Kentucky Fruit Facts

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Kentucky Fruit Facts Fruit Facts can be found on the web at: http://www.ca.uky.edu/fruitfacts/ Inside This Issue: Lexington KY 40546 1 - Fruit Crop News 2 - Upcoming Meetings 2 - Fruit Grower Orchard Meeting 3 - Patsy Wilson - Extension Viticulturist 3 - New NC-140 Peach Rootstock Trial 3 - Early Spring Apple Disease Management 5 - Periodical Cicada Brood XIV+ 1 Year = Woolly Apple Aphids 6 - Movento on Grapes 6 - Managing Ice Damage on Woodland Trees 6 - KY Horticultural Grant and Funding Opportunities 7 - Grapevine Primary Bud Survival 8 - Receiving Fruit Facts Electronically 8 - Kentucky Ag Fund Regional Workshops John Strang, Extension Fruit Specialist, Editor Karen Shahan, Administrative Assistant Fruit Crop News Talk about a fast spring. By my calculations we are about 10-14 days ahead of normal. Most growers have recently made good progress in pruning due to the mild weather.

As apples and pears move into bloom, re blight transfer on pruning tools will become a concern. It looks like we dodged a bullet this morning (April 7), but tonight may be a little colder. Keep your ngers crossed.

Tom Priddy in the U.K. Ag Weather Center indicates that our soil moisture ... more. less.

reserves for the coming season are at full capacity. La Nina system conditions are expected to end sometime in the May-July time period and we will enter a nor- mal Kentucky weather pattern. This should mean a little more rain during the summer months than we have experienced the last several years. Several early season fruit insects should be scouted for now or shortly and may require control. Watch apples for European red mites, rosy apple aphid and San Jose scale. Eastern tent caterpillars are in the process of hatching. Evaluate strawberries for eastern ower thrips as the blossoms begin to open. Pay attention to grapevines as the buds begin to develop and control cutworms and ea beetles if noted. We have begun sending out timely dis- ease and insect control information on our apple and grape list serves. If you are not currently on these list serves and would like to be placed on either list, send your name and email address and identify the list serve that you would like to be on to me at: jstrang@uky.edu The KSHS now has a web site located at http://www.kyhort.org Growers are encour- aged to look it over and provide suggestions for postings. We are working on a section that locates KSHS member fruit operations on a map of the state and will provide their websites. If you are a KSHS member and would like your website listed please send your website url to John Strang at jstrang@uky.edu. March/April 2009 (3-4/2009) Eastern Tent Caterpillar Upcoming Meetings Apr. 15 Orchard Meeting and Tour , Haney 9s Appledale Orchard, Nancy, KY. Contact Beth Wilson 606-679-6361 or John Strang 859-257-5685. Apr. 18 Kentucky Nut Growers Associa- tion Spring Meeting , Hardin County Extension Of ce, Elizabethtown, KY. Contact Carl Ray 270-281-4800. Apr. 21 Gardeners Toolbox on Raspberries , Morgan County Extension Of ce, West Liberty. 12:00 p.m. Contact Sarah Fannin (606) 743-3292. May 19 Mid Mississippi Valley Orchard and KSHS Orchard Tour , Reid 9s Orchard, Owensboro, KY Contact Annette Heisdorffer 270-685-8480 or John Strang 859-257-5685. Jun 6 Summer KY State Beekeepers Assoc. Field Day, Walter T. Kelley Company, Letch eld. The Kentucky State Beekeepers Association, in coopera- tion with the Walter T. Kelley Company, will hold a beekeeper eld day at its summer meeting. The Walter T. Kelley Company will host the event on their fac- tory grounds and will provide lunch. Hands on 3 in the apiary 3 classes will be held in the Kelley Company 9s apiary. Tentative topics (subject to change) include: hive inspections, making splits and divides, how to mark queens and re-queen hives, grafting queen cells, varroa mite treatments and mite monitoring, small hive beetle trapping, pollen trapping, Ross Rounds and comb honey production, pulling honey techniques, honey extraction and more. And like all beekeeping eld days, lots of fellowship between beekeepers and ctalking bees d will be part of the day. The fun will start at 8 a.m. Central time and will last until about 3 p.m. The only cost is your current KSBA membership dues ($10) if they are not current, free if your 2009 dues have been paid. If weather should not permit opening hives, an alternative indoor program will be presented. KSBA