April 2000 Regional Fruit Newsletter
 

    April - May, 2000

    4/13           Marketing Balaton
                         NWMHRS

    4/15           CIAB Mapping & Diversion Forms Due

    4/28             MSU Controlled Atmosphere Storage 
                        & Warehouse Clinic
                        Clarkesville Research Station
                         8:45 am to 4 pm.

    5/2,16,30     Grower IPM Updates
                          Old Mission Peninsula

    5/20             Keith Warren's Retirement Party
                          Morrison' hanger, Williamsburg

    MARKETING BALATON
    By Jim Nugent, District Horticultural Agent

    There is significant acreage of Balaton coming into bearing now and in the near future. The opportunity exists to market this new variety at a premium price. However, to accomplish this may require some grower cooperation to assure that a volume of product gets into the hands of a marketer or marketers committed to premium pricing.

    To discuss marketing option opportunities, we are inviting all Balaton growers to a meeting entitled "Marketing Balaton" on Thursday, April 13, from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at the NW Michigan Horticultural Research Station.

    MAPPING FOR IN-ORCHARD DIVERSIONS
    By Jim Nugent

    April 15th is the deadline for growers to submit maps and signed applications for in-orchard diversion for the upcoming season. A Grower Diversion Application must be submitted every year. For growers to participate in the in-orchard diversion for this season, the CIAB must have your information on file by April 15. Bearing orchards with existing maps do not require remapping (though you still must send in the signed "Diversion Application"). However, the CIAB does need maps for new bearing orchards and notification of orchard removals.

    If you need a mapping form or wish any other information, please contact Heather at the CIAB at 888/639-2422.

    60 HOUR WEATHER FORECAST
    By Jim Nugent and Gary Thornton

    A few years ago we initiated a program to deliver weather forecasts daily for the Grand Traverse area during the growing season. The forecast is given in 3 hr. increments for a 60 hr. period. It is now available either in fax or email format. There is a $30 subscription for the fax version and a $20 subscription fee for the e-mail version, per season. The Traverse City 60 hr. forecast is also available on the web at:

    http://www.agweather.geo.msu.edu/Ldm-Data/fcsts/fous14ktvc. The predictions are based on the Traverse City airport, so you will need to mentally adjust temperature forecasts as appropriate to your site.

    The computer program that generates these reports is run twice per day - based on 8:00 a.m. data that is available to us at about 2:45 p.m., and again based on 8:00 p.m. data and available to us about 2:45 a.m. Fax subscribers will receive the afternoon report only. E-mail subscribers will receive both reports, i.e. updated reports every 12 hours. We will begin the fax cycle by about 3:00 p.m Reports will be sent daily from mid April through mid October.

    Cost is $30 via fax or $20 via e-mail for the 2000 season.

    This predictive information should complement the real-time (current) weather and pest scouting information that you are collecting or are having someone else collect for you to further improve your IPM implementation decisions!

    FRUITNET
    By Jim Nugent

    The weekly newsletter written by area Extension agents sent out of the NWMHRS via fax or email will continue as in the past. FruitNet will be published on Tuesdays throughout the growing season. Funding for this is provided by the area horticultural organizations. Subscription is free in NW Michigan. Past subscribers will automatically remain on the list, unless you ask to be removed. New subscribers should contact the NWMHRS (946-1510).

    NW PESTNET FORECAST
    By Gary Thornton

    Project GREEEN has funded a joint weather monitoring grant between the NWMHRS and HortSystems, Inc. This grant allows us to run an innovative pilot program in NW Michigan to deliver real-time disease and insect prediction information to all growers. This one year pilot program allows us to utilize HortSystems existing network of electronic weather stations to deliver critical information to all NW Michigan growers.

    This network will include information from a total of 12 weather stations throughout NW Michigan. Included is a new station on Old Mission Peninsula (near the Old Mission Tavern) that was cost shared through the Groundwater Stewardship Program on a demonstration basis.

    This network will provide growers with real time information for wetting events (apple scab, cherry leaf spot and brown rot). This information will be available through the code-a-phone, email or fax.

    Information can be received via three methods. The reports will be sent for every wetting event in the region, up to twice a day, depending on the length of the wetting event. Fax and e-mail reports will go out between 7-8am and 6:30-7:30 pm when it rains.
     

