Facts for Fancy Fruit 98-09  
July 1, 1998

Crop Conditions:  Blueberry harvest has started which is about two weeks ahead of normal. The high 
heat and humidity is making it tough on pickers, but the berries are holding up well.  Summer 
raspberry harvest is well underway. Fruit size is very large due to the early season rains. Botrytis fruit 
rot is fairly common and there appears to be a high incidence of stink bug or tarnished plant bug 
feeding this year as well as white druplets caused by exposure to high temperatures and UV light. 
Peach harvest has begun in the south. Japanese beetle emergence is reported in southern and central 
areas. 

Weather Notes:  Rainfall for the last two weeks of June has been above normal statewide with the 
central 1/3 receiving the greatest amount of rain during this period.  Rainfall amounts range from 
127% of normal in the northeast to 355% of normal in the central region. For the entire month of 
June, amounts range from 135% of normal in the northeast to 327% of normal in the central region. 
Average temperatures and variation from normal for the past two weeks range from 2.2 to 4.7 
degrees above normal in the southwest and northcentral regions respectively. For the entire month 
temperatures are about 1 degree below normal statewide.
	If we receive no more rain for the month of June the statewide average will rank 5th in the last 
105 years following, in order from the wettest to this year, 1958, 1902, 1957 and 1928. The northern 
1/3 of the state is suffering from dry conditions and concern there is lack of moisture while central 
and south is concerned with an abundance of moisture. Counties in the central portion of the state 
have begun to recover somewhat from the recent heavy rainfall and some fieldwork has resumed but 
the southern 1/3 of the state, particularly the southeast, is still suffering from the effects of recent 
weather patterns. As of the crop report issued June 22, 11% of the corn and 31% of the beans had not 
been planted in the southern 1/3 of the state.
	The medium range forecast model continues to indicate hot, dry conditions moving into the 
entire Ohio valley over the next two weeks. The 6 to 10 day outlook calls for near normal 
temperatures and near normal rainfall. The 30 day outlook calls for near normal temperatures and 
rain. The long-range outlook for July-Aug.-Sept. calls for near normal temperatures and above 
normal rainfall.
	La Nina:  Sea-surface temperatures continue to cool in the Pacific with departure from 
normal sst's at -3.0 (c) stretching from the international date line to 120 degrees longitude. This was a 
very quick change (from very warm to cool). The models continue to indicate the greatest impact to 
US weather will be later in the fall and during the winter. -from the Purdue Crop & Weather Notes 
June 26

Sooty Blotch & Flyspeck:  Young developing apple fruit are already showing the dark smudges and 
black speckling indicative of sooty blotch and flyspeck, and it's no wonder considering the heavy 
amounts of rainfall we've experienced over the past few months.  This is shaping up to be one of 
those "worst-years-ever" for sooty blotch and flyspeck as well as other fruit rot diseases.  These 
diseases are easily controlled if fungicide applications are maintained on a regular schedule 
throughout the summer months.  They become a problem when the time between sprays is stretched 
too long (3 to 4 weeks) and/or when spray applications are stopped too early in the season.  Check 
harvest restriction days on the pesticide container label and MAINTAIN fungicide applications on a  
REGULAR SCHEDULE up to the cut-off period. See  ID-168, "1998 Indiana Commercial Tree Fruit 
Spray Guide", for further information. -Pecknold

Brown Rot of Stone Fruits:  As fruit softens during the ripening process, it becomes more susceptible 
to brown rot.  Keep in mind that wet, humid weather is ideal for brown rot development. Scout 
orchards now for brown-rot-infected, aborted fruit.  Also maintain good insect control, especially for 
curculio.  Special attention to brown rot control is required where trees are planted closely and/or 
where the orchard is surrounded by woods.  Such conditions reduce air movement, and dew or rain 
evaporates more slowly, leading to possible brown rot outbreaks. -Pecknold

