FFF 97-13        
October 16, 1997

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Facts for Fancy Fruit is a newsletter for commercial and advanced amateur
fruit growers developed in the Purdue University Department of Horticulture
with regular contributions from the specialists in the Departments of
Entomology and Botany and Plant Pathology, and from other agents & specialists
on campus.  If you have questions, or are are interested in receiving this
newsletter electronically, contact Bruce Bordelon (bb@hort.purdue.edu).
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Inside

Memorial - June Alexander
Cider
Fall Chores
Fall Weed Control for Small Fruits
Coming Meetings
Program Ideas for Winter Meetings
Agri-Mycin(r) 17 and Mycoshield(r) Product Recall
USDA Announces New Office of Pest Management
Minor Crop/FQPA Tolerance Reassessment-Phase 1
Blueberry Integrated Crop Management School

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Crop Conditions

The past couple of weeks have brought unusually warm and dry weather to the
state.  Fruit crops that were delayed all season rapidly progressed.  Fall
bearing raspberries suffered from heat and lack of moisture.  Fruit size is
small and flavor and quality are reduced from earlier harvests.  Despite what
we  thought after the freeze back in April, the apple crop has been pretty
good across the state.  We are in the middle of Red Delicious harvest at the
moment, and although a few growers have a very light crop, there are also many
good crops of Reds around the state.  Maturity of Reds needs to be watched -
we have noticed here at Purdue, and others have also reported that fruit are
maturing quite slowly and are taking awhile for the starch to be converted to
sugars. The varieties with the lightest crops tend to be the triploids such as
Mutsu.  We started the season about 10 days late and that has pretty much
continued through the harvest season. The first frost is forecast for
mid-October, about one week later than normal for the central region. 

Memorial:  June Alexander of Columbus, Ohio passed away on September 24, 1997
and was buried near her home of Milton, West Virginia. She was 69 years old.  June 
served the eastern fruit industry as a  representative of some of the largest and best
tree and small fruit nurseries in the U.S. She  sold millions of fruit plants to growers in the 
Midwest.  June attended hundreds of fruit trade shows representing Stark Brothers, Bountiful 
Ridge,  Nourse, Carlton, VanWell and other fruit nurseries. The Horticultural
Association meeting of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, and Pennsylvania we all "home" during the fall and winter months.
During her career many miles were traveled to orchards to assist growers in
planting and growing fruit plants.  Farm size was no concern; she measured the
people in the industry by the work of their hands, by how they could make a
living for their families and by their trust in one another.
	A scholarship and research fund was established by her at The Ohio State
University in 1989.  She held a high regard for the future of the industry,
and was well aware of the impact of research and education in the industry. 
She traveled to England in 

1985 and visited research stations, advisors and growers.  June understood the
current and future potential of a new and dynamic industry.
	As a person, June possessed a high level of courage, charm, and compassion
along with a great sense of humor. She knew where she wanted to be and how to
get there without alot of fanfare. She was unique part of the eastern fruit
industry and her impact was far and wide. She will be missed because she was
one of us.

Cider:  Many of you have received the new consumer education brochure about
fresh (that is unpasteurized) apple cider published by the U.S. Apple
Association. The brochure can be used to comply with a recent Food and Drug
Administration's (FDA) request that cider producers voluntarily provide warning
information to consumers. "The fresh apple cider industry is working very hard
to address its new food safety threat and put this period in cider's long
history behind it," said Julia Daly of the U.S. Apple 
Association.  "While the risk is likely low, right now it just makes sense to
provide consumers, especially those most vulnerable to food borne pathogens,
with advice on how to protect themselves and still enjoy 

cider."  I agree that it seems like a wise move to take 
the opportunity to educate the public about the risk.  Obviously there is a
fine line between being a responsible producer and raising undue fears.  I
believe the answer lies in the facts, rather than emotion.  Yes, let's tell
the consumer that there is a risk, but let's also tell them how small that
risk is.
	FDA inspectors have also been visiting a number of cider producers around the
state.  By all accounts, they have been very thorough and professional.  The
fact that these inspections have been taking place should be viewed positively
by producers rather than as a negative event.  From the results of these
inspections we will know for sure exactly the magnitude of any problem and
exactly where it is entering.  The first step in solving any problem is to
identify precisely what the problem is and where it is occurring, so we should
be thankful that the FDA is performing these inspections.  For those producers
who have been inspected, please would you send copies of the inspection
reports to Peter Hirst at the address listed on the back of this newsletter -
it would be useful to have a record of how we are doing across the state.

