Monilinia infection period May 13th to May 14th / check for Botrytis blossom blight
There were conditions for a Monilinia infection period starting on May 13th about 2 to 5pm in all fields monitored by weather stations from the midcoast, Hancock and throughout the barrens. If you still had mummy berry cups, then you may have had an infection period. If you applied fungicide later then May 3 to 6 (10 to 7 days before, respectively), your plants likely were protected during this latest infection period. If you have flower buds starting to open or have bees in your fields, it is too late to apply fungicide since you could affect your pollination. If you do want to apply fungicide, you have until about the evening of May 16th to apply propiconazole or other related fungicides to hopefully control some of the disease. Please check the label for intervals before harvest and with your processor about what materials you can use at this point.
There is a risk of another infection period in the midcoast fields from this evening,Thursday May 14th, through tonight. Unfortunately, this cool, wet weather will keep the cups active longer. I am hoping we are getting close to the end of the cups. Please let me know what is happening with your mummy berry plots. I do think the warm weather forecast this weekend will hopefully be the end of the cups.
There has been very low risk of Botrytis blossom blight in fields with weather stations. If you are concerned, you should check your early blooming flowers now to see if you have any Botrytis symptoms. Almost open or open flowers infected with Botrytis will die and have black hairs sticking out that sometimes have grey balls (spore masses) at the end of the hairs. If you do not see any black hairs on dead closed flowers, then they have probably been killed by mummy berry infections. In fields with weather stations, we have not seen cold temperatures that would damage flowers so far.
Botrytis Blossom Blight Symptoms