Yield Assessment and Adjustment in Grapes:  Grapes require careful control of crop size to balance 
the amount of fruit to vegetative growth. An optimum balance leads to maximum yields of high 
quality fruit and adequate vine growth for consistent productivity. Excess fruit production leads to 
poor fruit quality and reduced vegetative growth, resulting in lower potential production in the future. 
Though crop control is generally accomplished through balanced pruning, many French hybrid 
cultivars tend to be overly productive, so balanced pruning alone will not adequately control crop 
size. These cultivars require careful crop load adjustment to prevent weakening of the vines. 
	The potential yield must be estimated to determine if crop reduction is necessary. Potential 
yield is determined by the number of vines per acre (based on row and vine spacing), the number of 
clusters per vine, and the weight of the mature clusters.  At standard spacing (8' x 10') there are 
approximately 545 vines per acre. If each vine produced 20 lb. of fruit, the yield on a per acre basis 
would be 10,900 lb., or about 5 1/2 tons. To determine how much fruit a vine will yield, count the 
number of clusters and estimate the cluster weight based on cultivar and past performance of the 
vineyard. Multiply average cluster weight by number of clusters, then by number of vines to 
determine yields per acre. Cluster size is largely determined by genetics of the cultivar and is 
relatively consistent from year to year, however, factors such as cluster thinning, fruit set and 
environment can have an effect on cluster weight. In our trials at Southwest Purdue Agricultural 
Center and Horticulture Research Farm we have been taking data on yield, cluster weights, berry 
weights, etc. for the past two seasons and from these data we are beginning to get a good idea of 
performance of many grape cultivars. In our trials, large clusters average about 1/3 to 1/2 lb. but can 
be much larger. Large clustered cultivars include: Seyval, Vidal, Chardonel, Cayuga White, Villard 
blanc, and seedless cultivars such as Reliance, Marquis, and Himrod when cluster-thinned. Medium 
clusters average about 1/4 lb. Medium clustered cultivars include: Chambourcin, Chancellor, Horizon, 
LaCrosse, Melody, Traminette, Concord, Niagara, and Catawba. Small clusters average about 1/5 to 
1/8 lb. Small clustered cultivars include: Cynthiana/Norton, Foch, Leon Millot, Delaware, Baco noir, 
Ventura, and Vignoles.
	Yields from 5 to 7 tons per acre are reasonable for most wine grape cultivars in moderately 
vigorous vineyards, though actual yields range from less than 1 ton to well over 10 tons per acre 
depending on cultivar and vine vigor. Growers must know the relative vigor of their vines (pruning 
weights) and past performance of the vineyard to determine the maximum yield potential. A good 
rule of thumb is that the Ņcrop loadÓ (ratio of yield to pruning weight) should be in the range of 7 
to 15 for French hybrid and American cultivars. It is easy to overcrop grapes if careful attention is 
not paid to crop load. Set a target yield based on past experience and adjust the crop to meet that 
target. Keep good records to determine the appropriate yields for each particular vineyard block.
	To adjust the crop load first adjust shoot number. Adjust shoot density to approximately 6 
shoots per foot of row on a single curtain system (48 shoots/vine at 8 ft spacing). An excessive 
number of shoots can create a shading problem which reduces fruit quality and bud fruitfulness for 
next year. Remove secondary and non-count shoots before primary shoots. After shoots are thinned 
to the proper density, estimate the yield by counting the clusters on the remaining shoots. To further 
reduce the crop cluster thin to one or two clusters per shoot depending on cluster size and number 
per shoot. Leave the basal cluster as it is usually the largest. Shoot removal should be completed 
relatively early in the season to reduce vine stress, but cluster thinning can continue up through 
veraison if necessary. -Bordelon

