Crop Conditions:  Central and northern Indiana are dry while the
southern third of the state has received adequate rainfall over the
past couple of weeks. The high temperatures have compressed the
ripening season for berry crops. Blueberry harvest is underway and
growers are having trouble keeping the fruit picked. Overripe fruit
tends to attract Japanese beetles and often develops Aternaria or
anthracnose fruit rot so it is important to keep all ripe fruit
harvested. Peach harvest is underway and fruit quality and size have
been excellent. Some summer apples are being harvested. Apples are
sizing well although the dry weather will be holding them back
somewhat. If you have the ability to irrigate, it would pay to make use
of it. Where rainfall has been frequent diseases are prevalent. Grape
black rot and downy mildew are fairly common in the southern part of
the state.

Special Note: This will be the last newsletter issued on a bi-weekly
basis. The rest of the issues for 1999 will be published on a monthly
basis August through November.

IHS Summer Tour:  The Indiana Hort. Society had a wonderful summer tour
last week.  I have been flooded with many very positive responses.  Of
course it makes it easy with such great hosts.  As we saw, Dave and
Bonnie McAfee are doing a lot of creative and interesting things, and
we appreciate their willingness to show these to us.  Son Mike Yoder
did a great job demonstrating the County Line Orchard internet web site
to us, and I think many were impressed at the impact they had had
through this site, and how uncomplicated it was to become a participant
in this technology.  The setting was wonderful, and the weather
couldnÕt have been better.  Although the turnout of around 60 was
somewhat less than what we have come to expect in recent years, this
did not diminish the quality of the meeting.  Dave, Bonnie and Mike, we
thank you for your hospitality and your efforts in making this yearÕs
summer meeting one to remember.  -Hirst

Cider Warning Labels:  A number of cider makers are currently in the
process of ordering labels for the coming cider season and have been
asking what the deal is with warning labels for this season.  Remember
that last season, if you werenÕt pasteurizing your cider (or processing
it to achieve a 5-log kill of E. coli), then either a warning label on
the jog, or a warning sign on a placard near the cider cabinet, was
mandatory.  The Indiana State Department of Health have taken a very
practical point of view and have said that as long as the producer is
making a good attempt to educate the consumer of the risks involved in
cider consumption with the warning statement (either warning label or
placards), then they would be fairly happy.  The federal regulations
however state that placards are no longer acceptable as of September 6
this year.  After this date, the warning statement must appear on the
container. Other points to note: _ The word ÒWARNINGÓ must be
capitalized and must appear in bold type _ The warning statement must
be in a type size no less than one-sixteenth of an inch _ The warning
statement on containers must be set off in a box by the use of
hairlines _ Processors may use a separate sticker to display the
warning statement or incorporate into their main label _ If separate
stickers are to be used for the warning label, then it must be
typically visible Ð federal inspectors are likely to take a dim view of
warning stickers placed right at the bottom of the jug or in a position
where it is not easily seen.

The wording of the warning statement must be as follows:

WARNING:  This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may
contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children,
the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

Note that this is not the suggested wording of the warning statement,
this is it folks Ð no room for improvisation here.  As of right now, we
donÕt know whatÕs coming in terms of HACCP or mandatory pasteurization,
but no new rules on this will be in place for the coming cider season.
- Hirst

Export Promotion of Apples:  The apple industryÕs export promotions
efforts will receive $3 million from the market access program of USDA
to assist in promoting US apples overseas. The apple industry operates
two export promotion programs, one managed by the US Apple Association
and the other by the Washington Apple Commission.  The market access
program (MAP) has given the apple industry $45 million in the 13 year
history of the program, and US apple exports have increased by 56% over
this period.  According to Kraig Naasz, president of the US Apple
Association ÒEvery member of our industry, from Maine to California,
benefits from MAP and the export sales its funding promotes.  It
remains one of the most successful public-private partnerships ever
created, returning far more to the federal treasury in job growth and
tax revenue than it spends.Ó  Although the MAP has been successful in
promoting increased agricultural exports, the program still has some
detractors in congress.  During the last fiscal year there was an
amendment to eliminate the program, however this was defeated.
Positive feedback to out lawmakers is important, so if you support this
program, let your senators and representatives in the house know.  A
sample letter can be found in the government affairs section of the US
Apple Association website at  www.usapple.com  -Hirst

Brown Rot Of Stone Fruits: As peach harvest continues, be aware of the
need for sprays to control brown rot.  Warm, wet, humid weather is
particularly favorable for brown rot.  Pre-harvest sprays for brown rot
should be started no later than 3 weeks before harvest or when fruit
begins to color.  Elite, Indar and Orbit are relatively new sterol
inhibitor fungicides that give excellent control of brown rot.  For
further information on fungicides and timing of spray applications see
ID-168, Ò1999 Indiana Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide Ò.  In addition
to maintaining sprays for brown rot, also maintain sprays for insect
pests that may injure fruit and allow brown rot to gain a foothold.
Use care in the picking and handling of fruit to avoid punctures and
skin abrasions.  Any break in the skin of the fruit enables brown rot
to more easily cause infection.  -Pecknold

