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In This IssueCrop ConditionsGrowing Fruit in the Northern GardenGeneric Names: The Errors are LegionIndiana Climate and Weather ReportSpring PruningAnthracnose disease in bramblesStraw Removal in Strawberries

Crop Conditions(Bruce Bordelon, bordelon@purdue.edu, (765) 494-8212)

Most crops in the Lafayette area are stilldormant. Strawberries and brambles are juststarting to grow. It looks like we lost all our peachflower buds. Grapes also were damaged badly bythe Jan 30-31 low temperatures in our area. Wehave several varieties with less than 50%primary bud survival so we are pruningaccordingly.

Growing Fruit in the NorthernGarden(Janna L Beckerman, jbeckerm@purdue.edu, (765)494-4628)

The University of Minnesota Department ofHorticultural Science takes a fresh, encouragingnew look at growing fruit in the home garden.This guide will help gardeners decide which fruitsare right for their gardens and their lifestyles,taking readers through every step from planning,

choosing cultivars, and planting, to harvestingand pruning. Readers will find information on themajor pests to look out for, and simple tips onhow to deal with them; or better yet, preventthem.Growing Fruit in the Northern Garden

Generic Names: The Errorsare Legion(Janna L Beckerman, jbeckerm@purdue.edu, (765)494-4628)

Just like other commodities, “generic” versionsare increasingly available for many commonfungicides as patents expire on variousproprietary active ingredients. By law, genericproducts must contain the same amount ofactive ingredient as the original fungicides, butthe formulation may be different. As a result,confusion continues as formulation of a fungicideis proprietary information that may not beincluded in a generic product.For maximum effectiveness, formulationdescribes the processes performed to the activeingredient affects to improve efficacy. Thisprocess can include reduction to appropriateparticle size, the addition of ‘inert ingredients’that alter the characteristics of the fungicide, andimproves delivery and persistence of thepesticide. Growers are familiar with this in themyriad of glyphosate (i.e., Round-Up(R)) products

Issue: 19-01March 28, 2019

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available, and their differing performance on thediversity of weeds.Generic products tend to be more economicalthan brand name products, but most have nothave been separately evaluated for diseasecontrol efficacy. And although the activeingredient is the same, the products are not.Generics are assumed to be similar in efficacy totheir brand name counterparts. However, fewstudies exist to evaluate these products, orevaluate them in comparison to the parentproduct. For this reason, carefully read the label!Do not assume generics or their labels are thesame as the brand name product even thoughthey all contain the same active ingredient at thesame dose. Work on the Midwest Fruit Pest SprayGuide this fall brought about a number ofsurprises included differences in the cropregistrations (e.g., Tebuconazole products suchas Orbit, Elite, Tebustar and Tebuzol all contain45% tebuconazole, but Orbit and Elite are labeledfor berries and stone fruit; Tebuzol45F(tebuconazole) is labeled for stone fruit, PLUSapples and pears but NOT berries;TebuStar45WSP (tebuconazole) is labeled forstone fruit and grapes). Read the fungicide labeljust as carefully for generics before use as youwould for any new product to prevent anyconflicts from arising.

For more information on individual products,check out their labels or material safety datasheets at www.cdms.net.

Indiana Climate and WeatherReport(Beth Hall, hall556@purdue.edu)

As March wraps up, both temperature andprecipitation appear to be near normal for themonth. This is hard to imagine given thevariability experienced throughout the month! The days either felt colder or warmer thannormal, but rarely normal. There were someprecipitation events that caused flooding –particularly in southern Indiana, but overall thedry days seemed to offset the wet days. Therehave been very few growing degree-daysaccumulated across the state in March, so usingApril 1 as a start date for accumulating GDDs(base 50°F) should be reasonable. Accumulatedchilling hours (for temperatures between 35°Fand 45°F) are slightly above normal across mostof the state (see Figure 1;https://etweather.tamu.edu/chill/), which willhopefully be a good sign for perennial fruit yields

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and quality in 2019. The region is still droughtfree and is anticipated to remain so due to moreprecipitation in the 1-2 week forecasts. Temperatures are expected to stay cooler thannormal for the next 6-10 days with someconfidence of above normal precipitation overthe next 8-14 days. The risk for spring freezesstill exists across the state. Figure 2 shows the75th percentile date of the last 32°F freeze acrossthe state, indicating 75% of the years from1981-2010 had a 32°F freeze event on or beforethe date indicated (i.e., 25% of the years had a32°F freeze event after the date shown).Dr. Beth Hall is the new Indiana StateClimatologist. She can be reachedat bethhall@purdue.edu or(765) 494-8060.

