4.17.12 Mummy Berry Forecast: Tuesday, April 17
By Seanna Annis
Knox, Lincoln and Waldo Counties
Fog in fields close to the coast may have caused an infection period for the mummy berry fungus to get into the plants last night.
In our Belfast site, approximately four miles from the coast (straight line distance), there was ten hours of fog (at an average temperature of 51ºF) which produced an infection period for the mummy berry fungus.
In Appleton, approximately eight miles from the coast (straight line distance), did NOT have a long enough period of fog, only approximately five and a half hours, so NO infection period occurred.
If your field typically has long periods of fogs you may have had an infection period in your field last night.
South Hancock County
Fog in fields near lakes or the coast may have caused an infection period for the fungus to get into the plants last night.
In our two sites, near Branch lake and in Ellsworth, 11 to 16 hours of fog (at an average temperature of 48.5ºF) produced an infection period for the mummy berry fungus.
If your field typically has long periods of fogs you may have had an infection period in your field last night.
For fields where an infection period likely occurred:
If you have applied fungicide (propiconazole or fenbuconazole) to your plants after Monday, April 9, then your plants were protected during this infection period last night.
If you have not applied fungicide or applied it before Monday, April 9, then you have until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 19 to apply fungicide to kill off any infection that may have occurred.
Northern Hancock and Washington Counties
Mature mummy berry cups have not yet been found in Aurora, Deblois, Jonesboro, East Machias, or the barrens so any fog that occurred last night did NOT produce infections since there are NO spores present yet. I expect mature cups to be present soon.