Fall Chores:  Fall is a good time for taking care of those problems you
noticed all summer and said you were going to do something about.  In the last
issue we discussed soil management and cover crops, control of perennial
weeds, and herbicide applications.  This is a great time to get those things
done.  If you are planning a new planting for next season, take advantage of
the dry soil conditions and subsoil the site as deeply as possible.  Adjust
the soil pH with lime, make fertilizer additions (especially P and K) and
incorporate those materials as deeply as possible.  Disk the area and get a
cover crop established before the end of October to assure adequate soil
coverage and reduced erosion potential. Take care of those other odds and
ends; the broken trellis posts, leaking irrigation system, and so on. 
Remember, when April rolls around you won't have any spare time on your hands.

Fall Weed Control for Small Fruits:  Fall is the most important time to apply
herbicides in berry crops.  As we reminded you in the last issue, there are
several advantages to fall herbicide applications.  Dry soil 
conditions in the fall allow for equipment travel 
without compaction, weather conditions are more stable giving you greater
flexibility in application times, and there is less likelihood of heavy rains
to cause runoff, but good chances of adequate rains to incorporate the
herbicides.  Also, weed problems are still fresh in your mind, so you can
tailor your herbicide program according to weed problems you had this season. 
Regina Rieckenberg recently wrote a very good article on fall weed control in
small fruits in the Small Fruit News of Central New York Newsletter.  Here is
a condensed version.  

Strawberries: 
	On new or established strawberry plantings the small weed seeds you see
germinating right now will winter kill if they are summer annuals (galinsoga,
lambsquarters, purslane, ragweed, pigweed, Pennsylvania smartweed, velvetleaf,
crabgrass, fall panicum and foxtails).  If they are winter annuals (chickweed,
wild mustard, henbit, field pansy), you may want to apply a very light rate of
Sinbar now.  It's legal 6 months after planting and has some activity on
emerged weed seedlings.  Be sure to apply it before a rain or wash it off the
leaves with irrigation. See more below about Sinbar.  Devrinol could be
applied now as well if adequate runners have established. It has no activity
on emerged weeds.  Applying some of the Sinbar or Devrinol now rather than
just before mulching will take away from how long they will last next spring. 

	Weed seeds that have dropped onto the strawberry field and are waiting to
germinate are the primary reason for fall herbicides.  The standard program
for both first year and established strawberries is to apply 8 lbs/acre of
Devrinol plus possibly some Sinbar. Devrinol controls annual grasses and some
broadleaf weeds (chickweed, knotweed, groundsel, lambsquarters, pigweed,
purslane and pineapple weed). It gives some suppression of nutsedge.  It
doesn't control weed seeds that have germinated. The label says that it must
be washed in within 24 hours after application or it will break down from
exposure to sunlight.  This is not that critical this time of year.  Under
conditions of high sunlight, slightly over 50% is broken down by the sun
within 4 days.  Under winter conditions, the loss is approximately 30% within
8 days.  The ideal timing for Devrinol is the fall.  It doesn't volatilize 
and is resistant to leaching, so it's there and ready to provide weed control
through harvest next spring.  

	You may also want to apply some Sinbar.  Sinbar should not be used on soil
with less than 1% organic matter, nor on eroded soil areas.  Lower rates
should be chosen for soils with 1-2% organic matter.  Sinbar should not be
applied on weak or diseased strawberry plants.  Caution should be used on
Kent, Midway, Micmac, Bounty, Earlidawn, Annapolis and any new cultivars due
to Sinbar sensitivity.  Sinbar's strengths are chickweed, lambsquarters,
mustards, crabgrass, foxtail, prickly lettuce and shepherd's purse. 
Basically, it broadens the spectrum of activity that you get with the
Devrinol.  The amount to apply depends how much was applied at renovation ...
the annual maximum is 8 oz/acre.  If you applied 5 oz/acre at renovation (for
example) then you could apply 3 oz/acre now.  If you think that you may be
able to get onto the field in the spring, then that is actually the better
time for Sinbar.  It is quite leachable in soil and may be washed out by next
spring.  
	Perennial broadleaf weeds such as dandelion are the toughest things to
control in strawberries.  If they have gotten a foothold, then it's definitely
worth trying fall 2,4 D applications.  Do it on a warm day once the strawberry
plants are fully dormant (usually late November), but the weeds are still
growing.   There are other perennial broadleaf weeds getting established which
will grow in the spring.  These include sheep sorrel and butter and eggs.  You
may seriously want to consider hand weeding these out now.  Perennial grasses
(i.e., quack) can be suppressed with Poast, and fall is a good time to do it,
but it doesn't do much if the seed heads have formed, and you can't use it
within six weeks of a Sinbar application  It's probably just as good to wait
until next spring. 

