Pests
What's Wrong with My Crop?
A diagnosis and educational service
available only to our enrollees.
Managing Fire Blight in 2021
2020 fire blight season recap and a 2021 season out look, including forecasting and guidelines for management.
Spring Meeting Resources for 2021
Resources from the 2021 spring meetings in recorded webinar, and video format will be linked here as they become available.
Winter pruning to manage fire blight (while continuing to grow the trees)
Winter pruning is always an important time to begin your fire blight management program for the season, and this year especially much so. Winter canker removal could make the difference for you between starting spring 2021 with "normal" fire blight pressure, versus potentially giving yourself a handicap by keeping around lingering bacteria from last year's difficult season.
Here we discuss some reminders of how and when to prune for fire blight management, and some tips for how to continue to grow the trees in areas with more severe damage.
Lake Ontario Fruit Webinar Recording & Video Links
LOF Fruit Bites
See details to check out quick "how to" videos on a variety of fruit and orchard topics.
LOF Summer Fruit Series Webinar Videos
Find the recording videos and pdfs of presentations from the Summer Fruit Series webinars.
Agriculturally Significant Fruit Fly 2020 Quick Guides
Now available quick guides and links for European cherry fruit fly (ECFF) & spotted wing drosophila (SWD).
European Cherry Fruit Fly 2020
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)
Agricultural related podcasts by Cornell CALS, CCE, & ENYCH
Bloom Pesticides for Pollinator Health
How to Take a Photo for Crop Diagnostics
Elizabeth Buck, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Capturing diagnostically useful images is not as simple as snapping a picture of cute children or animals.
With the current push to work remotely, using pictures to quickly address production questions has a lot of appeal and utility. I love the idea of using grower-captured photos to hasten the trouble-shooting process, especially since it isn't always possible to make prompt farm visits. But in practice it can be quite tough to work out a problem using photos because of poor image quality. High quality diagnostic photos absolutely can allow us (and other ag professionals) to make pretty confident IDs and assessments of what is going wrong.
Asian Giant Hornet
Spring Meeting Resources
Resources from the 2020 spring meetings in pdf. The recorded webinar in video format will be linked here as they become available.
2020 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School
This all day event provided 2 near-identical programs available on the West and East sides of Rochester on consecutive days. We are featured an intensive Precision Honeycrisp management school in addition to updates on Labor, Fruit Farm Business Summary, as well as pests and diseases, including European Cherry Fruit Fly. Pdfs for most of the presentations are now available.
Empire State Producers EXPO proceeding link
Links to proceedings and resources listed in presentations from the EXPO can be found here.
Organizations Offering Respirator Fit Testing
Partial list of organizations offering respirator fit testing compiled by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH)
When inquiring, ask these organizations about their fee structure, whether or not they will come to you, and if they can test the brand and model of your mask(s). Note that this list is evolving and may change over time.
2018 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit Schools
European Cherry Fruit Fly
European Cherry Fruit Fly (Rhagoletis cerasi) a new pest of cherries was recently found in Niagara County, New York.
Click on View Details for more info.
Spray Mixing Instructions Considering Tree Row Volume - TRV
Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Spray Mixing Instructions Considering Tree Row Volume - TRV
Terence Robinson, Poliana Francescatto, Cornell University
Win Cowgill, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University
2017 CCE LOF Winter Fruit Schools
DEC Registered Pesticides for New York
This the the link to access the the NYDEC pesticide registrations. Access labels here.
Bureau of Pest Management - Information Portal - http://www.dec.ny.gov/nyspad/products?13Update on Special Permit Training 2017
Discussions are in process between CCE and DEC to obtain approval for Special Permit training in 2017. Please stay tuned for the latest updates, and (we hope) the eventual announcement of training dates and registration information. Regarding possible dates, please contact us if you foresee a repetition of last spring's delays in the approval of H2A applications, as we will take these delays into consideration in setting dates.
For more information please click on Details below.
What Herbicides control which weeds ?
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
This guide is used to identify the most effective herbicides to target specific weeds in tree fruit. First identify the weed, or weeds, then find those weeds across the top of the spreadsheet. For each weed, make a list of herbicides that are effective on the label. Then you will need to double check the label to determine 1) if the tree fruit crop is labeled, 2) if the tree age is appropriate for use,3) what rate is needed for specific weeds and any soil limitations that might impact those rates. You can go to the Bureau of Pest Management - Information Portal to find the labels to determine specific application requirements including the rates, timing, any adjuvants necessary, and any precautions to ensure crop safety.
2016 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School
Presentations from the 2016 Lake Ontario Fruit Program Winter Fruit School.
