4.19.12 Mummy Berry Forecast: Thursday, April 19
By Seanna Annis
Lincoln, Waldo and Knox and Southern Hancock Counties
Mature mummy berry cups are actively producing spores in these counties. Once your plants have partially open buds they are susceptible to this fungus until the fungus stops producing spores. Numerous mummy berry pinheads (not yet ready to produce spores) are still present on Thursday morning indicating that the fungus will be active for awhile.
The fog on Wednesday night was not enough to produce an infection period since the temperatures were too cold.
Northern Hancock and Washington Counties
Mature mummy berry cups producing spores have been found in early fields in Aurora, Deblois, Jonesboro, and Sam Hill.
NO cups have been found in later, colder areas such as Rocky Pond and Meddybemps.
Please check your plants! If there are greater than 40% of the stems with flower buds with the crown stage (F2) than your field has enough susceptible tissue to get infected.
For All Areas with Active Mummy Berry Cups
The rain forecast to occur this weekend starting Friday evening and through to some time, next week (perhaps until Tuesday night) is likely to produce multiple infection periods for the fungus to get into the plants.
Fungicide applications of propiconazole and fenbuconazole will protect your plants seven days into the future from when you have applied them. Please plan accordingly.
If you have applied fungicide on or after Monday, April 16, your plants will be protected through the weekend infection periods and to at least next Tuesday morning.
If you have not applied fungicide yet or your last application was before Monday, April 16, you may need to apply fungicide this weekend or early next week depending upon when your application occurred and the number of infection periods.