Raspberries and Blueberries:
	The standard herbicide program for raspberries and blueberries is a fall or
early spring application of preemergent herbicides.  A good approach is a
mixture of 2.5 lbs/acre of Princep plus either a) 5 lbs/acre of Surflan, b) 8
lbs/acre of Devrinol or c) 2 lbs/acre of Sinbar.  Solicam is labeled and could
technically be an additional option to mix with the Princep, but it is
expensive and plant injury is possible, especially on raspberries.  If you
need slightly more broadleaf activity, use Solicam or Sinbar.  To improve
grass control, apply Surflan rather than Devrinol.  Surflan is not recommended
on high organic matter soils. 
	On blueberries, 2-4 lbs/acre of Kerb with the Princep is an additional
option.  Kerb is a good option if quackgrass is a problem.  If red sorrel is a
problem, try a high rate of Princep next spring while plants are still
dormant.  For perennial weeds, many growers use a directed spray of RoundUp. 
Blueberries must be dormant, so do it when 90% of the leaves are off the
plants and the rest are red (usually mid November). It's still important to be
very careful to avoid contact with green shoots. 
	On raspberries, Princep plus Surflan or Devrinol are the mixtures to use. The
Princep + Surflan mixture works best if it is split in half with half in the
fall and half in the spring.  Princep should be used at the low rate on plants
less than 6 months old.  Sinbar can also be used with Princep if the plants
are older than one year.  However, Sinbar is very hot on raspberries,
especially the variety Canby.  Purple raspberries are sensitive to all
herbicides.  These Princep plus something else mixes give good broad spectrum
control, but Casoron at 100-150 lbs/acre (high rate for perennial weeds) is an
excellent choice as an alternative.   Casoron is a broad spectrum granular
herbicide that is quite effective if applied evenly and at the proper time. 
Casoron is 
volatile so it is best to wait until late winter just after the ground thaws
(usually late February).  This is a good option of you have used one of the
above treatments for the last several years.  By alternating between the mixes
and Casoron you avoid the build up of any one herbicide.  Casoron is fairly
expensive. 

Mulching Strawberries:  If you haven't already 
done so you should make arrangements for your mulch supply now.  Strawberries
are typically mulched with clean wheat straw clean meaning that it does not
contain excessive weed or wheat seeds.  Any straw is suitable as long as it is
heavy enough to resist blowing off in the wind and free of troublesome weeds. 
A good rule of thumb is that it takes 1.5 to 2 tons of straw per acre of
strawberries.  More is better.  
	Mulch should be applied AFTER several hard freezes in the high 20s or low 30s
have occurred over a short period of time (a week or two).  This usually
occurs in mid to late December.  Once these freezes occur strawberry plants
will be completely dormant.  It is important not to mulch too early because
the plants need the exposure to cold and shortening daylength to properly
harden off for winter.  On the other hand you want the mulch on before
sub-zero temperatures occur.  One old strawberry grower that we all know
claims you should apply mulch after Christmas but before New Years.  That may
be so, but its probably better to give yourself a little more flexibility.  

Agri-Mycin(r) 17 and Mycoshield(r) Product Recall:  Novartis Crop Protection,
Inc. acquired Merck and Co.'s Crop Protection business in July, 1997.  As a
result, they will be manufacturing and selling Agri-Mycin 17 and Mycoshield
products in the future.  They have a concern that some production lots of
Agri-Mycin 17 and Mycoshield sold in 1997 may not meet product specifications
for the 1998 use season.  As a result, they are initiating a total recall of
Agri-Mycin 17 and Mycoshield in all package sizes.
	Growers should contact their supplier to arrange for return of the material
and refund of the purchase price.  All grower inquiries should be directed to
Novartis Crop Protection Customer Service at (800) 334-9481. 

USDA Announces New Office of Pest Management:  On September 8, 1997, Deputy
Agriculture Secretary Richard Rominger announced the creation of the Office of
Pest Management that will serve as USDA's focal point for pesticide regulatory
issues.  This is part of a new, coordinated approach to minor use pesticide
issues that builds on existing programs at USDA and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).  The new office is charged with integrating and
coordinating pesticide issues within USDA along with improving communications
with and strengthening the existing network of grower organizations and crop
specialists at land grant institutions.  This will help make available
accurate, high quality data on pesticide use practices for regulatory decision
making.
	EPA's Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances Lynn Goldman also announced the agency's newly created Minor Use
Program Team.  It will work closely with growers organizations, USDA,
registrants and other stakeholders to obtain and use the best available data,
to facilitate an open dialogue with the minor use community, and to promote
the development of safer pesticides for minor uses.  EPA and USDA have been
working together in recent months to secure funding for the collection of
additional data on children's food consumption patterns and to collect
pesticide residue information through the Pesticide Data Program.  These
efforts are in compliance with the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 that
requires minor use issues be handled more efficiently in a coordinated,
cross-agency effort. (USDA News Release via AAPSE Notice, September 8, 1997). 