Necrotic Leaf Blotch On Goldens:  Generally we first start noticing
necrotic leaf blotch (NLB) on Golden Delicious in late June or July,
when the weather becomes hot and sticky.  Symptoms of NLB are leaf
yellowing and drop; often patches of brown blotches develop along with
leaf yellowing.  Symptoms develop suddenly, almost overnight, and in
waves, generally from June through August.  The cause of NLB is not
known; however, the disorder is thought to be related to air
temperature, light intensity and soil moisture.  It is most severe when
a cool, rainy period of 4 - 5 days precedes several hot, sunny days.
Although it appears NLB is not fungal caused, the disease is reduced
when ziram is included in the cover sprays. -Pecknold

Apple Fruit Rots:  Wet weather is ideal for most fungal diseases.  If
summer rains are a frequent event in your area of the state expect an
increase in sooty blotch and flyspeck, black rot, bot rot, bitter rot
and any other rots that might have made their way into your orchard.
Maintain a tight spray schedule if wet weather persists; see  ID-168,
Ò1999 Indiana Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide Ò, for suggested
fungicides.  As always, good orchard sanitation is a must for control
of summer rot disease problems.  Remove and destroy all dead and/or
dying wood from your orchardÉNOW; this means brush piles, old prunings
on the orchard floor, dead trees, dead limbs in trees, etc. -Pecknold

Botrytis Bunch Rot:  Grapes are at bunch closing, a stage when berries
within the cluster begin to touch. This is an important time to apply a
fungicide to protect against Botrytis bunch rot since it is the last
opportunity to protect the interior of the berry cluster. Botrytis is
particularly bad on tight-clustered French hybrids, such as Vignoles
and Seyval, and most vinifera varieties, especially Pinot noir,
Riesling, and Chardonnay. Rovral has been the standard fungicide for
Botrytis control over the past few years, but a new product, Vangard,
was registered this year. Recommendations from New York call for
alternating Vangard with Rovral or tank mixing the two together. The
labeled rate for Vangard is 10 oz per acre alone or 5 to 10 oz/acre
when used in a tank mix with 1 lb. Rovral. Sprays should be directed
toward the cluster zone and applied in enough water to get thorough
coverage. Vangard is a system fungicide that resists wash-off and has
shown limited (48 hr) post infection activity against other disease on
other crops. It is classified as a Ôreduced riskÕ fungicide by EPA due
to its favorable environmental and toxicological properties. It is
important to realize that both of these fungicides are effective ONLY
against Botrytis. They provide no protection against black rot, ripe
rot, the mildews, etc. It is also important to remember that both of
these fungicides are prone to resistance development in the pathogen
population, so they should be used carefully. -Bordelon

Japanese Beetles:  We continue to get reports of Japanese beetle damage
to fruit and ornamental plants.  It is important to scout your
plantings often and apply an insecticide registered for your particular
crop if damage is bad enough to warrant an insecticide application (the
economic threshold is reached). Recent research by John Wise at
Michigan State University and Dave Trinka at Michigan Blueberry Growers
Marketing have produced some interesting results.  A summary of the
1997/98 bioassays and field studies indicated several important things.
First, Sevin clearly provided the quickest kill of all the products
tested. Even as SevinÕs immediate lethal affects decline, the
sub-lethal effects maintained significant knock-down for at least 7
days. Because Sevin presently has a 7 day PHI it may not be the best
fit for berry picking schedules. Beetle mortality from Aqua Malathion
(1 day PHI) declines rapidly after three days, but would be effective
in providing immediate lethal effects the day before harvest. Lannate
(3 day PHI) provides a very quick knock-down of beetles, but its
efficacy also declines rapidly once you get out about 4 days. Imidan (3
day PHI) maintained the best overall residual control, providing
significant beetle mortality for as long as 14 days. However, itÕs
lethal affects are not apparent until 3 to 4 days after application.
Check the small fruit spray guide
(http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/sfg/) for a complete list of
registered insecticides, their PHIs and relative effectiveness.
-Bordelon

Tissue Analysis Grapes and Small Fruits:  Plant nutritional status is
important for all phases of plant growth and has a direct effect on
vigor, fruitfulness, cold hardiness, and other factors. Tissue analysis
is the most reliable means of determining plant nutritional status.
Combined with soil testing, tissue analysis can help pinpoint the
source of problems and determine what measures may be needed to ensure
proper nutrition of the crop. Tissue analysis samples should be
collected at the appropriate time to give the most meaningful results.
For strawberry, sample the first fully expanded leaves after
renovation, usually in mid to late July. For brambles, sample leaves on
non-fruiting (primocanes) between August 1 and 20. For blueberries
sample leaves during the first week of harvest. For grapes, samples
should be taken about 70 days after full bloom, usually early to mid
August.  Samples should be adequate in size. Collect 30-60 leaves for
strawberries, brambles, and blueberries, and 100 leaf petioles for
grapes (for grapes submit only the leaf petiole, or stem, for analysis,
discard the leaf). Collect samples to represent the entire field, not
just from a few plants. Sample different cultivars separately. If
specific problems exist, collect separate samples from both normal and
problematic areas of the planting.
	There are several private companies and a few universities that
provide tissue analysis. Your county extension office has a list of the
ACP Certified plant and soil analysis labs in Indiana. The Midwest
Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook has a chapter on tissue analysis
and fertilizer recommendations. It is available for $6.00 from the
Purdue Media Distribution Center at 1-888-EXT-INFO (1-888-398-4636) or
on line at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~sfgnet/ -Bordelon

