Hello Pest Trackers,

 

Well I’m as late as all of our pests and tree crops this year. This is a quick alert with no attachment because we have no biofixes for the target pests yet. This is a first for not having a first flight biofix for oriental fruit moth.  Other than a few early February trap catches & a few scattered moths here & there on those few days with no rain, they are staying well hidden. Can’t say that I blame them. The latest I recall biofix for codling moth since I’ve been here was April 19 (just off the top of my head) in a cold, wet spring.

 

The main reason for this email is regarding the many questions on the potential for jacket rot on peaches caused by several fungi including Botrytis and Monilinia. Development of jacket rot is favored by wet weather during the bloom and jacket stage. UC Riverside plant pathologist Jim Adaskaveg confirms that if jackets are sitting on the fruit and there is rain and it stays wet, Botrytis can set in. Fungicides such as Vanguard and Pristine should give good control of jacket rot.  A spray will be needed if the jacket is still present, rain is predicted (which it is), and it’s been more than 10-14 days since your last spray. Remember to rotate your fungicides for resistance management.

 

The updated peach pest management guidelines with the year round plan and fungicide table can be accessed at http://ipm.ucdavis.edu.  

 

Other peach diseases to be concerned with are rust (start looking for twig cankers) and shothole. Powdery mildew is NOT favored by rainy weather.

 

Walnuts are about 3 weeks late. Only our earliest leafing varieties such as Serr are showing some terminal budbreak and are ready for blight sprays. 

 

Janine Hasey

 

 

Farm Advisor, Sutter and Yuba Counties

University of California Cooperative Extension

142A Garden Highway

Yuba City, CA 95991

Phone (530) 822-7515

FAX  (530) 673-5368