding program, including establishment of 
new nurseries, will be moved to the MSU Trevor Nichols 
Research Complex near Fennville, Michigan. 

As of June 4, 2007, 18 acres of peaches, nectarines, plums 
and apricots have been uprooted at SWMREC, ending with the 
eventual removal of all 24 acres of these fruit types. With 
the help of a Project GREEEN grant and support of the 
Michigan Peach Sponsors, high value peach selections from 
the MSU peach breeding program have been sent to the North 
Region Special Project 5 (NRSP5) virus-testing facility of 
Washington State University in Prosser, WA. The extensive 
testing at Prosser with ELISA, PCR and indicator species 
will insure that these peach lines are clean.  (Bill Shane 
and Mira Danilovich, Michigan State Univ.)

Sweet cherry variety showcase:  International Plant 
Management, Inc., in cooperation with MSU Cooperative 
Extension, is sponsoring a Sweet Cherry Variety Showcase on 
Thursday, July 12, at 4:30 PM. The showcase will be held at 
the International Plant Management sweet cherry test block 
at Fruit Acres Farms, owners Annette and Randy Bjorge, in 
Coloma, Michigan. The test block is a collaboration between 
International Plant Management, Inc. (Wally Heuser and 
Wanda Heuser Gale) and the Bjorges.

The cherry test block has 85 plus sweet cherry varieties 
including selections from New York State Agricultural 
Experiment Station in Geneva, New York and the University 
of Bologna, Italy. Also at the site are varieties from 
Washington State University, Michigan State University, the 
Summerland program in British Columbia, Canada and many of 
the industry standard varieties. This block also features 
trees on eight standard and dwarfing rootstocks. 

On display will be cherry samples from research stations 
and growers from Michigan and New York. Featured guests and 
speakers include Dr. Susan Brown, stone fruit and apple 
breeder from Cornell, Dr. Greg Lang and Dr. Bill Shane of 
MSU, Wallace Heuser of International Plant Management, 
Inc., and others.

All growers, extension and university personnel and their 
employees are invited to attend. Refreshments will be 
provided. Fruit Acres Farms is located in Coloma, Michigan, 
one mile south of I-94 exit 39, on Friday Road. The test 
block is a quarter mile east of the corner of Friday and 
Carmody Roads. Registration is not required. For more 
information, call International Plant Management at 800-
424-2765.

ăStart Your Own Businessä Workshop:  This workshop is 
intended for rural family members who are interested in 
starting a business or are in the early stages of a 
business.  Topics to be covered are characteristics of 
successful rural entrepreneurs, self assessment exercise, 
available rural businesses, steps in successful revenue and 
profit planning, support services for rural start ups and 
steps to get started.  The workshop leader is James (Jim) 
R. Roudebush, an entrepreneur from Central Indiana with a 
rural background.  He has an MBA in Marketing.  Jim is a 
former Corporate Executive and owner of two successful 
Indiana small businesses.  He currently serves as adjunct 
professor and lecturer.  He has served on several national 
and state not-for-profit boards and is the former Chairman 
of Central Indiana Better Business Bureau. The workshop 
will be held on June 26, 2007 from 6: 00 ö 8:00 pm at the 
Hendricks County Extension Office, 1900 E. Main Street, 
Danville, IN  46122.  For directions visit 
http://www.ces.purdue.edu/Hendricks/directions.htm. 

You can call, fax, or mail your registration to Hoosier 
Heartland RC&D Council.  Registration is requested by seven 
days in advance of the workshop. Make checks payable to 
Hoosier Heartland RC&D Council, Inc. Only $10 for Early 
Bird Registrations. Early Bird Registrants must register by 
seven days prior to the workshop. If you register with a 
family member or a friend, the workshop will only cost $5 a 
person. All registrations after the Early Bird 
Registration, or at the door, are $15 per attendee. (The 
workshop is valued at over $100 per attendee, with most 
costs paid for by a grant from the Indiana Office of 
Community and Rural Affairs.). For more information phone 
317.290.3250, Fax 317.290.3150 or email hhrcd@hhrcd.org

Upcoming meetings:
June 18. Purdue Grape and Wine Workshop and Indiana 
Winegrowers Guild Summer Meeting. Simmons Winery, Columbus, 
IN. Contact Jill Blume 765-494-1749

June 26. Cherry High Tunnel Field Day, Clarksville 
Horticulture Experiment
Station, Clarksville MI, at 2:30 PM. 

July 2-3. Indiana Horticultural Society summer field tour. 
July 2 will be at Beiersdorfer Orchard in Guildford and 
July 3 will be at Wesler Orchards in New Paris OH.  See the 
last issue of FFF for details or check 
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/

July 12.  Sweet cherry variety showcase, International 
Plant Management sweet cherry test block at Fruit Acres 
Farms, owners Annette and Randy Bjorge, in Coloma, Michigan 
at 4:30 pm.  For more information, call International Plant 
Management at 800-424-2765.

July 15-17. ASEV-Eastern Section 2007 Annual Conference. 
Lehigh Valley, PA. Contact www.nysaes.cornell.edu/fst/asev/