would like to get an approximate head count for this event to help them prepare for lunch. So if you are planning on attend- ing, please contact Joe Taylor, KSBA at (270) 879-8654, shopteacher@gmail.com or shop_teacher@yahoo.com, and say ccount me in for June 6 d! You can also contact Joe if you have any questions regarding the event. July 23 University of Kentucky Research and Education Center All-Commodity Field Day , UKREC, Princeton, KY. Contact: Win Dunwell, P.O. Box 469, Princeton, KY 42445; 270.365.7541 x 209, Fax 270.365.2667; e-mail, wdunwell@uky.edu Aug. 1 U.K. & KVS Grape Field Day, Lover 9s Leap Vineyards and Winery, Lawrenceburg. Contact Chris Smigell 859-257-3598 or John Strang 859-257-5685. Jan. 4-5, 2010 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference and Trade Show . Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY. Contact John Strang 859-257-5685. Fruit Grower Orchard Meeting - Wednesday, April 15 Appledale Orchard 8350 W. Hwy 80, Nancy, KY 42544 Don and Mark Haney, owners 606-636-6148 Directions: From the west 3 Take the Louie B. Nunn Parkway (Cumberland Parkway) to exit 78 and proceed south on old 80. Appledale Orchard will be on the left on the far side of Nancy, KY. From the east 3 Take the Loui B. Nunn parkway going west from Somerset. Turn left at the second intersection after US 27. Take the rst right onto old 80 towards Nancy, KY. Appledale Orchard will be on the right on the edge of Nancy. Program: All times EDT 10:00 a.m Registration 10:15 Tour of Appledale Orchard & Farm Market 3 Don & Mark Haney 11:00 Early Season Fruit Diseases - John Hartman 11:30 Fruit Canning and Freezing Update for Direct Marketers 3 Edith Lovett 12:00 Lunch will be available at cost for those that preregister. ? Preregister for lunch by calling Mary Ann Kelley at 270/365-7541 Ext. 216 (leave a phone message) between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CDT weekdays by Monday April 13 and give her a count for the Fruit Grower Meeting at Appledale Orchard. 1:00 p.m. Stone Fruit and Small Fruit Varieties 3 John Strang 1:30 Early Season Insect Control 3 Ric Bessin 2:00 Apple Grower Round Table Discussion (Thinning, Hort. Department and Hort. Council Update) - Larry Ayres, moderator Patsy Wilson - Extension Viticulturist By John Strang, U.K. Extension Horticulturist I am pleased to report that Patsy Wilson has accepted our Extension Viticulture position as of March 1, 2009. Patsy is a Kentucky native and has received two B.S. degrees from the University of Kentucky in Biology (2004) and Agricultural Biotechnology (2005). She did an internship at N.C. State University at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in 2005. Patsy has been working in the Horticulture Department as our Re- search Analyst in the Enology/Viticulture program and work- ing on her MS degree since 2005. From 2001 to 2004 she held a Laboratory Techni- cian position at the Morris K. Udall Parkinson 9s Disease Research Center of Excellence, U.K. Medical Center. The U.K. Extension Viticulture position requires a Ph.D., so Patsy will bypass completing her M.S. degree and apply her completed research toward a Ph.D. Dean Scott Smith has given her two years to complete her Ph.D. Thus, Patsy will partici- pate in eld days, short courses and major viticulture events, but the day to day horticultural extension ac- tivities will be handled by Chris Smigell, Terry Jones and me. We are currently actively working to ll the Research Analyst position formally held by Patsy to handle the needs of the coming season. Those of us in the horticulture department appreciate the input supplied by many Kentucky grape growers and wineries during the interview process. Please help us welcome Patsy to her new position. New NC-140 Peach Rootstock Trial By Dwight Wolfe, Horticulture Research Specialist A new NC-140 Peach rootstock trial was planted March 5, 2009, at the UKREC orchard in Princeton, KY. The trial consists of 14 different rootstocks with Redhaven as the scion cultivar. Rootstocks included are Lovell; Guardian; two redleaf peach x Bailey Early Spring Apple Disease Management By John Hartman, U.K. Extension Plant Pathologist Many apple growers in Kentucky are now engaged in orchard pruning and other late winter and early spring activities. Each season, apple diseases are a threat to orchard productivity and fruit quality. Now is an important time for fruit growers to manage some of these destructive diseases. Cultural practices