"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." --Aristotle

Address any questions or comments regarding this newsletter to the individual authors listed after each article or to its editor, Rick Weinzierl, 217-333-6651, weinzier@illinois.edu. To receive e-mail notification of new postings of this newsletter, call or write the same number or address.

In This Issue:

Upcoming Programs

Notes from Chris Doll (winter weather, 2013 Specialty Crops Conference wrap-up, Tom Schwartz in the Illinois State Horticulture Hall of Fame)

Fruit Production and Pest Management (grape phylloxera, summary of insect trapping guidelines, MyTraps software)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management (planning ahead for corn earworm control)

Local Foods Issues (MarketMaker, value-added program at Lincoln Land Community College; "Where Fresh Is" promotion)

University of Illinois Extension educators and specialists in fruit and vegetable production and pest management

Upcoming Programs

Check the Illinois SARE calendar for a full list of programs and links for registration.
http://illinoissare.org/ and http://illinoissare.org/calendar.php

Other webinars and events listed on the SARE calendar: http://illinoissare.org/calendar.php

Notes from Chris Doll

So far, not a bad winter in SW Illinois ... Temperatures have not gone below 9 degrees F and snow totals have reached only four inches. Precipitation for 2013 has been 4.2 inches, about normal. Since September 1, 2012, it has been 16.5 inches, again about normal, but not sufficient to recharge the soil water table and lakes to levels expected for this time of the year. However, this varies as one travels around the area and state. Plants remain dormant, although chilling temperatures have been adequate to break the rest period for everything. Excluding some windy and chilly days, lots of field work has been done. And the "old" Fruit Calendar says that it is time for pruning apples and collecting wood for propagation.

The Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organics Conference (including the Illinois State Horticulture Society annual meeting) in early January was well attended by both Illinois and surrounding state's growers. They heard our editor, Dr. Rick Weinzierl, open the session with a look toward 2020 for current and new generations of growers. I heard several facts of life about our industry, as well as cautions about changes that are or might be coming, like labor problems, more mechanization, cropping systems, institutional and extension funding and staffing declines, and global warming mentioned as some of the challenges.

It seemed that "challenge" was the theme of the meeting, as Dr. Greg Reighard of Clemson University included them in his talks on apple rootstocks and peach culture. According to him, the apple rootstock situation continues in a state of flux, with lots of research and testing of new stocks and the combinations of varieties that are becoming available. Availability of the new Geneva stocks and other promising stocks depends on the nurseries being able to source and propagate all that the growers are demanding. So the search goes on for stocks with the desired amount of size control, combined with precosity, compatibility with the scion, disease resistance, and being nursery friendly.

On peaches, he expressed concern about lack of chilling hours for many varieties in the SE states, but that's not a problem here. He described some of the problems with peach tree short life, but that too is not too much of a problem here because we have much less replanted acres to worry about. But the situation can be improved in both areas by good soil preparation, including green manure crops that have some fumigation properties, chemical fumigation, Guardian rootstocks, and in some instances the use of ridging of the tree row. A brief description of training systems like the V, quad V, hex V, perpendicular V and open center was given, with some of the problems of each. For all but the open center, more tree height is usually needed to get the additional production needed of make them economical. Emphasis was placed on thinning, including blossom thinning. One of his large growers adapted the use of hand held power brushes for this practice last year with good success, knowing that the expected increase in fruit size should offset any concern about a late freeze. He also reiterated the fact that high temperatures for about 30 days post bloom can have a negative effect on fruit size, but this cannot be controlled. And finally, his studies show that since most of the roots of peach trees are in the upper 8-12 inches of the soil, summer irrigations need to supply only that area.

Some of the grower reports of the 2012 season were:

In a session for new fruit growers, the facts of life and challenges were presented to a full house of attendees. Of course, this included site and variety selection, nursery stock availability, pruning and training, management of weeds, pests and mammals, and needs like equipment, labor, markets, and concerns about management, marketing and government. Jeff Broom from Carlinville, a second generation grower and marketer, summarized the session with comments about the management and mental challenges needed for production and marketing. My thoughts during the session were of how many of the audience were optimistic enough to be future orchardists. And upon returning to my thesaurus, I found that there were three synonyms for an optimist but 17 for challenge.

