■8- 



The average number o£ fungicide sprays in the disease manage- 

 ment blocks was reduced by 2.4 or 181. Average dosage equivalents 

 were reduced by 1.3. Fruit disease incidence at harvest, however, 

 was the same under both conditions. Average fungicide cost/acre 

 was reduced by $22.29/acre or 17%. When individual orchard pro- 

 files are examined, several of the participating orchards achieved 

 even greater reductions in fungicide applications and costs. 



Four other orchards have been used to evaluate the effects of 

 spraying only every other row on disease incidence. The same fungi- 

 cide concentrations were used as in an every row program, but applied 

 only to every other row, alternating the rows that were sprayed. 

 Table 3 compares these results to those obtained in blocks where every 

 row was sprayed. By cutting all factors in half, a slight reduction 

 in average fruit disease incidence was also obtained. 



Table 3. Comparison of results from four orchards using alternate 

 row and every row spray blocks. 



Criteria 



Alternate 



Every 



Average number 

 fungicide sprays 



11.8 



11.8 



Average dosage 

 equivalent 



5.8 



11.6 



Average % disease 

 on fruit at harvest 



Average fungicide 

 cost/acre 



0.23 

 $70.69 



0.38 

 $141.38 



7 



„ . -, ^ amount of fungicide used 



Dosage equivalent = ^— t — j r -r—r ^ ^ - i^ 



^ ^ average recommended rate or fungicide 



The results from our first year's program are encouraging. They 

 are, however, only preliminary results. We need to obtain additional 

 results over several years of varying climatic conditions. We also 

 need to further evaluate and develop additional predictive tools for 

 disease management for apple scab and other apple diseases. 



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