2024 SWEET CORN PEST SEASON BEGINS! No Insect Pests Yet in Maine; Corn Borer, Earworm Reported in Massachusetts The 2024 University of Maine Cooperative Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for sweet corn is getting underway. We have set up pheromone traps at volunteer farms to monitor the adult (moth) stages of European corn borer, […]
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HARVEST SEASON UNDERWAY IN SOUTHERN MAINE Anthracnose Fruit Rot Infecting Early Fruit Situation: Southern strawberry fields will be opening this week or early next week. The crop size and quality looks very good in most fields. The predicted warm weather next week will hasten ripening, so if you haven’t started advertising yet, don’t wait. Most […]
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EARLY BERRIES NEAR HARVEST IN SOUTHERN MAINE Insect Pest Counts Lower This Week; Gray Mold Threat Remains with Recent Rains Situation: Strawberry fruit development has progressed rapidly with warm weather over the past week. A few ripe berries were being harvested in a field in Wells that were grown under rowcovers. Insect and mite activity […]
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In this newsletter: Chemical Thinning Apples with Accede® The Bottom Line, a newsletter from Cornell Univ. Extension Chemical Thinning Apples with Accede As we approach the end of the chemical thinning window, fruitlets become resistant to thinning with 6-BA (Maxcel) and NAA. A new thinner became available recently that has some thinning action when the […]
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TARNISHED PLANT BUG THREATENS STRAWBERRY BLOSSOMS Botrytis Fruit Rot Risk Elevated Due to Recent Rains Situation: Warmer temperatures have advanced both plant and insect development this week. Green fruit are showing on early strawberry varieties in southern Maine, while late varieties are just coming into bloom. Tarnished plant bug nymphs and spider mite populations are […]
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In this newsletter: Chemical Thinning at Early Fruit Set Observations Chemical Thinning at Early Fruit Set King fruit diameter is averaging 7 mm for McIntosh and Cortland, and 6 mm for Honeycrisp at Highmoor Farm. Based on the signs of initial fruit set on Macs, my guess is that we need to thin more aggressively […]
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STRAWBERRY BLOOM IN SOUTHERN MAINE Insect Pest Counts Very Low; Bloom Sprays Should Target Gray Situation: Early strawberry varieties are coming into full bloom in the southern part of the state. Overall, fields look very good, except where significant flooding occurred, or deer have been feeding. Insect pest numbers continue to be very low, and […]
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In this newsletter: Highmoor Farm Bud Stages Chemical Thinning at Early Fruit Set of Apple and Pear Starting Calcium Sprays Orchard Observations Highmoor Farm Bud Stages McIntosh apples – full bloom and just starting petal fall Honeycrisp apples – full bloom Pears – petal fall Sweet and sour cherries – a mix of petal fall […]
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In this newsletter: Highmoor Farm Bud Stages Chemical Thinning at Petal Fall Bloom thinning using lime sulfer Highmoor Bud Stages McIntosh apples – king bloom Honeycrisp apples – late in the pink stage Pears – full bloom Sweet and sour cherries – full bloom Peaches and Plums – full bloom and petal fall depending on […]
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2024 STRAWBERRY PEST MANAGEMENT SEASON BEGINS Vegetable and Berry Growers Twilight Meeting at Snell’s Family Farm, Buxton, June 13, 5:30 p.m. Situation: Warm temperatures got strawberry plants off to an early start in fields that had straw mulch removed before the rain started. Cooler cloudy weather that has prevailed since, has slowed development to back […]
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