      Via email – This method of delivery is free to those who subscribe and strongly encouraged. In order to read the reports via email you will need to have Adobe Acrobat. If you do not have this software, you can download the Adobe Acrobat Reader for free at the following WEB address:

      http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html Click on "download now"
      Via Fax – Reports will be sent via fax to those subscribing. The cost for the season is $25. Subscribe by contacting the NWMHRS (946-1510).
      Via Phone – Discussed in the Code-A-Phone article and available for free to anyone who has access to a touch-tone phone.
       

    This is a pilot year for this new system and your comments and suggestions are strongly encouraged.

    To Summarize:

      To subscribe to 60 Hour Weather Forecast, FruitNet Newsletter (free) or the PestNet Forecast, contact Jackie Baase or Alison Heins at the NWMHRS via phone at 946-1510 or 888/749-3019, via fax at 946-1404, or via e-mail at nwmihort@msue.msu.edu.
      For 60 Hour Weather Forecast and PestNet Forecast reports, make checks payable to Michigan State University and mail to: NWMHRS, 6686 S. Center Highway, Traverse City, MI 49684.
    NEW CODE-A-PHONE SYSTEM
    By Gary Thornton

    This year the system is being updated to provide fruit growers with quicker access, improved information and a broader range of options. The new system is known as a telephony system and works similarly to how you access bank information. You will need a touch-tone phone to access this system.

    The phone numbers are the same as in years past, except one phone call will access any of the information. Two phone lines are dedicated to the system, so either of the old Code-A-Phone numbers will work. However, only 947-3063 gives access to both lines in case one is busy. We have also added a toll free number. To access, call:

    947-3063 (Local)
    1-877-763-3300 (Toll free)

    Options this year include the following by pressing the corresponding number:
     

      1 - Stone Fruit Information
      2 - Pome Fruit Information
      3 - Grape Information
      4 - Weather conditions and Disease Forecasts (including wetting events from 12    weather stations in NW Michigan)
      5 - Fax Back Menu
      6 - Current Meetings and Announcements
      7 - Listing of Weather Station Numbers (required for access to your local weather station info)
    The above categories are the main menu choices; however, throughout the season there will be additional opportunities to garner information by using additional menu options.

    For example: A grower could call up and hear, "Welcome to the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station Information Network. Please press 1 for stone fruit information, 2 for pome fruit, 3 for grapes, 4 for weather conditions and disease forecasts, including wetting events, 5 for the fax-back system, etc. You may return to this main menu at any time by pressing the star key." Then you might press 1 to listen to the stone fruit information. At that time it would say, "Press 1 for the stone fruit message, press 2 for a refresher on the 'postponed insecticide treatment strategy for plum curculio' or press 3 for recommendations on the use of pheromone disruption for controlling lesser and greater peach tree borers." For starters, it will only say "Press 1 for the stone fruit message." By pressing the star key you can back out of the menus to get to additional menu options.

    The highlight of the system is the access to the latest information on current wetting events. This is being made available through a GREEEN grant with MSU and HortSystems, Inc. cooperating. This information will be updated twice daily during a wetting event and thus can be accessed from wherever you have access to a touch-tone phone. The system will ask for the weather station that you want the information from, so you will need to know the code of that station and punch it in when asked. Listed below are the stations that will be available as of the week of April 10th and their respective codes. Write these down!! If you happen to loose them, they will be available via menu selection 7.
     

    Northport North – #110
    Northport West – #120
    Gills Pier – #130
    East Leland – #140
    Good Harbor – #150
    NWMHRS – #160
    Honor – #170
    Blaine – #180
    Old Mission – #190
    Elk Rapids South – #200
    Kewadin – #210
    Eastport – #220
    The fax back option (press 5) will also be available for those of you that have a fax machine. More information will be available on this in the next newsletter. In the mean time, you can access any information on that through the menu selections, including a catalog of all that is available.

    WEEKLY CAT ALERT REMINDER

    If you wish to receive The Crop Advisory Team Alerts, through the mail, now would be a good time to sign up. The Fruit edition addresses both tree and small fruit pest management, as well as tree health and general orchard management. The cost is $35.00. Contact Joy Landis, editor, at 517/353-4951 or via email at catalert@msue.msu.edu. The CAT Alert is also available on the worldwide web at http://www.msue.msu.edu/ipm.