Figure 1a. Accumulated chilling hours since 1 October2018 for temperatures between 35°F and 45°F. Source:

Midwestern Regional Climate Center

Figure 1b. Accumulated chilling hour departure from the

1986/1987 dormant season through the 2015/2016dormant season average. Source: Midwestern Regional

Climate Center

Figure 2. Late spring dates representing the 75thpercentile of the last spring dates for years 1981-2010. In

other words, when ranking the date of the last 32°Ffreeze for each of the 30 years, 25% of the time, there

was a 32°F freeze event after the date represented in themap shown. Source: Midwestern Regional Climate Center

Spring Pruning(Bruce Bordelon, bordelon@purdue.edu, (765) 494-8212)

Growers across the state are finishing uppruning. Most apple and blueberry growers aredone, and bramble and grape growers arefinishing up. Even though this is a late springcompared to some recent years, there are stillchances of spring frost damage. Grape growerscan use long or double pruning to help delay budbreak and avoid frost damage. Peach growersalso delay pruning as much as possible to helpdelay bloom. But for other fruit crops, little canbe done to passively avoid frost. Hopefully wewill have a good year and no spring frost damagewill occur.Grape growers with a high incidence of trunk

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disease may want to consider applications ofTopsin M after pruning is complete, or anytimethat pruning is done in wet weather. The jury isstill out of the efficacy of these applications, butthey can’t hurt. We are seeing increasedincidences of trunk diseases in the Midwest andplan to conduct a survey this summer todetermine the extent of the problem. If you havevines you would like sampled, please contactBruce Bordelon for assistance.

Grapes being pruned

Long spurs for double pruning

Unpruned peach tree

Pruning in apples

Anthracnose disease inbrambles(Bruce Bordelon, bordelon@purdue.edu, (765) 494-8212)

The most important spray of the season forcontrol of anthracnose on brambles is thedelayed dormant spray of lime sulfur, Sulforix orcopper hydroxide. If you have a problem withanthracnose, this is one spray that you can’tafford to miss. One of these materials should beapplied when new leaves are exposed 1/4 to 3/4inches; if you are late in your application anddon’t spray until a few leaves have unfolded, cutthe rate to reduce the risk of leaf burn. See the2019-2020 Midwest Fruit Pest ManagementGuide and the product labels for completeinformation on rates and timing

ID-465 Midwest Fruit Pest Spray Management Guide

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Blackberry shoots about 1/4 inch long

Straw Removal inStrawberries(Bruce Bordelon, bordelon@purdue.edu, (765) 494-8212)

The proper time to remove straw from mattedrow strawberries is when the bare-soiltemperature at 4 inches averages about 40-43˚F.This usually coincides with mid to late March incentral Indiana. This year is later than average.Plants begin pushing new leaves as the soiltemperatures rise steadily so the straw should beraked off the tops of the beds and into the rowmiddles before leaves emerge. Leaving somestraw on top of the beds for plants to grow up

through provides a clean surface for fruit. Strawshould be removed from beds before the plantsgrow enough to cause yellowing of foliage.Allowing the leaves to become etiolated(yellowed with long petioles) due to late strawremoval can reduce yields by as much as 25%.However, uncovering the plants early maypromote early growth and increase chances offrost or freeze injury. The difference betweenearly removal and late removal may increasedfirst harvest by about three days, so there is noreal advantage. After the straw is removed thefrost protection irrigation equipment should beset up and tested and made ready for frostduring bloom.

New leaves emerging in strawberries

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Facts for Fancy Fruit © Purdue University - fff.hort.purdue.eduEditor: Peter M Hirst | Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 625 Agriculture Mall

Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907 | (765) 494-1323