The newest member to the Illinois State Horticulture Hall of Fame was inducted at the January conference. He is Tom Schwartz, of Schwartz Farms, Centralia, Illinois. Tom was awarded this recognition for his achievements as a grower of strawberries, apples, and peaches, a cider maker, a direct marketer, an industry representative, and a career member of the association as well as a past president. Tom is and has been a good representative throughout the Midwest and continues to do so.

Chris Doll

Fruit Production and Pest Management

Biology and Management of Grape Phylloxera ... plan in advance


Grape phylloxera galls on leaves (University of Minnesota).

Grape phylloxera is a widespread and damaging pest of grapes. Overwintered eggs on grape trunks hatch in the spring (in early to mid-April in far southern Illinois and a few weeks later in northern Illinois), and crawlers infest the first to third expanding terminal leaves. Leaves form a gall around each crawler. These crawlers mature to become egg-laying adults that produce 100 to 300 eggs each. Crawlers that hatch from these eggs crawl up to new terminal leaves and infest them (usually the 5th through 8th leaves on the shoot), often resulting in 50 or more galls per leaf. These crawlers are the targets of early season insecticide applications intended to reduce phylloxera damage. Timely scouting and timely application of effective insecticides are key to controlling grape phylloxera. A detailed guide to understanding and controlling grape phylloxera, Biology and Management of Grape Phylloxera, written by Dr. Donn Johnson, Sandra Sleezer, and Barbara Lewis of the University of Arkansas, is available online at http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-7074.pdf. Now would be a great time for grape growers to consult this publication, study its contents, and plan ahead to develop an effective management program.

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

Traps for Monitoring Fruit Insects

I always stress the use of pheromone traps to monitor several key insect pests of fruits, especially apples and peaches, and it's time for my annual primer (with updates) on the who, what, when, where, and how of insect trapping. Keep in mind that traps for fruit insects, with the exception of apple maggot traps for growers with just a few trees, do not catch enough insects to reduce infestations, they simply provide indications of the timing of their presence and a very rough measure of their abundance.

For fruit growers who have not already done so, NOW is the time to order pheromone traps for key insects.  Traps are available and useful for monitoring many insects of fruit crops, and the ones listed in the table that follows are probably the most important for most Illinois fruit growers. Other pests that may be worth monitoring with traps include dogwood borer, spotted tentiform leafminer, redbanded leafroller, and obliquebanded leafroller in apples. Contact me if you want more information on these insects. Notice that the list this year includes spotted wing Drosophila, a new invasive pest of fruits.

What kind of traps work best?

A few companies manufacture traps, and all have a similar range of designs. Trecé is still the best known, but Scentry, Suterra, Alpha Scents, and others are also reliable providers. Over the last few years, the trap design that has become most widely used for fruit insects in general is the large plastic delta trap; Trecé sells it as the Pherocon VI trap, and Suterra, Scentry, and a few other suppliers simply call it a large plastic delta trap (LPD). This trap is quick to set up and easy to maintain, because unlike earlier "wing traps," the sticky trapping surface is provided by an exchangeable card that slides in and out quickly and easily. It is MUCH faster to change sticky liners on this trap than it is to change the bottoms of the wing traps we used several years ago. If you bring the trap "shell" indoors at the end of the season, you can expect to get 2 to 3 years use from each trap (while replacing lures and liners as needed).


A Pherocon VI trap (an example of a large plastic delta trap), with the sticky liner partially removed, showing a pheromone lure.

How do traps work?

Most (not all) of the insects listed in the table below are moths in their adult stage. For all the moths typically monitored using sticky pheromone traps, the trap must be baited with a pheromone lure – usually a small piece of rubber or plastic containing a synthetic blend of chemicals that is very similar to compounds used by female moths to attract males. When traps capture male moths, that serves as an indication that females are also present, and mating and egg-laying are occurring. When you order pheromone traps, you also must order lures for the specific insect(s) you wish to monitor. (Sometimes you may order "kits" that come with a combination of traps and enough extra sticky liners and lures to last the season.) Remember that although you may use the same type of trap to monitor different pests, you must use only a single lure per trap ... it does not work to put lures for codling moth and tufted apple bud moth in the same trap. Depending on the pest species, lures usually last 2 to 8 weeks (suppliers can tell you the effective life of the lures they sell), so you have to order enough lures to last through the whole season.

