Meeting Notice
June-bearing Strawberries 
New Strawberry Plantings
Day Neutral Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Coming Events

Meeting Notice: 
We have organized an event for day neutral strawberry growers at the Cedar Springs Research Station July 23, 4-7 pm. 

This is an opportunity to see:

• University of Guelph research on day neutral strawberry production ( A. Dale, J. Zandstra, B. Hughes)                         
• Weed management research in a plasticulture system, including new herbicides and several organic treatments (Rob Nurse)                         
• Day neutral strawberries grown from seed (A. Dale)                         
• Raspberry variety trial with new selections from BC.

You can also talk to the researchers and mingle with growers who are trying new things on their farms.

Please RSVP (pam.fisher@ontario.ca) Dinner is $10 for a hamburger, salad and refreshments. The Cedar Springs Research Station is located on Highway #3 ~5 km east of Cedar Springs, at 7350 Talbot Trail, Blenheim, Ontario.

June-bearing Strawberries: 
Growers are quickly closing fields and beginning the renovation process. Plants should be treated with herbicide and mowed off as soon as possible after harvest.

The goal is a healthy vigourous plant by mid August, when fruit buds begin to form. At this late date, growers should mow plants off fairly high, leaving few healthy leaves behind. By mid July you should consider not mowing at all, especially in later areas.  

Steps in renovation include:

1. Herbicide application for broad-leaved weed control – choose Lontrel for thistles, vetch and related species, or 2, 4-D for dandelions, morning glory and other broad leaved weeds.

2. Mowing plant – this step is optional and should be omitted if plants do not have time to grow back before mid-August.  

3. Narrow the rows to approximately 8” to 18” wide depending on the row spacing. Narrow rows with a rototiller, or use hooded nozzles to spray out row middles with gramoxone.

4. Fertilizer application- Approx 50 kg N /ha plus other nutrients as per soil test and leaf analysis.

5. Sub soiling if necessary, and only when soil is dry.

6. Application of residual herbicide such as Sinbar: be aware of rates and susceptible cultivars. Where 2, 4-D was applied, wait 2 weeks before application of Sinbar.

7. Application of grass herbicide such as Venture or Poast for small emerging grasses: don’t use these grass herbicides within 2 weeks of Sinbar.  

New Strawberry Plantings: 
 In new plantings watch for potato leafhopper  Apply Malathion when small nymphs are numerous on the underside of leaves and light damage is evident. Where rainfall has been abundant this year, common leaf spot  is showing up early on varieties like Mira, Jewel, Kent. Control this disease with Topas, Capitan, Maestro or Pristine.

Day Neutral Strawberries:  
Tarnished plant bugs are starting to build back up. Keep weeds controlled around your planting and avoid cutting hay fields adjacent to the strawberries.

Thrips is another problem in day neutral strawberries. This is a small insect that feeds on bloom and developing fruit (Figure 1). High numbers cause fruit bronzing, raised seeds and even skin cracking (Figure 2). Scouts should tap blossom clusters for thrips and watch for bronzing on green fruit. The insecticide Delegate is registered for thrips suppression, with a 1-day to harvest interval.

Figure 1.  Thrips - this is a small insect that feeds on bloom and developing fruit

Figure 2.  High numbers cause fruit bronzing, raised seeds and even skin cracking

Raspberries: 
Raspberry harvest of early varieties such as Nova, Prelude and Boyne, Killarney is in progress. Unlike strawberries, raspberries require fungicides for Botrytis grey mould during or just before harvest, especially if the weather is wet. Switch 62.5 WFG or Pristine WG are good choices up to 1 day before harvest. Controlling cane diseases is also important at this time… be sure to get good coverage of lower canes where diseases get started. 

Virus diseases are showing up in raspberries. Symptoms are variable and can range from mottling on leaves, interveinal yellowing, and low vigour in the planting.  Crumbly berries are a very common sign of virus diseases.

Virus diseases which have been identified include:

Tomato ringspot virus – causes a general stunting of the bush, a general yellowing of leaves and production of small, crumbly fruit. This disease is spread by the dagger nematode. Test soil for nematodes before planting s strawberries, especially on sites where pasture or orchards were previous crops. 

Raspberry mosaic virus: mottling of the leaves, blistering and progressive stunting of growth and poor yield. Fruits on infected bushes are small and crumbly. Spread by the large raspberry aphid. 

Bushy dwarf virus: the most common symptom is crumbly fruit, leaf symptoms are variable and often absent.  This disease is spread by transfer of infected pollen. 

Growers should make a note of where crumbly fruit is a problem and determine if it is spreading from year to year. To diagnose virus diseases, send samples of new plant growth from infected plants to the pest diagnostic clinic in Guelph.  pest diagnostic clinic 

Blueberries: 
Blueberry harvest is just beginning in southwestern Ontario.  Monitor for blueberry maggot flies using yellow sticky cards around your planting.  In areas where blueberry maggot is a concern, (southern Ontario including Norfolk, Elgin, Essex and Niagara regions) apply an insecticide while adult flies are active, usually when berries are turning blue and throughout August.   Growers outside these areas should consider border sprays and practice best management practices to prevent infestation. For more

Information, see Blueberry Maggot at ontario.ca/crops.

Note:  the re-entry period for using Imidan insecticide has been increased to 15 days for pick-your-own fields. The pre-harvest interval for this product is also 15 days.

Blueberry growers should also be on the look out for symptoms of virus diseases and send samples from suspicious plants to the pest diagnostic clinic in Guelph. The clinic has recently expanded their ability to identify virus and virus-like diseases in blueberries. pest diagnostic clinic 

Blueberry scorch virus symptoms: shoot tips will die back, sometimes on just a few branches. The flowers may blight just as the earliest blossoms open. Fruit production and shoot growth are seriously reduced on scorch infected plants.

For more information see this update from Michigan:

Coming Events: 
NEW July 23, 2009: Day neutral and plasticulture strawberry production. Meet with researchers John Zandstra and Rob Nurse and visit their trials at the Cedar Springs Research Station, near Blenheim. 4 pm-7 pm. For more information call Pam Fisher 519-426-2238. 

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 or visit http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/conferences/20090818.htm

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.