applied these last days of winter and early spring will help to reduce disease in the crop next summer. There are many cultural practices that can be implemented now and in the coming weeks to reduce the threat of diseases such as apple scab, fruit rots, powdery mildew, collar rot, re blight, and cedar-apple rust. The following are cultural practices bene cial for reducing apple diseases: Sanitation - prune out last year's infections, cankers, and any dead wood while the trees are dormant. Dead and diseased wood provide a reservoir for spread of fungi and bacteria to nearby healthy trees or parts of trees. Figure 1 illustrates an apple re blight canker which should be pruned out of the tree. Remove nearby landscape or forest trees or overhang- ing tree branches that might shade the fruit trees. Shade on apple trees means that susceptible leaves will remain wet longer following rain or dew, thus increasing the chances of infection by disease-causing fungi. crosses (KV010123 and KV010127) from Ralph Scor- za 9s program; two Russian rootstocks (Krymsk1 and Krymsk 86); a peach x Almond cross (Bright 9s Hybrid #5) from Bill Bright 9s program; a Prunus salicina x Prunus persica cross (Controller 5) from the USDA- UC Davis program; two stocks with Harrow Blood and Siberian C in parentage (HBOK 10 and HBOK 32) from the UC Davis program; a plum-almond rootstock (Microbac); two interspeci c hybrids from Zaiger Genetics (Atlas and Viking); and a seedling selection from Bailey 9s Nursery (Prunus americana). Growers can see and learn more about these trees and much more at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture 9s 2009 All Commodity Field Day on July 23, at the Research and Education Center in Princeton, Kentucky. Figure 1. For apple and pear disease management, especially re blight, remove and destroy any aban- doned and unsprayed apple or pear trees near the orchard. Fire blight, a bacterial disease, was severe lo- cally last year in many Kentucky orchards and back- yard apple and pear trees. If the disease was serious last year, extra measures may be needed. Very early season (dormant to silver tip) applications of xed copper sprays are helpful in re blight management. These sprays serve to reduce epiphytic (tree surface) populations of pathogenic bacteria in the orchard. Apply copper sprays to the entire orchard block, including cultivars not considered susceptible to the disease. The reason for treating non-susceptible cultivars is that even cultivars that normally are not very susceptible to re blight, such as Red Delicious, can be colonized by re blight bacteria and serve as a source of infection to other, more susceptible trees during bloom. Remove and destroy nearby susceptible cedars and junipers if possible, or at least remove and destroy galls on cedars and junipers too valuable to cut down. Cedar-apple rust galls are visible on cedar twigs and branches now, appearing as brown, some- what-spherical galls an inch or two in diameter. They will be even more visible during moist periods next month when the orange, gelatinous telial chorns d ap- pear. If cedars or junipers are not present within 200 yards of the orchard, cedar rust diseases are not likely to be a serious problem for the orchard. Thin apple tree branches during the dor- mant pruning operation to open up the trees to better sunlight penetration. Again, speeding up leaf surface drying reduces chances for foliar diseases. Remove prunings from the orchard and destroy them. The pathogens in those dead and dying branches can be moved by insects, wind, and rain back into the orchard, if left nearby. Mummies (dried, shriveled fruits from last year) should be removed from the tree, picked up from the ground, and destroyed. Many of these mummies contain disease-causing fungi which, if left in the tree, could start a new epidemic. Figure 2 shows an apple black rot fruit mummy. Rake up and destroy all fallen leaves from the previous season or chop fallen leaves into tiny pieces with a power mower before spring. The fungus that causes apple scab overwinters on fallen leaves and develops spore-producing capability in the spring. Removing the previous season 9s diseased leaves or chopping them up nely is an important step in apple scab management. A mulch or ail mower, used in the orchard before April, can reduce the risk of scab con- siderably (perhaps 80 to 90%) if all of the leaf litter is shredded. Some growers apply 5% urea (42 lb/A of urea dissolved