    WEATHER NOTE
    By Jim Nugent

    By March 10th, NW Michigan was 5 weeks ahead of normal in base 42º F degree-day accumulation. This is the base temperature that best simulates fruit tree development. By April 3, the base 42 DD accumulation is approximately 3 weeks ahead of normal -- not so dramatic, but still very early!

    Frosts on 3/31 and 4/5 in SW Michigan have caused bud damage in tarts reported at 25-80%, sweets with "significant" damage, and apricots (which were in bloom) are essentially gone. Sweet bud damage occurred in NW Michigan on March 11.

    KEITH WARREN RETIREMENT/RECOGNITION PARTY

    Keith Warren has recently retired from Wilbur-Ellis. While Keith continues to farm and serve on industry organization boards, the Grand Traverse Fruit Growers' Council thought this would be a great time to recognize Keith for his years of service to the industry. With co-sponsorship and financial support from Wilbur-Ellis and other agri-chemical companies, a retirement/recognition party for Keith has been planned for Saturday, May 20, 2000 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Morrison's Hanger (Yuba Airport) on Bates Road, Williamsburg. Food for the cookout is being provided by sponsors. Dress is casual.

    If you plan to attend, please RSVP to the NWMHRS (946-1510) by May 10th. If you wish to make a donation for a retirement gift, checks should be made payable to the Grand Traverse Fruit Growers Council and mailed to: NWMHRS, 6686 S. Center Highway, Traverse City, MI 49684.

    We hope you will be able to join us in wishing Keith the very best in his retirement years. A good time should be had by all!

    GROWER IPM UPDATE SERIES ON OLD MISSION PENINSULA
    By Duke Elsner, EAA, Grand Traverse & Kalkaska Co.s

    A series of fruit grower IPM updates will be held again this year on Old Mission Peninsula. The site will be the same as in prior years, on the Josh Wunsch farm on Phelps Road, about 1/4 mile west of Peninsula Drive. All meetings will run from 5 to 6 p.m. on the following Tuesdays:

    May 2, 16, 30
    June 13, 27
    July 11, 25
    August 8
    MDA Pesticide recertification credits have been applied for, and as in the past, each meeting has been worth 1 credit.

    Bring questions, bring samples of problems, and bring friends. We will cover both tree fruit and wine grape IPM topics.

    Gary Thornton, District Fruit IPM Agent, will again be holding IPM updates for Benzie, Leelanau and Antrim/Grand Traverse Counties. The dates and times will be mailed out via a postcard later this month.

    BOVINE TB SATELLITE CONFERENCE
    By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau County Extension Director

    A statewide satellite conference on the proposed Bovine TB surveillance program will be held for livestock producers on April 12th from 7:00-9:15 pm. The program can be seen locally at the NW MI Horticultural Research Station Conference Center at 6686 Center Highway in Leelanau County.

    The agenda for the program is available from your Extension office.

    The program is sponsored by Michigan Farm Bureau, MDA, Departments of Health and Natural Resources, MSU Extension, USDA and the Michigan Farm Radio Network.

    We hope to see you there!

    PLUM POX DETECTION GUIDE
    By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau County Extension Director

    A Plum Pox Detection Guide (Bulletin E-2718) has been prepared by MDA & MSU Extension showing colored pictures of symptoms of Plum Pox Virus in peaches, plums and apricots. These pocketsize guides are available through MSU Extension offices.

    Please call your local Extension Office or the NW MI Horticultural Research Station if you see symptoms similar to the pictures on leaves or fruit so that samples can be obtained for verification.

    Plum Pox Virus is not known to be in Michigan yet, but we must be on guard and take steps to eradicate this virus if and when it shows up.

    The strain of Plum Pox in Pennsylvania does not infect cherry.

    The guide is also available at the following web site: http://www.msue.msu.edu/ipm/pdf/PlumPoxMarch2000.pdf

    TART CHERRY FEDERAL MARKET ORDER AMENDMENTS
    By Jim Bardenhagen

    We thank all the growers who traveled to Grand Rapids on March 30th to give testimony on the proposed amendments to the Tart Cherry Federal Market Order. The day was a long and challenging one, but Northwest Michigan was well represented and gave good testimonies.

    Those who could not attend can still send in written comments on the proposed amendments. The USDA however has not yet published the office address and other important information on how to send in your comments. As soon as USDA publishes this information, the CIAB will send out a newsletter to each tart cherry grower giving all the specifics on how to send in comments.

    Your comments are important to the future direction of the Federal Market Order, so please take the time to send your comments in, even if it's a simple statement on the CIAB Amendments.