Minor Crop/FQPA Tolerance Reassessment - Phase 1:  The provisions of the Food
Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 require EPA to reassess all pesticide
tolerances within ten years of passage of the Act.  During the first phase of
tolerance reassessment, EPA plans on reviewing the tolerances of the
organophosphate, carbamate and B-1/B-2 carcinogen pesticides.  During these
reviews, EPA is required to consider risk from all sources of pesticide
exposure and cumulative risk from pesticides with common modes of toxicity. 
In addition, the Agency can place an additional tenfold safety factor in the
risk calculations to further protect the diets of infants and children.
	Interregional Project-4 (IR-4) has developed a list of minor uses that will
be subject to the first round of tolerance reassessment.  Crops included are
grown on less than 300,000 acres nationally and are grown commercially in the
Midwest.  The list does not include minor uses on the major crops.  In
addition, the list does not include seed treatment use patterns or uses that
do not require a pesticide tolerance.  It is extremely likely that some of
these uses will be lost during the tolerance reassessment process.  At this
point there is no way to adequately predict which exact uses will no longer be
available.  Thus, all these uses must be considered at risk of no longer being
available for agriculture.  Because of the unknown future, it would be prudent
to consider alternative pest control tools as potential
replacements for these at risk minor uses.  IR-4 is available to help growers
of minor use crops have access to safe and effective pest control tools. 
IR-4's goals are to assist in new registration of reduced risk pesticides on
minor crops and facilitate reduced risk use patterns for existing
registrations.  IR-4 will also support biologically-based pesticides and pesticides essential to IPM
systems.  
	For additional information contact IR-4 National Director, IR-4 Headquarters,
Cook/NJAES, PO Box 231, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231, Telephone (908)
932-9575, FAX (908) 932-8481. 

Blueberry Integrated Crop Management School:  Blueberry growers, consultants
and educators will be interested in this in-depth program to be held at the
Kellogg Biological Station near Battle Creek, Michigan on November 3-5, 1997.
This is the first time MSU Extension has offered such a concentrated program
on the management of insect and bird pests, diseases, and weeds in
blueberries.  The program will emphasize in-field identification, scouting and
monitoring, and control strategies.  Researchers and extension educators from
Michigan and other states will provide over 20 hours of lecture covering the
most current information and research on these topics.  
	The Kellogg Biological Station is equipped with state-of -the-art lecture
facilities, dormitories, and a cafeteria so that students can sleep, eat and
study on site. The registration fee of $225 covers two nights lodging, all
meals, notebook and handouts. Individuals within commuting distance can
register for $175, which includes everything except lodging and breakfasts.
The Blueberry ICM School is the week following the MBG Marketing Blueberry
Convention and Trade Show (October 29-30) and the North American Blueberry
Council meeting (October 31). These events will be in Grand Rapids, less than
an hour drive from the Kellogg Biological Station. Individuals from outside
Michigan may want to consider attending these programs during a single trip.
If you would like additional information on the Blueberry ICM School, contact
Laurel Raines (616 429-2425), Mark Longstroth (616 657-7745) or Eric Hanson
(517 355-2261).


Upcoming Meetings

October 25 - Kentucky Vineyard Society Fall Meeting, Sullivan College,
Louisville, KY. Contact Butch Meyer 606/573-5642.

November 3-5 - Blueberry Integrated Crop Management School.  Kellogg
Biological Station near Battle Creek, Michigan. See story above. Contact:
Laurel Raines (616 429-2425), Mark Longstroth (616 657-7745) or Eric Hanson
(517 355-2261).

November 5 - Late Season Apple Showcase at Clarksville Horticultural Research
Station. Contact Clarksville Station (616-693-2193)

January 26-28 - Indiana Horticultural Congress. Adam's Mark Hotel,
Indianapolis. Watch for registration materials in December or call us for a
copy.

Program ideas for the winter meetings: 
Please send Peter Hirst, Bruce Bordelon, and/or Dick
Hayden your suggestions for topics or speakers for the winter meeting
programs.  We have a number of god suggestions, but need additional ones.  The
dates of the meetings are January 26-28, 1998 so mark your calendar.



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Bruce Bordelon, 1165 Dept. of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette,
IN 47907-1165, 317/494-1301, e-mail: bordelon@hort.purdue.edu

Peter Hirst, 1165 Dept. of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
47907-1165, 317/494-1323, e-mail: hirst@hort.purdue.edu

Paul Pecknold, 1155 Dept. of Botany & Plant Path., Purdue University, West
Lafayette, IN 47907-1155, 317/494-4628, e-mail: Pecknold@btny.purdue.edu

Rick Foster, 1158 Dept. of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
47907-1158, 317/494-9572, e-mail: Rick_Foster@entm.purdue.edu


Disclaimer:  Reference to products in this publication is not an endorsement
to the exclusion of others which may be similar.  Any person using products
listed in this newsletter assumes full responsibility for their use in
accordance with current label directions of the manufacturer.