For apple growers in the northern half of Illinois, monitoring the flight of apple maggot flies also is necessary. Traps for apple maggot flies rely on appearance (especially the color and shape of a bright red apple) and the use of a food odor ("apple volatiles") instead of a pheromone, and they are designed to capture female apple maggot flies ready to lay eggs on fruit. All the major suppliers of insect traps carry these kinds of traps. Growers should order the red spheres, tubes or tubs of stick-um or tanglefoot, and the food lures recommended by the supplier. Apple maggot traps may be used without any food lures; counts are interpreted accordingly.


An apple maggot trap.

How many traps are needed for each pest species?

There are no precise answers, but in general, for the moths that are pests in Midwest fruit crops, I consider it adequate to use 3 pheromone traps per pest species per each individual block of trees or vineyard up to 5-10 acres in size. Guidelines often recommend at least 3 traps per pest species for any orchard up to 10 acres in size and 1 more trap for every 3 to 5 acres above 10. To monitor 50 acres of trees in 3 or 4 separate blocks, use at least 3 traps per block and at least 9-12 traps total ... for each pest species.  Always use at least 3 apple maggot traps (red spheres) per block of trees. See the table below regarding placement of traps. Remember that you should check these traps and record counts in each at least twice per week.

If you have only one relatively small block of trees, you may want to order 3-trap "kits" that suppliers package for each of the major pests.  Kits with "standard" lures will include 3 lures per trap, but because the lures for most will have to be replaced every 4 weeks, most Illinois growers will need yet another 2 extra lures per pest species per trap to get through the entire season. Suppliers also sell these extra lures and extra "liners" (the sticky trapping surface) for traps. If you operate an orchard larger than 10 to 15 acres, you'll need more traps, so don't "mess with" 3-trap kits; contact a supplier and make plans to order in bulk. "Long-life" lures are available for codling moth and oriental fruit moth (and some other species) ... these lures last 8 weeks between changes and are the best choice for almost all Illinois growers.

For apple growers in southern Illinois, it has been a few years since we saw some problems with tufted apple bud moth in orchards that were treated pretty much exclusively with organophosphates. With greater reliance on alternative chemistries in recent years, this pest has not reached economic levels in many Illinois orchards in the last several years (to my knowledge), but I'm including it in the following table because it still warrants attention in some orchards.

This year I've added a new pest the list of trapping targets – spotted wing Drosophila. This insect has been "star villain" at most of our Extension programs on fruit insects all winter, and it is likely to be a pest of concern for a number of fruit crops – especially strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and raspberries – in 2013. For summaries on its life cycle, distribution, and management, see the Michigan State University Spotted Wing Drosophila page, and issue 18:14 of this newsletter.

Pheromone trapping guidelines for major fruit insects

Crop and pest

When should you use traps?

Where do you hang the traps?

Apples -- all of Illinois
Codling moth

Early bloom through harvest

At eye level or higher (upper third of canopy is best), spaced throughout the block, including one somewhere near the upwind edge and one near the downwind edge.

Apples -- south of I-70
Tufted apple bud moth

April 15 through harvest

Same as above for codling moth.

Apples -- north of Springfield
Apple maggot

June 15 through harvest

In the outer portion of the canopy of trees on the edge of the block ... VERY visible to adults flying into the block (remove foliage around the sticky red spheres). Hang in border rows or end trees nearest any woods or brush outside the block

Peaches --
Lesser peachtree borer

Bloom or petal fall through harvest

Similar to codling moth, but trap height should not exceed 5 to 6 feet.

Peaches --
"greater" peachtree borer

May 15 through harvest

Similar to codling moth, but trap height should be 3-4 feet above the ground.

