Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Food safety
Handy links
Coming events

Strawberries:  Strawberry harvest is slowly beginning, about 5-7 days behind normal.  Early varieties in matted row fields are finally starting to colour.  Flavour and size should be great!  

Tarnished plant bugs are still active. Continue to monitor strawberries during the bloom and green fruit stage.  Pay attention now to later varieties like KRS-10 that have not been sprayed so far. 

Disease pressure is high in strawberries.  There is lots of angular leaf spot. This disease causes wet looking green spots on the leaves, and blackened calyces. I have rarely seen so much of this disease.  Wendy appears to be very susceptible, as is Sable, Cavendish, Annapolis, L’Amour, Kent, Jewel, but you can find this on many more varieties.  

Angular leaf spot is a bacterial disease. The bacteria overwinter on plants and are active in the spring. Splashing rain and irrigation water spread the bacteria about.  Fungicides for Botrytis do not control this disease. Nothing is labeled at this point. Because control of angular leaf spot is a minor-use priority, there are several trials taking place. Even though there is no control, it is important to recognize angular leaf spot. Growers who misidentify the problem often apply needless fungicides in an attempt to control the problem. 

Angular leaf spot on lower leaf surface; wet translucent angular spots.

Angular leaf spot causes lower leaves to turn yellow.

Black calyx caused by ALS

Fruit rots will continue to be a problem, especially where frost damage occurred.  Conditions have been perfect for Botrytis infections. Anthracnose has been observed in plasticulture systems, this will increase if weather turns warm.  Growers with a history of anthracnose problems should choose fungicides for Botrytis that also have an effect on anthracnose.   This is a good time to use some of the newer fungicides which provide excellent Botrytis control. Switch has a reputation for good control of fruit rots that show up after harvest.  

Activity of Fungicides on Strawberry Diseases (see Table 5-18,  pub. #360 for other diseases and products)  Ratings in shaded boxes indicate that the disease is listed on the product label for control or suppression. Please see the product label or crop calendars for registered uses. Use fungicides only for diseases listed on the product label for the crop and for the disease. Additional information is provided in this table to assist the grower in choosing the best fungicide for control of diseases listed on the product label.
Fungicide Group	Product   (and pre-harvest interval )	Anthracnose	Botrytis	Common leaf spot	Leather rot	Powdery mildew
M3	Captan 80 WDG, Maestro 80 DF    (2 days)	++	++	+++	+	0
M3	Folpan 80 WDG (1 days)	++	++	+++	+	0
2	Rovral (1 day)	0	+++	++	0	0
3	Nova 40 W (3 days)	0	0	++	0	+++
7	Lance WDG (0 days)		+++	+++	0	++
7&11	Pristine WG (1 day)	+++	+++	+++	0	+++
9	Scala SC (1 day)	+	+++		0
9&12	Switch 62.5 WG (1 day)	++	+++		0	+
11	Cabrio EG (1 day)	+++	+ to ++	+	0	+++
17	Elevate 50 WDG (1 day)	0	+++		0	0
NC	Serenade Max (0 days)		+

0 = No control; + = Poor to fair control; ++ = Good control, some limitations; +++ = Excellent control, few if any limitations. 
Blank cell = Effect unknown

Raspberries:  In southern Ontario, bloom has begun or will soon.  Watch for sawfly ( green bristly larvae) feeding on primocanes and fruitworm (brown beetle) feeding on fruiting canes. Apply a pre-bloom insecticide if insect activity is significant, otherwise wait until AFTER bloom. As bloom begins, it is too late to spray insecticides. Bees and other pollinators are very important for fruit development.  

The new insecticide Delegate (1 day to harvest), in the spinosyn family, is labeled for obliquebanded leafroller on raspberries and will control other caterpillars who happen to be present.  Apply when OBLR larvae are small. For information on this and other new registrations for raspberries see the 2009 supplement to OMAFRA publication #360 Fruit Production Recommendations (see link below). 

Blueberries:  Still lots of bloom and petal fall.  At the end of bloom, be prepared to apply insecticides for cranberry and cherry fruitworm. Sprays to control these pests are directed at the young larvae. Insecticide applications should begin at petal fall. Coverage is needed for 3-4 weeks, while moths are active. Pheromone traps can be used to time the insecticide application more accurately. For Malathion and Sevin, the first insecticide can be applied 5-7 days after trap catches peak. A second insecticide is only required if trap catches remain elevated 7 days after application. 

Dipel is more difficult to use, and is generally only chosen by organic growers.  For Dipel, initiate spray applications at peak trap catch, and continue at 3-7 day intervals, to a maximum of 4 applications. Dipel is unstable in bright sunlight, so for maximum effectiveness, apply it on a cloudy day or in the evening. 

Details on cranberry fruitworm control: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/hort/news/hortmatt/2005/08hrt05a5.htm

Continue to scout for twig and shoot blights. Blueberry insect pests to watch for in the next week or so: 

• Tussock moth larva           
• Rose chafer adults 

Food safety: As harvest begins, emphasize the importance of good hygiene to your field workers.  

OMAFRA has laminated posters with information on handwashing, using toilets and using toilet paper as well as employee training easels for handwashing training.  These items will assist producers in complying with the Canadian Hort Council food safety checklist. Contact Jan Schooley, OMAFRA on-Farm Food safety Program Lead at 519-426-5694 or jan.schooley@ontario.ca 

Handy Links: 

Supplement to OMAFRA publication #360: This update is on line in pdf format so you can print it , or it is available from OMAFRA offices. Contains information on new registrations since March 2008.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub360/sup/p360supjan2009.pdf

Growing Forward: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/growingforward/foodsafety.htm

Everyone is talking about the funding available from this program for on-farm food safety . In OMAFRA, Jan Schooley is a good contact for on-farm food safety information: jan.schooley@ontario.ca

Blueberry IPM Report: From Rufus Isaacs and Keith Mason at Michigan State University.   http://www.isaacslab.ent.msu.edu/blueberryscout.html Useful photos and pest scouting information.  Refer to Ontario recommendations for pest control however. 

Coming Events: 

June 23 Soil Water Management Workshop: ( Niagara on the Lake) or June 24 (West Niagara). For more information, please call the Vineland Resource Centre at (905) 562-1631. Pre-register by June 8. 

July 8 and 9, 2009: Southwest Crop Diagnostic Days, Ridgetown.  http://www.diagnosticdays.ca/

August 11-12, 2009 North American Strawberry Growers Association Summer Tour:, in the Chicago area. For more information visit www.nasga.org or contact Kevin Schooley at info@nasga.org or 613-258-4587.

August 18, 2009. Simcoe Vegetable and Alternative Crop Open House, 1:30 pm. For information: 519-426-7127 Ext. 323.

September 16, 2009  Ontario Berry Growers’ Association season wrap-up and farm tour: Whittamores Farm, Markham. Contact Kevin Schooley,  kconsult@allstream.net, 613-238-4587.