in 100 gal of water) to the ground in early spring up to the time of silver tip development. This treatment may reduce spore production (perhaps 60 to 90%). If urea is used to aid in scab management, nitro- gen fertilization must be adjusted accordingly. Incorporate apple disease resistance into the orchard disease management program by selecting scab- resistant apple trees, re blight-tolerant apple varieties and rootstocks, and collar rot-tolerant rootstocks. Use only disease-free nursery stock when planting a new block of trees. Provide good soil drainage. Underground tiling will help improve internal drainage of heavy soils. Soil contaminated with the collar rot fungus should not be moved about. Remove and destroy weeds, undergrowth and brush from near the orchard; these plants may harbor pathogenic microbes. Be prepared to monitor for disease-favorable weather conditions. Springtime is the most important time to prevent diseases because by preventing early- season primary infections, secondary infections are also avoided. Read and understand the 2009 Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide and develop ways to integrate fun- gicide applications into the total apple disease manage- ment program. Purchase necessary fungicides so that they are available when they are needed during the growing season. Calibrate sprayers so that correct amounts of fungicide are applied. For more speci c information concerning tree fruit diseases and control recommendations, please con- sult the current U.K. College of Agriculture Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide 2009 (ID-92) or the Midwest Tree Fruit Handbook (ID-93). These publications are available at County Extension Of ces statewide. More detailed information about symptoms, causal organ- isms, disease cycles, epidemiology, and control of apple diseases can be found in the Compendium of Apple and Pear Diseases available from The American Phyto- pathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. Figure 2. Periodical Cicada Brood XIV + 1 Year = Woolly Apple Aphids By Ric Bessin, U. K. Extension Entomologist The periodical cicada brood XIV is gone but not forgotten. I have already received some reports this spring of woolly apple aphids infesting the cicada egg-laying wounds on apple trees. This is a common occurrence in apple trees the year after a periodical cicada emergence. Woolly apple aphid is not controlled with many commonly used orchard in- secticides as growers often need to include materials speci cally in their sprays to control this pest. Woolly apple aphid is a serious pest of apples, particularly young trees. Colonies form at wound sites on trunks, limbs, and twigs, where they feed on tender bark. Besides cicada egg-laying wounds, pruning and hail damage can create the wound sites for attack by this pest. As populations grow, aphids are commonly found on water sprouts in the center of the tree. The tree will begin to swell and form galls at the feed- ing sites. The woolly apple aphid differs from other apple aphids in appearance, life cycle, and the type of damage in icted. A colony appears as a cottony mass generally clustered in wounds and pruning scars on the trunk and branches of the tree. The aphids themselves are purplish in color surrounded by white, cottony secretions. Woolly apple aphid is a sucking insect pest that weakens the tree by feeding on limbs and roots. Long strands of white wax are produced that help to protect the colony of purple aphids from predators and pesticide sprays. Woolly apple aphid colony on a branch As the number of aphids on the above ground portion of the tree increase, many work their way down to the roots and trunk below ground surface. It is the feeding on the roots that produces the greatest damage. Mature trees usually suffer little damage from the root infestations, but the root infestations are very damaging to young trees. Control of these aphids is very dif cult when they attack the roots. Yellowish foliage is a sign that woolly apple aphid may be infesting roots. The root systems of nursery stock can be damaged, and severe root infestations can stunt or kill young trees. Infest- ed trees often have short brous roots, which predis- poses them to being easily uprooted. Swollen galls also form on roots; galls increase in size from year to year and are sites where fungi can attack. Aphid feeding on the root systems also disrupts the nutrient balance of root tissue, which can affect