Peaches --
Oriental fruit moth
(In southern IL, trapping for Oriental fruit moth in apples is also recommended.)

Green tip to pink through harvest

Similar to codling moth, but trap height need not exceed 6-8 feet.

Grapes --  
Grape berry moth

Bloom through harvest

Hang traps on the top trellis wire. Place traps in the outside rows and near ends of rows; concentrate traps on edges near wooded areas. (Note that where GBM populations carry over in wild grapes in woods near vineyards, mating may occur there, mated females may lay eggs in the vineyard, and traps may not capture many (or any) males in the vineyard itself.)

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, grapes, and raspberries –
Spotted wing Drosophila

From first coloring of fruit through harvest

Hang traps in shade near ripening fruit. Although a small trap (jar with openings) is available commercially, it is not as sensitive as the trap described at http://www.ipm.msu.edu/invasive_species/spotted_wing_drosophila/monitoring. Using a yeast-sugar mix (1 Tbsp. active dry yeast: 4 Tbsp. sugar: 12 oz water) as bait in the traps makes them more attractive than using apple cider vinegar. Yellow sticky cards (3"x5") available from Great Lakes IPM can be cut in half and hung in the cups.

 

Midwestern suppliers of pheromone traps include:

Supplier

Address

Phone & Fax

Great Lakes IPM

10220 Church Road 
Vestaburg, MI 48891-9746 
email: glipm@greatlakesipm.com
On the web at: http://www.greatlakesipm.com

989-268-5693
989-268-5911
800-235-0285
FAX: 989-268-5311

Gempler's

P.O. Box 44993
Madison, WI 53744-4993
On the web at: http://www.gemplers.com/pheromone-lures

1-800-382-8473 (U.S.A.)
FAX 1-800-551-1128

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

MyTraps Software

No endorsement intended, this is just FYI ... I understand that at least a few growers in Kentucky used this service last year, so I'm passing along the information.

MyTraps is designed to simplify and improve the process of data collection in insect trapping. Using their mobile applications you can enter data right from the field in your mobile device as you collect it or choose to enter the data into your PC. The data is collected and displayed in easy-to-use maps and graphs.

In MyTraps, you can:

For more information, see mytraps.com; you can sign up for a free account to give it a try.

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management

Preseason Reminders for Corn Earworm Management in Sweet Corn

With a purpose similar to that of the notes above on fruit insect trapping, here's my usual spring update about earworm biology and the use of pheromone traps to monitor flights and plan control programs. For those who have read previous renditions of this, please read again anyway ... there are some important updates on Bt varieties and insecticides.

Corn earworms are often the most damaging insect in Illinois sweet corn. They overwinter in the pupal stage in the soil, but their survival rate is very low in most of the state. It manages to be a severe pest every year anyway because it migrates in from southern states on weather fronts every summer.  Moths are almost always active in the Collinsville area (where overwintering success is greater) by late May and early June, but in much of the state the period of first activity (and the first need to control them) can vary from June through August, depending on the time of their migration.  Although control may be necessary in one portion of the state at a particular time, it may be unnecessary in many other locations.  Consequently, it really is essential to establish a monitoring program to determine spray needs. Unfortunately, scouting for foliar damage or larvae on the surface of plants is not an option. Corn earworm moths lay their eggs singly on silks, and larvae move down the silk channel immediately after they hatch from the eggs (and hatching can occur in as little as 2 ½ days during hot weather).  On corn, larvae do not feed on any exposed parts of the plant (leaves, husks, etc.), so the only practical way to kill them (short of having planted BT sweet corn, which does not provide 100 percent control) is with a contact insecticide applied to the silks.  Larvae crawl across the residues on the silks, and the insecticide is taken up through the cuticle.