Late Season Grape Disease Control:  The first of July signals the shift from early season to late 
season disease control strategy in grapes. From now until harvest the spray interval can generally be 
extended to 14 to 21 days (depending on rainfall) and growers must change fungicides. On most 
grape cultivars the last application of mancozeb is recommended two weeks post-bloom. Because of 
itÕs 66 day pre harvest interval, one of the other broad spectrum fungicides must be substituted for 
mancozeb for the remainder of the season. Other broad spectrum materials currently available for 
late season disease control are captan, ferbam, ziram, and fixed copper and lime. Ziram has been 
granted a 24c label (Special Local Needs) for Indiana which allows its use during the late season (21 
day PHI). Ziram is a good all round material for control of Phomopsis, downy mildew, ripe rot, and 
black rot, and aides in control of Botrytis. It is a little weak on black rot, so it should be used with 
Nova or Bayleton if disease pressure is high. Ziram has a 48 hour reentry interval compared to the 4 
day REI for captan. The grower must be in possession of the supplemental label in order to use 
Ziram past bloom. If you need a label, contact Bruce Bordelon, 765-494-8212, or Joe Grippi (Elf 
Atochem) 614-575-2742. -Bordelon

Japanese Beetles:  TheyÕre out, theyÕre hungry, and theyÕre after your fruit crop! Though they seem 
to eat everything, Japanese beetles are particularly fond of grape and plum foliage, and blueberry and 
raspberry fruit. Scout often and apply an insecticide registered for your particular crop if necessary. 
Beetles can cause serious losses in blueberries and raspberries by feeding on fruit. Fruit are damaged, 
but not completely consumed by beetles in a single feeding. The next feeding the beetles select clean, 
undamaged fruit, so that a single adult may damage dozens of berries in its lifetime. Multiply that by 
thousands of beetles and the losses can become significant. One problem applying pesticides near 
harvest is the potential for visible residue on the fruit, especially with dark colored fruit such as 
blueberries. Growers may want to consider the XLR formulation of Sevin because it does not leave as 
much visible residue as wettable powder formulations. The pre harvest interval (PHI) is another 
consideration when applying pesticides close to harvest. For Sevin, the PHI on small fruits is 7 days. 
Imidan has a 3 day PHI and a SLN (Section 24) registration for blueberries in Indiana that allows up 
to 5 applications. Though Imidan isnÕt quite as effective as Sevin, it seems to persists a little longer. 
Raspberry growers will have to rely on Sevin or malathion. Malathion is less effective, but has a 1 day 
PHI. Check the small fruit spray guide for a complete list of registered insecticides, their PHIs and 
relative effectiveness.  -Bordelon

IHS Summer Meeting:  We recently had a very successful summer meeting with about 60 growers in 
attendance.  On the orchard tour, some of the topics discussed were weed control, new varieties and 
new strains of old varieties, and pruning strategies for getting trees back into shape.  Back in the 
market, the Beasleys told us about some of the innovative things they were doing and shared their 
experience with holding festivals.  From the discussion, it was obvious that collectively we have a lot 
of knowledge and experience when it comes to marketing, and the discussion emphasized once again 
one of the strengths of our industry is our willingness to be open and freely share information.  John 
and Debbie Beasley were very hospitable hosts and we applaud their efforts in helping to make the 
summer meeting a success. -Hirst

Season looking fantastic:  At the summer meeting, the almost universal sentiment was that the crops 
this year are looking great.  Even many of those folks who previously thought they had overthinned 
are now feeling that maybe things donÕt look so bad and perhaps they got their thinning about right.  
The warm weather for the month or so after bloom helped us out greatly, with most growers saying 
the fruit size is looking excellent.  So often we tend to focus on the negative, but heavy crops of large 
excellent quality fruit doesnÕt seem to be a bad problem to have.  Get those pickers lined up! -Hirst

