Good Fruit Grower

February 15

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/459886

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 32 of 47

www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 15, 2015 33 Pest-Effective: • Season-long mating disruption • More starting active ingredient • 20% more pheromone released during the growing season Cost-Effective: • Season-long control with one application • Hand-application costs cut in half; no labor-intensive twist-ons • Minimal regulation • No harm to beneficial insects • No girdling losses Consistent, Season-Long Codling Moth Control NoMate ® CM Spiral is superior by design and performance for codling moth mating disruption in apple and pear orchards. No competing product goes on more easily, works harder, or gets better results. NoMate® CM Spiral is designed, manufactured, and supported in the United States by Scentry Biologicals, Inc., maker of the first pheromone-based product approved by the U.S. EPA. 610 Central Avenue Billings, MT 59102 (406) 248-5856 1-800-735-5323 www.scentry.com Slip-on NoMate® CM spirals consistently release volatilizing solid-matrix pheromone through flexible PVC dispensers. Female moth scent plumes are overwhelmed, thwarting male moth mating efforts. For more information, call 1-800-735-5323 or visit www.scentry.com. 7. Moisture triggers fire blight. Wetting is what triggers the disease, not warm tem- peratures. Although warm temperatures enable bacteria to grow to high enough numbers that lead to infection, water is needed to complete the infection process, he said. But it's more than rain that triggers fire blight. He's seen serious outbreaks occur from turning on overhead or under-tree sprinkler systems for just three minutes "to see if it's working right." Smith cautioned that it's better to run sprinklers for five hours to completely wash flowers than run them for a few minutes. "Don't water trees in April; they don't need water then," he stressed. "You should be thinking very cautiously about watering in the spring other than for frost control." Growers also need to account for dew when consider- ing moisture events. Remote weather stations are usually located outside an orchard so true temperatures can be monitored. Low areas with poor air drainage are where dew often occurs, areas that might not be accounted for in weather station recording. "Every four to five years we have dew-induced fire blight infections," he said. "We used to think that frost was a component in fire blight, but now we know it was dew that was triggering the infection." He noted that researchers are working on calculating dew as part of the fire blight model risk assessment. 8. Check the forecasting component of the model. Smith noted that growers should be sure to look at the calculated and predicted tab when viewing the model. "The model status gives you a nice chart that tells what your situation was for the last six days, but to control fire blight well, you have to look at the weather forecast, espe- cially if using organic and biological fire blight agents." Smith believes that the model's forecasting risk feature is one of its most important parts. Smith gave his talk at the annual meeting of the Washington State Horticultural Association. • COURTESY OF TIM SMITH

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Good Fruit Grower - February 15