Black Stem Borer Trap Data
Distinguishing characteristics between European Corn Borer and Codling Moth
Reference for determining differences between European Corn Borer and Codling Moth larvae.
Revisions in EPA WPS comment period open until Dec. 23, 2015
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
EPA is finalizing changes to the WPS. The WPS is a regulation primarily intended to reduce the risks of injury or illness resulting from agricultural workers' and handlers' use and contact with pesticides on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The rule primarily seeks to protect workers (those who perform hand-labor tasks in pesticide-treated crops, such as harvesting, thinning, pruning) and handlers (those who mix, load and apply pesticides). The rule does not cover persons working with livestock. The existing regulation has provisions requiring employers to provide workers and handlers with pesticide safety training, posting and notification of treated areas, and information on entry restrictions, as well as PPE for workers who enter treated areas after pesticide application to perform crop-related tasks and handlers who mix, load, and apply pesticides. The full content if you want to review and comment can be found at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0184-2510.
A summary chart of major cahnges between the new revisions and the current standard can be found here.
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/comparison-chart-wps.pdf
Apple IPM for Beginners
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Pest management can be a complex system in perennial crops such as apples and other tree fruits. "Apple IPM (Integrated Pest managment) for Beginners" is an excellent guide for new growers who want to grow apples, or want to be more familiar with managing pests in apple plantings. Even growers who have been farming all their lives may know someone coming into the business that can learn from this guide and improve the quality of apples produced. This 42-page guide will help new apple growers protect apple orchards from pests, in fact sheet format. This series of fact sheets is available in printed color format (see order form below), or in .pdfs https://blogs.cornell.edu/treefruit/ipm/apple-ipm-for-beginners/ It will help you address the major apple pests, but does not guarantee perfect fruit. These fact sheets and scouting guides are a compromise between the most accurate, complex information researchers have to offer and the amount of information a beginner can take in. Read the first four chapters carefully to start this new venture. Then follow the Scouting Calendar as apple stage of growth advances week-by-week. "Apple IPM for Beginners" was partially funded by Federal Smith Lever Funds. Additional full color printed copies can be ordered from CCE-Lake Ontario Fruit Program.
Apple IPM
Anna Wallis, Tree Fruit and Grape Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
How can you use IPM (Integrated Pest Management) to control pests in your orchard? These presentations provide a broad overview of IPM Theory, orchard insect and disease pests, and resources available to guide your decision making, such as the NEWA weather system.
2015 Winter Fruit School
Presentations - 2015 Winter Tree Fruit Schools
Presentations given at the 2015 Commercial Tree Fruit Schools in Lake George (LG) and Kingston in the Hudson Valley (HV) are available by clicking on the following links.
Spotted Wing Drosophila
Spotted Wing Drosophila has become an issue in berry crops around NYS. More information on trapping and monitoring this pest are included in the following PDFs.
New fungicides labeled for use in tree fruit - all Special Local Needs Labels
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
The new class of fungicides, SDHI's, are now registered for use in tree fruit. Fontelis was registered last season, and Luna Tranquility and Merivon were registered this spring. They are all registered in NY as "Restricted Use" fungicides. Due to the special restrictions for use in NY, they also are Special Local Need registrations. In order to apply these materials you must have a copy of the label and the SLN label in your possession. You can access these SLN and label to study or print at these links.
Plum Pox Virus Update
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Department of Agriculture and Markets has released an update on the status of Plum Pox Virus (PPV) in Niagara, Orleans, and Wayne Counties.
Animals in Fruit Crops
Orchards and other fruit crops are great habitat for many animals for food, and shelter. Deer, voles, rabbits, wild turkeys, and beavers, have caused damage to trees, bushes and fruit resulting in serious economic losses. Animals also pose a challenge for growers who participate in Food Safety audits to prevent contamination of fruit at harvest time. Growers must take steps to manage animals in fruit crops. P. D. Curtis prepares and updates the Wildlife Damage Management Chapter in the Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for tree Fruit and also for Berries.
New and Unusual
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
New pest detected! Is this the beginning of something bigger?
Managing Codling Moth In Apples
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
All steps required to manage codling moth in apples and prevent economical damage, including mating disruption.
Spotted Winged Drosophila found locally and throughout New York and New England
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
In light of these findings, blueberry, summer and fall raspberry and day-neutral strawberry growers are urged to be vigilant about this pest.
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
Cornell Small Farms Program New Season of Online Courses-Enroll Now!
January 11, 2021
February 22, 2021
September 1, 2021
November 1, 2021
CSFP's new season of online courses is almost halfway through, and now's the time to register for their upcoming block three courses which begin in the new year. Upcoming courses include their new offering on social media and online marketing, farm business courses, and production courses covering beekeeping, mushrooms, sheep and more.