4.27.17 Mummy Berry Infection periods, April 27 to May 1
Midcoast Region: Waldo, Knox and Lincoln Counties
There were two infection events from Thursday night through Friday and Friday night through to Saturday and now a new one has probably started today, Monday. There were infection events reported at all four weather stations (Waldoboro, West Rockport, Appleton, and Searsport). Plants are susceptible and there are still cups in the fields.
| Infection period | Infection period | Possible infection period? | |||
| Location | Thursday, April 27 start | Friday, April 28 stop | Friday, April 28 start | Saturday, April 29 stop | As of 12:30 p.m. on May 1 |
| Waldoboro | 10:40 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 8:20 p.m. | 9:00 a.m. | May 1, 4:00 a.m., not yet |
| W. Rockport | 5:00 p.m. | 1:20 p.m. | none | none | Sun. 8:40 p.m., YES |
| Appleton | 6:00 p.m. | 10:20 a.m. | 8:20 p.m. | 9:20 a.m. | May 1, 3:40 a.m., not yet |
| Searsport | 7:40 a.m. | 8:40 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 9:20 a.m. | May 1, 3:40 a.m., not yet |
Downeast: Hancock and Washington Counties
We also had a report on Thursday from Eastbrook, Hancock county, that more than 50% of the flower buds were F2. On Friday, April 28, most field reports from the barrens were the plants were not ready yet. On April 27, we had checked fields in the barrens and found flower buds were at 27% F2 in Montegail and were at 12% in a field near Deblois. Two fields, East Machias and Crawford/Love Lake, were checked on Sunday, April 30 and the flower buds are over 40% F2. I think there is a chance that most fields were not affected by the infection periods on Thursday and Friday night, but with there will be infection occurring in fields with the wet weather that started on today, Monday, May 1.
| Possible Infection period | Possible Infection period | Possible infection period? | |||
| Location | Thursday, April 27 start | Friday, April 28 stop | Friday, April 28 start | Saturday, April 29 stop | As of 12:30 p.m. on May 1 |
| Ellsworth | 8:40 | continued wetness | continued wetness | 8:00 a.m. | April 30, 10:40 p.m., YES |
| Eastbrook | 9:00 p.m. | continued wetness | continued wetness | 9:20 a.m. | May 1, 3:40 a.m., not yet |
| Sedgwick | 5:00 p.m. | 3:40 p.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 8:20 a.m. | April 30, 6:00 p.m., YES |
| Aurora | 7:20 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 9:40 p.m. | 9:00 a.m. | May 1, 1:40 a.m., YES |
| Deblois | 7:20 p.m. | 4:20 p.m. | 7:20 p.m. | 8:20 a.m. | May 1, 3:40 a.m., Not yet |
| Spring Pond | 7:00 p.m. | 3:40 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 9:00 a.m. | May 1, 4:00 a.m., Not yet |
| East Machias (put out April 30) | April 30, 8:20 p.m., YES | ||||
| Crawford (put out April 30) | May 1, 1:40 a.m., YES |
The station at Township 19 not working.
Applying Fungicides
Please take into account whether your field had enough susceptible tissue or not at the different days we had infection periods. If you have applied fungicides within the last seven to ten days (April 17 to April 20 and on) before Thursday, April 27, your plants were protected during the infection periods from April 27 through to April 29. If you had not applied fungicides yet, but did apply them on Sunday, April 30 you will have protected your plants back to Thursday.
With the current probable infection event starting today, Monday, May 1, if you applied fungicides after April 21 to April 24, your plants will be probably be protected in this time period. Otherwise, you have until probably Wednesday, May 3 evening to Thursday, May 4 morning to apply fungicides with some kickback (propiconazole or fenbuconazole) to protect your plants. Other fungicides should be applied as protectants and before infection periods occur.
Please see the 2017 fungicide recommendations on the Fact Sheet 219 – Disease Control Guide for Wild Blueberries and the most current Maine Wild Blueberry Pesticide Chart (Fungicides) (PDF).