IHS Winter Meeting:  IsnÕt it too early to be thinking about the winter meeting? No, now is the time 
to give it a little thought.  As IHC President Ed Fackler mentioned at the meetings, if you have any 
topics you would like to be addressed at the meetings, then please let Ed or Peter Hirst know as soon 
as possible, and weÕll do our best to get it on the program.  Remember, this is your meeting, so hereÕs 
your chance to make sure itÕs what you want. -Hirst

Apple Fruit Maturity:  Some folks have started harvesting Lodi, and the question arises, Ōhow do I 
know when to pick?Õ  There are many criteria that can be used to assess apple maturity - some of 
them are useful for growers to use and some are only suited for use in the laboratory.  First, a little 
background.  Fruit is mature when it is capable of continued development off the tree.  This is 
different from ripe, which is related to the human perception of a fruit being ready to eat and covers 
such things as texture, and sugar and acid levels.  If you are harvesting fruit for immediate sale, then 
you will want to harvest your fruit in a ripe (ready to eat) condition.  However, if you intend to store 
the fruit for any length of time, then mature but not ripe is where youÕll want to be since the fruit will 
continue to develop (albeit slowly) in cold storage.  OK, so how do I make the when to harvest 
decision?  There are a number of practical things to look at.

1. Calendar date - this will give you a broad idea when to start looking at fruit maturity.  In order to 
refine this a little, the number of days from bloom to harvest can be calculated - the following table 
gives an approximate guide.

Anticipated days from bloom to harvest for a number of important apple cultivars.

Cultivar					Days from Bloom to harvest

Yellow Transparent	70-90
Lodi, Pristine	75-95
Mollies Delicious, Red Free	120-125
McIntosh, Cortland, Gala	125-145
Jonathan, Liberty, Grimes Golden, Empire, Red 
Delicious, Golden Delicious, Jonafree	140-150
Mutsu	145-170
York Imperial	155-175
Rome, Winesap, Stayman	160-175
Braeburn, Fuji, Goldrush, Enterprise, Granny Smith	180-210

2. Skin color - this is more useful with some varieties than others.  With many bi-colored apples such 
as Gala, the skin background color changes from green to yellow as the fruit mature.  This can be a 
very useful harvest indicator, especially for varieties that require multiple pickings.
3.  Seed color - seeds turn from white to brown/black as fruit mature, so this can be a useful indicator 
to get you in the right ballpark.
4. Starch levels - as fruit mature, starch is converted to sugar, so finding out how much starch is left is 
a good indicator of how far along we are.  Starch can be seen by cutting fruit in half and spraying the 
cut surface with an iodine solution. This solution can be made from 0.3 oz (10 g) of potassium 
iodide and 0.1 oz (2.5 g) of iodine in 1 quart of water.  These should be available from a drug store.  
During mixing and use of this solution, make sure the area is well ventilated - iodine fumes are toxic.  
This solution should be stored in a plastic or glass container as it is corrosive to metals.  Providing the 
container is well stoppered, the solution will keep for long periods of time.  Once the fruit surface is 
sprayed with this solution, the pattern should develop in about 1 minute. If the fruit surface turns 
black, this indicates that there is a lot of starch in the fruit and it is not ready to be harvested.  If the 
surface stays completely white, then fruit is ripe and should be harvested and sold immediately.  Fruit 
that is going to be stored for a short period of time or marketed immediately should only have a little 
black (small amount of starch) present. 
5. Sugar (soluble solids) or brix levels - this can give a guide, but there are many things that can 
influence sugar levels besides fruit maturity. Although rising sugar levels give an indication of fruit 
maturity, they should not be used as the only harvest criteria.
6. Fruit firmness - like sugar levels, many factors can affect fruit firmness, so although firmness can 
give a trend, it is not very useful by itself.
7. Taste - the best one of all!  An experienced taster can judge firmness, sugar level, amount of starch 
and acid level all from one bite.  A good idea is to take some of these measurements on one side of 
the fruit and taste the other half to get tuned into the difference in taste between a 10% sugar apple 
and a 12% sugar apple (there is a big difference in taste between 10 and 12%).  -Hirst

