to delay petal-fall applications for up to 2 weeks. The 

 cool, windy spring weather was probably the reason 

 for the low activity of these insects. 



Sooty Blotch, Flyspeck: A non-commercial dem- 

 onstration block that received no fungicide after 

 primary scab season showed about 30% flyspeck at 

 harvest. Commercial orchards showed little or no 

 sooty blotch or flyspeck, indicating that spray pro- 

 grams were controlling infections adequately. 

 Summer pruning reduced the incidence of sooty 

 blotch and flyspeck. 



Fire Blight: In response to an exceptionally high 

 level of fire blight last season, we used Paul Steiner's 

 Maryblyte fire blight-forecasting computer program 

 this season. The program predicted that fire blight 

 infection potential was low to moderate in many 

 areas, but predicted outbreaks in the northeast- 

 central area (Harvard, Groton, Stow). Events oc- 

 curred very close to the timing predicted by the 

 Maryblyte model. Very little uncontrolled fire blight 

 was seen this year. 



Mites: Growers who used one or two dilute dormant 

 oil sprays had very little trouble with mites this 

 season. Amblyseius fallacis mite predators were 

 found in many locations where mites began to build 

 up. Blocks on the monitoring program received an 

 average of 1.2 miticides during the summer. One 

 large orchard went without a miticide application 

 after the dormant oil spray. 



Leafhoppers: Both white apple and potato leafhop- 

 pers were present in some orchards this year. 

 Damage to terminal growth by potato leafhopper 

 was evident in a few young orchards, although such 

 damage was far less widespread than several years 

 ago when it was first noted in the state. 



Comments 



As usual, the weather this year was unusual. 

 The cool, windy weather in the spring appeared to 

 hold back the usual onslaught of insect pests, par- 

 ticularly leafminer and plum curculio. Bloom was 

 prolonged (2 to 3 weeks). Bee activity was low due to 



the windy, cool, and wet conditions, and fruit set was 

 less than optimal in many orchards. The time for 

 scab infections appears to have been relatively short 

 and very intense. A shortage of alternate host plants 

 may have contributed to the high level of apple 

 maggot fly this summer. 



Acknowledgements 



Our thanks to the following growers who partici- 

 pated in the IPM monitoring program this year: 

 Tony Lincoln, Bill Rose, Tony Rossi, Steve 

 Smedberg, Tim Smith, and Denis Wagner. We 

 would also like to thank Mrs. Victor Lutnicki for 

 allowing us to use her orchard to demonstrate low- 

 input techniques, and Jim Williams for overseeing 

 the Lutnicki orchard and providing information for 

 the Pest Alert messages. 



Mam 



nf^4^f^ 



Prom: Thomai, J.J. 1906. The American Fruit 

 Cuiturist. Orange Judd Company, New York. 



Fruit Notes, Winter, 1991 



15 