growth of other parts of the tree. Trees can have above-ground infestations of woolly apple aphid but no root infestations. Rootstocks vary in susceptibility to woolly apple aphid and sus- ceptible rootstocks will form galls around the infesta- tion sites. Use MM.111 or MM.106 if woolly apple aphid is a serious problem. Rootstocks appearing more susceptible to woolly apple aphid infestation include B.9, M.9, and M.26. During the summer, repeated woolly apple aphids generations of wingless individu- als are produced. In the fall, winged individuals are produced which y to search for elms on which to lay overwintering eggs, while some wingless forms may remain on both above and below ground parts of the apple tree throughout the winter. Woolly apple aphid colonies produce honeydew, which results in develop- ment of black sooty mold. The wax and the honeydew are bothersome to pickers when it brushes off the tree and onto clothing. A colony with the wax removed show- ing live aphids It is relatively easy to nd where the colonies have formed. When monitoring for woolly apple aphid, examine four pruning scars on each of 5 scaffold limbs per tree. Carefully examine woolly apple aphid colo- nies to determine if live aphids are present. Predators, such as lady beetles, Syrphid y larvae, and lacewing larvae can completely destroy the colony, but the waxy residue will remain. When examining colonies, blow hard on the branch to remove the waxy laments to reveal live aphids. Treatments for woolly apple aphid are recommended when 10% of the pruning/egg laying scars are infested with live colonies. There are few insecticides speci cally labeled for control of woolly apple aphid. Diazinon (commercial use only), endo- sulfan, Admire and Movento are recommended for control of above-ground infestations. There is some information indicating that Movento applied to the foliage will move systemically to other portions of the tree. Movento on Grapes By Dr. Rick Weinzierl, Extension Tree Fruit Entomologist, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL There are several new insecticides labeled for use in grapes, but one of the most noteworthy may be Movento. Movento 2EC is labeled for use post-bloom in grapes at 6-8 oz per acre against the foliar phase of grape phylloxera. It moves systemically in plants - 3 up and down 4 and limited information from the western US suggests that it may move to roots and give some control of the root phase of phylloxera when used at the 8-oz rate. Movento must be tank mixed with a spray adjuvant to increase leaf penetration and maximize systemic effec- tiveness; note label precautions regarding the potential phytotoxicity of various adjuvants and their interactions with other pesticides such as Captan. Managing Ice Damage on Woodland Trees By Dr. Jeffry Stringer, Extension Hardwood Silviculturist and Forest Operations Specialist Many growers have sustained ice damage to their woodland areas. Forestry extension personnel have de- veloped three extension fact sheets on ice damage to trees and woodlands that are available through County Exten- sion Of ces and at the url 9s listed below. 8 Greenriver 9 pecan tree damage by ice at the UKREC, Princeton, KY 3 picture by Dwight Wolfe) 1. FORFS 09-01 Ice Damage 3 Safety in the Woods http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/PDF/Ice%20 damage/FORFS09-01.pdf 2. FORFS 09-02 Ice Damage 3 Timber Salvage Deci- sions http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/PDF/ Ice%20damage/FORFS09-02.pdf 3. FORFS 09-03 Ice Damage 3 Managing Woodland Damage and Health http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryex- tension/PDF/Ice%20damage/FORFS09-03.pdf Also at the web site containing these publications http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/kyicepubli- cations.html is a Kentucky Department of Forestry publication Managing Ice Damage for Forest Stands http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/PDF/Ice%20 damage/managingicedamagedforeststands_KDF.pdf All this information can be found at http://www.kyice- damage.net or http://www.ukforestry.org Kentucky Horticultural Grant and Funding Opportunities Kentucky Department of Agriculture grant and funding opportunities involving horticultural crops may be found at: http://www.kyagr.com/marketing/ farmmarket/grants.htm These include the Horticultural Advertising Cost- Share, Horticulture Market Development Cost-Share Program, Kentucky Proud Point of Purchase