Effective monitoring programs depend on the use of pheromone-baited traps that catch male corn earworm moths and are used as indicators that adults of both genders are present and eggs are being laid. Previously we have recommended using either a wire Hartstack trap (pictured below) or a nylon version of the same general design marketed by Scentry and several regional distributors. We've long known that paper sticky traps are ineffective at monitoring corn earworm moths, and in recent years evidence indicates that the Scentry nylon cone traps may not work well enough. Results from monitoring work done in 2006 show that the nylon traps also may fail to detect light but still significant flights when the wire Hartstack traps do catch moths. Consequently, I now recommend that all sweet corn and seed corn producers use the wire Hartstack trap. (Data to support this recommendation came from a regional monitoring effort coordinated by Bill Hutchison of the University of Minnesota and conducted by several entomologists and horticulturists who participate in the Great Lakes Vegetable Workers Group.) Traps should be baited with Hercon "zealures," and the lures need to be replaced every 2 weeks. Earworm control is necessary when moth flight is ongoing and fresh silks are present.  If traps are catching more than a few moths (3 to 5 per trap per night) when silking begins, sprays should be applied within 2 days after first silk -- insecticide residues must be on the silks to kill larvae immediately after they hatch from eggs and before they enter the silk channel.  If the only silking corn in your area is your field, the threshold for treating should be revised down to 1 moth per trap per night.
 


Left: Corn earworm larva. Right: Hartstack trap.


Corn earworm moth (Kansas Department of Agriculture).

A Midwest supplier of the Hartstack trap for earworms is Bob Poppe, Route 1, Box 33, Lexington, IL, 61753 (309-723-3201). I suggest that you buy an extra top cylinder for each trap to make handling more efficient. Lures are available from Great Lakes IPM (10220 Church Road NE, Vestaburg, MI 48891; 989-268-5693; 989-268-5911; 800-235-0285; FAX: 989-268-5311) and Gemplers (1-800-382-8473). As I have pointed out in previous seasons, the wire Hartstack trap is not cheap ... think in the $300 range plus shipping, and think higher numbers if the traps must be shipped a long way. But before you let the price tag make you baulk, consider ...

Insecticide and "trait" choices for corn earworm control in 2013

First, insecticides ...

What about Bt sweet corn varieties?

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

Local Foods Issues

Reminders on MarketMaker

MarketMaker Helps Connect Farmers' Markets and Producers

Food MarketMaker can facilitate connections among consumers, farmers' market managers, and farmers. It can help market managers find vendors, producers find markets, and consumers find markets and producers.

Market Managers – use MarketMaker to easily find vendors in your area. The "Business Search" tool allows market managers to not only find producers, but also select the specific products needed for the market. By doing a search for farmers and a general product category (i.e. vegetables, fruits, and herbs), a list of producers is at your fingertips. With phone and/or email addresses available on the producer's profile, it is simple to make contact with possible new vendors. Producers – use MarketMaker to find a local market to sell your products. Do a quick search by clicking "Find a" and selecting "Farmers' Market" from the dropdown list. Without putting a zip code in, you will get results statewide. To narrow your search to local markets, click on "Search By" and select the county, city, or zip code area where you would most like to sell. The location of the markets will appear on the map and the names of the markets will appear on the side. Simply click on the market name for market details and contact information. Consumers – use MarketMaker to find local farmers markets in the same way. Farmers' market profiles contain the months the market is open, the days and hours of operation, a list of products sold, and even special events that may happen within the market. Markets are easily located by using MarketMaker's mapping capabilities.

Producers can link their MarketMaker profiles to the farmers' market where they do business. Simply log into your account and select the "My Connections" tab.  Type the name of the business with whom you'd like to connect and click to add the business.  An email is sent to the business to let them know you've made a connection. Add as many businesses as you'd like. Businesses you connect with appear on your business's detail page.

MarketMaker's Buy & Sell Forum is another way to make the producer/farmers market connection. We encourage managers to post ads free of charge under the "Looking to Buy" or "Services and Equipment" listings. Be sure to include days, times, and location along with market contact information.

Find MarketMaker at www.marketmaker.uiuc.edu. For more information, email marketmaker@illinois.edu or call 309-757-9077.