Indiana WinegrowerÕs Guild Summer Meeting and Vineyard Tour:  The IWG will hold its annual 
summer meeting on July 6 at Oliver Winery, 8024 N. State Road 37, Bloomington. The IWG business 
meeting will begin at 1:00 PM EST. There are several important issues on the agenda, including a 
legislative update, symposium report, and election of new officers. A tour of the winery will begin at 
3:30 PM after which we will caravan to the Creekbend Vineyard for a tour and discussion followed 
by a barbecue dinner at 6:00 PM. Bring your favorite wine to share with the meal. Cost for dinner 
will be $7.00 which can be paid on site, but you must pre-register or you will have to cook and do the 
dishes. Call Steve Thomas (800)948-8466 or Dave Gahimer (888) 965-WINE to register of for more 
information.
	Oliver Winery is the largest winery in the state and just recently completed renovation of the 
sales room, offices, and storage area. Bill OliverÕs Creekbend Vineyard is on an excellent site and 
features Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonel and Foch. The vineyard tour will include a 
discussion of various training systems in use at Creekbend, yield assessment and adjustment, training 
young vines, and results of a study of spur length in Chardonel.

Directions:  Oliver Winery is located on State Road 37 five miles north of Bloomington (about 10 
miles south of Martinsville). Watch for the signs. We will meet at the winery and caravan to the 
vineyard which is about 8 miles away. Maps will be available.

Questions and Answers:  Growers often have questions about articles that appear in this newsletter, or 
topics we donÕt cover. If you have a question or a topic you would like to see discussed, send it to 
one of us by mail or email and weÕll be happy to do an article for the next issue of the newsletter.

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Coming Meetings:

July 6 -- Indiana WinegrowerÕs Guild Summer Meeting and Vineyard Tour. 1:00 PM Oliver Winery, 
S.R. 37, just north of Bloomington. Contact Steve Thomas (800)948-8466 or Dave Gahimer 
(888)965-WINE.

July 21 --  Ohio Small Fruit Tour, begins in Piketon at the OSU Piketon Research & Extension 
Center.  Contact Tom Wall, OSU Piketon (800) 297-2072, or Mike Pullins at (614) 249-2424 for 
more information.

July 21 --  1998 Southern Ohio Winery Tour. Hosted by Valley Vineyards Winery. Reservations 
required. Contact Valley Vineyards Winery at 513-899-2485 for more information.

July 22 --  Cider Seminar, Reynoldsburg, Ohio.  For more information contact Dr. Diane Miller at 
(330) 263-3824.

July 21-24 --  American Society for Enology and Viticulture/Eastern Section 23rd Annual Meeting, 
Grand Rapids, MI. Contact:  Ellen Harkness, Dept. of Food Science, Smith Hall, Purdue Univ. W. 
Lafayette, IN  47907-1160,  Phone 317-494-6704, FAX  317-494-7953 Email: 
harkness@foodsci.purdue.edu.

July 30 --  Viticulture Field Day, Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, Benton 
Harbor, MI. Contact the SWMREC at 616-944-1477.

Sept. 13 - Ohio Valley Harvest Festival, Noon to 6:00 P.M., Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, Louisville, 
KY. Contact Roy Ballard, Floyd Co. Extension, 8121/948-5470


Bruce Bordelon, 1165 Dept. of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette,
IN 47907-1165, 765/494-1301, e-mail: bordelon@hort.purdue.edu

Peter Hirst, 1165 Dept. of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
47907-1165, 765/494-1323, e-mail: hirst@hort.purdue.edu

Paul Pecknold, 1155 Dept. of Botany & Plant Path., Purdue University, West
Lafayette, IN 47907-1155, 765/494-4628, e-mail: Pecknold@btny.purdue.edu

Rick Foster, 1158 Dept. of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
47907-1158, 765/494-9572, 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.