Grants, Restaurant Rewards Program, Winery Cost-Share Program and the Wholesaler Reimbursement Pro- gram. If you would like to call the State Department of Agriculture about these programs the phone number is 502-564-4983. Grapevine Primary Bud Survival By Brandon O 9Daniel, U.K. Graduate Student and Patsy Wilson, U.K. Graduate Student and Viticulturist It appears that most grapevines survived the winter well with minimal damage if the vines hard- ened off properly last fall. The following are the results of Brandon O 9Daniel 9s evaluations of 25 buds from each cultivar collected from February 25-28, 2009. The rst 5 count buds closest to the cordon were cut and evaluated for primary bud survival on 5 canes from each cultivar. French hybrid seedless table French grapes & Vinifera hybrid Survival American Survival cultivars/ Survival cultivars (%) cultivars (%) rootstocks (%) Villard 100 Norton 100 Riesling clone 17 100 Frontenac 100 Neptune 100 Riesling clone 09 100 NY70 100 Jupiter 100 Pinot Gris clone 4 100 NY73 100 Reliance 100 Limberger 100 Vidal/5C 100 Einset 100 Chardonnay clone76 96 NY76 100 Marquis 100 Riesling clone 12 96 NY62 100 Chardonnay clone 43 96 Traminette/5C 96 Cabernet Sauvignon clone 337 96 Cayuga 96 Shiraz clone 5 96 Seyval 96 Shiraz clone 470 92 Vidal 96 Sangiovese 92 Vignoles 92 Cabernet Sauvignon clone 8 92 St. Vincent 92 Cabernet Franc clone 4 92 Chardonnel 88 Pinot Gris clone 152 92 Chardonnel/3309 88 Cabernet Franc clone 5 92 Chambourcin 72 Chardonnay clone 15 88 Viognier 80 Chardonnay 80 Cabernet Franc clone 312 72 Cabernet Franc clone 1 72 Cabernet Franc clone 214 72 Chardonnay clone 4 72 Pinot Gris clone 4 48 Receiving Fruit Facts Electronically on the Internet Fruit Facts is available on the web in the pdf format. To get noti cation of the monthly Fruit Facts posting automatically and approximately two weeks earlier than it would normally be received via mail, you can subscribe to the UK College of Agricultures 9s Fruit Facts listserv. New subscription requests and requests to unsubscribe should be addressed as follows. To subscribe type cListServer,l-s-v d in the To: line of your e-mail message. Please enter a subject in the Subject: line -- the system needs for the Subject line not to be empty (blank). In the message body, enter the following two lines (nothing more!): subscribe KY-FRUITFACTS Or, to unsubscribe, the lines: unsubscribe KY-FRUITFACTS You should receive con rmation by return e-mail. If you have a problem, or if you wish to communicate with a person about cfruitfacts d, the owner 9s address (the To: line of the message) is: owner-ky-fruitfacts@ lsv.uky.edu Kentucky Ag Fund Regional Workshops The Governor 9s Of ce of Agricultural Policy (GOAP) will hold eleven Kentucky Agricultural Devel- opment Fund (KADF) Regional Workshops in April and May across the Commonwealth. The GOAP staff will discuss, in detail, new policy changes as well as changes concerning KADF programs and how they apply to the administrators, extension agents, and county council members. This workshop is for anyone interested in learning more about the county programs, though the focus will be on administration. The Regional Workshops are also designed to be an interactive learning session that will help KADF administrators with reporting requirements. KADF Regional Workshops will take place from 9:00 am to Noon (local times) on the following dates: Thursday, April 30 Casey County Extension Of ce Friday, May 1 Laurel County Extension Of ce Monday, May 18 Meade County Extension Of ce Wednesday, May 20 Fleming County Extension Of ce Thursday, May 21 Morgan County Extension Of ce Wednesday, May 27 Gallatin County Extension Of ce Thursday, May 28 Hart County Extension Of ce Wednesday, April 22 Shelby County Extension Of ce Thursday, April 23 Hopkins County Extension Of ce Friday, April 24 Logan County Extension Of ce Monday, April 27 Harrison County Extension Of ce ___________ __________________________ John G. Strang, Extension Fruit & Vegetable Specialist Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky Horticulture Department N-318 Ag. Science Ctr. No. Lexington KY 40546-0091 If planning on attending a session please RSVP by contacting Kylee Smith or Jennifer Daniels at (502) 564-4627 or via e-mail at govkyagpolicy@ky.gov. For additional information visit the KADF Regional Workshop webpage at http://agpolicy.ky.gov/funds/administrator_workshops.shtml.

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