Value-added Local Foods Program at Lincoln Land Community College

Lincoln Land Community College is developing a value-added local food program and has developed a survey to receive input from farmers, chefs, food service managers, grocers, and local food professionals.   The survey results will help identify the course focus and topics taught for a value-added local food curriculum. The survey is available at  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/valueaddedlocalfood and should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Marnie Record of Lincoln Land Community College is developing this program and would like to receive survey responses by the end of March. If you have questions, contact Marnie at 5250 Shepherd Road, Springfield, IL 62794-9256; phone 217-786-4993; fax 217-786-2463; email marnie.record@llcc.edu.

"Where Fresh Is" Campaign

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has launched a Where Fresh Is campaign intended to promote Illinois-grown produce. The campaign includes television, radio, billboard, and in-store promotions.  The Department is seeking 200 Illinois grocery stores and 100 farmers' markets from every corner of the State, who would be willing to participate and receive FREE marketing materials to promote their locally grown produce.

The application deadline is February 15th. The application is available at: http://www.agriculture.illinois.gov/wherefreshis/.  For more information, contact Jennifer Tirey, Illinois Department of Agriculture, (217) 782-8146, Jennifer.Tirey@illinois.gov.

Less Seriously ...

On a recent airing of "The Midnight Special," the rendition of Arkansas Traveller included this conversation between a lost traveller and a less than helpful innkeeper ...

To establish whether or not the innkeeper was a credible source for directions, the lost traveller asked, "Have you lived here all your life?" The innkeeper answered, "Not yet."

The traveller asked, "Does this road go to Fort Smith?" The innkeeper answered, "Nope, it don't ever go anywhere ... it's here every night when I go to bed, and it's here every morning when I get up."

The traveller tried again ... "All right ... can I take this road to Fort Smith?" The innkeeper answered, "That'd be a lotta work ... besides, they got a road in Fort Smith already."

The traveller got disgusted and walked away. His final comment to the innkeeper ... "You sure don't know much." The innkeeper watched him walk away, then said to himself, "That'd be true ... but I ain't the one who is lost."



University of Illinois Extension Specialists in Fruit and Vegetable Production & Pest Management

Extension Educators – Local Food Systems and Small Farms

Bronwyn Aly, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Pope, Saline, and White counties

618-382-2662

baly@illinois.edu

Katie Bell, Franklin, Jackson, Perry, Randolph, & Williamson counties

618-687-1727

klbell@illinois.edu

Sarah Farley, Lake & McHenry counties

847-223-8627

sfarley@illinois.edu

Nick Frillman, Woodford, Livingston, & McLean counties

309-663-8306

frillma2@illinois.edu

Laurie George, Bond, Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, & Washington counties

618-548-1446

ljgeorge@illinois.edu

Zachary Grant, Cook County

708-679-6889

zgrant2@illinois.edu

Doug Gucker, DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt counties

217-877-6042

dgucker@illinois.edu

Erin Harper, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermillion counties

217-333-7672

harper7@illinois.edu

Grace Margherio, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, St. Clair County

217-244-3547

gracem@illinois.edu

Grant McCarty, Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties

815-235-4125

gmccarty@illinois.edu

Katie Parker, Adams, Brown, Hancock, Pike and Schuyler counties

217-223-8380

keparkr2@illinois.edu

Kathryn Pereira, Cook County

773-233-2900

kpereira@illinois.edu

James Theuri, Grundy, Kankakee, and Will counties

815-933-8337

jtheu50@illinois.edu

Extension Educators – Horticulture

Chris Enroth, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties

309-837-3939

cenroth@illinois.edu

Richard Hentschel, DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties

630-584-6166

hentschel@illinois.edu

Andrew Holsinger, Christian, Jersey, Macoupin, & Montgomery counties

217-532-3941

aholsing@illinois.edu

Extension Educators - Commercial Agriculture

Elizabeth Wahle, Fruit & Vegetable Production

618-344-4230

wahle@illinois.edu

Nathan Johanning, Madison, Monroe & St. Clair counties

618-939-3434

njohann@illinois.edu

Campus-based  Extension Specialists

Kacie Athey, Entomology

217-244-9916

kathey@illinois.edu

Mohammad Babadoost, Plant Pathology

217-333-1523

babadoos@illinois.edu