    USDA TART CHERRY PURCHASE

    USDA announced on April 5th their intent to purchase approximately 7.7 millions lbs of tart cherries.

    CROP DISASTER PROGRAMS
    By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau County Extension Director

    To take advantage of the best benefits from USDA Crop Disaster Programs, growers need to furnish their local Farm Service Agency with the following information on a routine basis:
     

    1.) Notice of Loss - This notice must be given on the Notice of Loss Form (CCC-576) within 15 days of the awareness that a crop loss has occurred. This Notice of Loss Form can be obtained from the Farm Service Agency by fax or mail or off the web at:

    ftp://ftp.fsa.usda.gov/public/forms/ccc0576.PDF. You can fax the filled out form into the Farm Service Agency.
     
      Crop Certification - This information needs to be furnished to the Farm Service Agency by July 15th each year. Information, including crops grown, location and acreage and planting dates are required when certifying field crops. For orchard crops; the planting date, tree spacing, location of the orchard, and number of trees planted per block is necessary information to supply. For growers of tart cherries, the CIAB information sheets work great. The only piece of information lacking is to plot the location of the block on aerial photography. FSA will send you the black and white photocopy(s) complete with instructions to complete and mail back. Or stop into your local USDA Service Center

      Crop Production - This information needs to be furnished to the Farm Service Agency before July 15th of the year after the crop. Therefore, the 1999 actual crop tonnage must be furnished before July 15, 2000. If planning to establish an Actual Production History (APH), it is usually in your best interest to supply a minimum of 4 years of production history up to as many as 10 years of crop production history. CIAB or CMI records are considered verifiable and reliable records by USDA/FSA and are the documents of choice. When you have gathered these records, the records may be mailed or faxed to FSA and the FSA staff will enter the required information into a Production History.
       

    Furnishing the above information on an annual basis will result in growers and producers using their own production history in figuring crop disaster program benefits rather than the state average yields which are often much lower than individual grower/producer numbers. According to USDA rules, once you start reporting crop certification and production, you need to continue to report them on an annual basis. The FSA is required to plug in a zero production if you miss a year of reporting. This would reduce your production average yield and lower your benefit potential.

    Please make filing the above information as routine as filing your taxes annually - you alone will receive the benefits for your operation.

    TREE PLANTING TIPS
    By Jim Nugent

    Planting trees is old hat for growers, but here are a couple tips to help get the orchard off to a good start.

    Avoid cutting off roots as much as possible prior to planting but when a root does need to be cut, make a diagonal cut rather than a perpendicular cut. When roots are cut on a diagonal, the tip will usually initiate one new root that can become a primary root. Roots cut perpendicular initiate several new roots, none of which develop into a primary root. Studies in Italy, on both windbreak and fruit trees, have shown that trees grow faster when roots are pruned with diagonal cuts compared to perpendicular cuts.

    Suggest inoculating roots of all stone fruits for crown gall prevention when replanting in a former stone fruit site. The inoculum used is a bacteria, sold as Galltrol, that inhibits the crown gall bacteria from colonizing the roots. Inoculation is best accomplished by misting roots with the solution immediately prior to planting.

    RECYCLING PESTICIDE CONTAINERS
    By Gary Thornton, District Fruit IPM Agent

    If you are interested in recycling plastic pesticide containers (Bravo, Sulfur, Captan, etc.), Hamilton Farm Bureau will be providing this service. Additionally, the NWMHRS (and possibly an Acme site) will have a drop-off date that is to be announced later.

    The containers need to be triple rinsed, free of residue; caps need to be off jugs and any plastic sleeves or paper should be ripped off. Containers also need to be dry.

    Pickup sized plastic bags will be available at the NWMHRS and Hamilton Farm Bureau for anyone who plans to haul empty containers in an open pickup.

    A free container rinse nozzle is available to those that plan to recycle containers. If you are interested in using one, please call the Grand Traverse Conservation District at 941-0960 or pick up a coupon from Hamilton Farm Bureau to receive your free nozzle from the Groundwater Stewardship Program at the Grand Traverse Conservation District office.

    MILLS TABLE FOR APPLE SCAB

    Since the Mills Table was not included in the 2000 Spray Calendar, we have included it for reference during this year's growing season.


 

Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this site to: 
Bill Klein, kleinw@pilot.msu.edu

Last Revised: 04-10-00