Taste of Indiana Agriculture: ÒA Taste of Indiana AgricultureÓ wine
tasting party will be held at the Farm Bureau Building on the Indiana
State Fairgrounds from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. August 5. Tickets are $15 and
are available at any TicketMasters Outlet, and at the Indiana State
Fair Box Office (317/927-1482). This program culminates the Indiana
International Wine Competition, which is managed by PurdueÕs Dr.
Richard Vine and Ms. Ellen Harkness. This wine competition is one of
the largest in the country and has brought considerable recognition to
the Indiana wine industry. ÒA Taste of IndianaÓ showcases the award
winning Indiana wineries as well as other Indiana produced food
products. Indiana Pork Producers, Indiana Beef Council, Indiana Veal
Association, Indiana Sheep Breeders Association, Milk Promotion
Services of Indiana, Illiana Watermelon Association, Indiana Ostrich
Association, and Hoosiers United in Growing Emu will be among the
groups presenting their products. All of the stateÕs 19 wineries will
be there pouring their best wines. This program is being sponsored by
the Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana, the Indiana
Association of Beverage Retailers, and WTPI radio 107.9 fm.

Farm crisis meetings planned across state:  Four brainstorming sessions
will be held across the state later this month to allow farmers to
present ideas on how to cope with an expanding farm crisis that has the
potential to devastate the nationÕs farm economy.
	Called the Farm Crisis Forum, the series is sponsored by Indiana Farm
Bureau. Anyone involved in production agriculture is invited to attend.
ÒWhile most of the nationÕs economy is booming, our industry is facing
a crisis,Ó said IFB President Harry Pearson, who farms in the Blackford
County area. ÒAnalysts are expecting hog prices to remain well below
the cost of production for the rest of this year, soybean prices are
the lowest theyÕve been in at least 25 years, and corn prices are also
plummeting.
	ÒIf some things donÕt change, and change pretty quickly, the face of
farming will change drastically in the next few years. We need input
from Indiana farmers in order to find ways to help them cope with this
crisis.Ó The focus at the forums will be on finding solutions for some
of the problems facing agriculture. Each forum will last from 2 to 2 ¸
hours and will be held at the following dates and locations. For more
information on a particular meeting, call the field representative who
is listed. - July 21, 7 p.m., Rensselaer High School lecture hall,
Rensselaer (located on Highway 14 on the east side of Rensselaer).
Field representative: Tim Stoner, (219) 766-2435. - July 22, 7 p.m.,
Eagle Nest Event Center, Eagle Glen Golf Club, 28 South Hancock Farm
Road, Columbia City. Field representative: Susan Lawrence,  (219)
349-0402. - July 23, 1:30 p.m., Executive Inn, 1 Executive Blvd.,
Vincennes. Field representative: E.B. Rawles, (812) 694-8478. - July
29, 7 p.m., Community Building, Bartholomew County Fairgrounds,
Columbus (located 3- 4 miles south of State Road 46 on State Road 11).
Field representative: Amy Hutson, cell phone number (317) 635-3699. For
more information about the Farm Crisis Forums, call Bob Kraft
toll-free, (800) FARM-BUR, extension 7810.

Something for your calendar:  YouÕve heard the most innovative
marketers in the state sing itÕs praises Ð the North American FarmersÕ
Direct Marketing Association.  Next year they will be holding their
annual conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, from February 10-12.  It may
seem like a long way off yet, but write it on your calendar now and
plan to attend.  Remember, no-one ever made a dime from growing a crop,
they only made money when they sold it!

Pesticide Container Recycling: The Office of the Indiana State Chemist
is offering pesticide container recycling at several locations across
the state August 3 through September 9. Contact the OISC at
765-494-1594 for the date of a location near you.

Subscribing electronically:  To subscribe (or unsubscribe) to Facts for
Fancy Fruit, send a message to fff@lists.hort.purdue.edu with the
subject or body ÒsubscribeÓ (or ÒunsubscribeÓ). You can also use the
form at the web site http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fff/mailinglist.html to
submit your subscription. Electronic access is free of charge.

Coming Meetings:

July 14-17 - American Society for Enology and Viticulture/Eastern
Section 24th Annual Conference and International Oak Symposium, St.
Louis, MO. 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 28 -- 10th Annual Viticulture Field Day & Steak Cookout, Michigan
State University Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in
Benton Harbor. Pre-registration is necessary for this event. For more
information contact Dr. Tom Zabadal, SWMREC, 616-944- 1477.

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

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

Paul Pecknold, 1155 Dept. of Botany & Plant Pathology, 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 that 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.