- 9 - 



height, traps began to catch greater numbers than low position traps, as 

 moths took more flights frcffl the groundcover into the tree canopy, and 

 egglaying began in earnest. We believe that low position traps will prove 

 especially useful in determining early moth flight for growers who plan to 

 use the multiple Thiodan^ aaplication program. High position traps may 

 offer the better measure of tgglaying activity and be useful in deciding to 

 use other pre- or post-bloom controls. 



Aphids . Wooly apple aphids could frequently be found in leaf axils of 

 terminal growth at numerous sites in I985. Whether this observation has 

 anything to do witi reductions in aphid predators due to pyrethroid use is 

 as yet unclear. In most cases, infestations were subeconomic and did not 

 require special sprays. Severe leaf curling from Rosy Apple Aphid was seen 

 on Red Delicious in one Middlesex County orchard, pointing out the need to 

 be vigilant in guarding against outbreaks of this pest which is a serious 

 pest in other fruit-growing regions but only occasionally so in 

 Massachusetts commercial blocks. 



White Apple Leafhopper . WAL is another indirect pest which can, and 

 did, reach outbreak levels at several sites in 1985> especially in 

 September. In at least two blocks, defoliation from WAL leaf feeding was 

 severe, as was the amount of WAL honeydew on fruit. Growers are reminded 

 that W^L are resistant to organophosphate insecticides (e.g., Axinphos- 

 methyl, Phosmet), so that such m^iterials cannot be expected to provide 

 acceptable control. 



Pi sease S i tuat ion . This year was quiet in comparison to the disease 

 situation in the 1584 season. There were only two to four major apple scab 

 infection periods during primary season, depending on the region of the 

 state. Generally, primary ascospores were aval lable in significant amounts 

 from April 20 to May 25, plus or minus a week, depending on region. 

 However, rainfall luring this period was light, and when rain fell it was 

 often too cold foi an infection period to occur. The most significant 

 infection periods uere between May 17-19> when a large number of ascospores 

 were available. As a result, in unsprayed trees at our Belchertown test 

 site, we had only 11% leaf scab and k.2% fruit scab (compared to near 100? 

 levels in other years). 



The cankering problem (See Fruit Notes 50(1):17-21) had decreased 

 significantly in Massachusetts with the exception of the Granville area. 

 Apparently, weather and Bordeaux or KocideTl applications combined to alle- 

 viate the major diuback seen in 198'*. Roberta Spitko of New England Fruit 

 Consultants successfully isolated Erwin ia amy lovora , the fire blight orga- 

 nism, from oozing fruit in cankered Marshall Mcintosh trees. This is signi- 

 ficant because it indicates that a perennial canker and dieback observed on 

 Marshall Mcintosh for a number of years is not necessarily related to the 

 1984 outbreak, and is not necessarily a new apple disease. At this point, 

 we feel the 1984 outbreak was primarily a cold-stress phenomenon, while the 

 Marshall Mcintosh situation is probably related to fireblight. 



Virus-like symptoms causing rough bark on young (7 to 10 year old) 

 trees were apparent in a few orchards. Of these orchards, all but one had 



