1. One of the main drivers of your stone fruit spray program is brown rot. Even though I hear blossom blight stage of brown rot has never been that dominant of a problem in Virginia, there is always a risk from it if spring is …

1. APPLE SCAB. Apple fruit buds on early cultivars in Winchester are at less than 1% Green Tip (Gala, Arlet) and most other apple cultivars are dormant or with some silver tip (ST). Apple scab and cedar-apple rust were visible in some commercial orchards in …

1. Apple Scab and Marssonina Leaf Blotch were visible in the Shenandoah Valley apple orchards last year. As the fungi that cause these diseases overwinter in the dead leaf litter on the orchard floor, you can increase the future efficacy of your spring fungicides by …

1. Now is the Time to Purchase New or Service Your Existing Weather Station(s) Connected to NEWA Plant Disease Models for 2022 Season! Some RainWise (now KestrelMet) weather stations might not have operated properly in 2021 as they had faulty sensor for either leaf wetness, …

I. APPLE SCAB If apple scab was not controlled timely last year and primary and secondary infections on leaves were visible at any time during the season, you should aim to reduce overwintering scab inoculum residing in leaf litter on the orchard floor. Especially conducive …

The preliminary efficacy trial results conducted at AREC in 2021 can be downloaded via this link: Preliminary Report on Efficacy of Gatten and Parade Fungicides in Control of Apple Powdery Mildew at AREC in Winchester VA  

Bitter rot incidence is high in some Virginia and West Virginia apple orchards as hot summer days with drought mid-summer preceded rains in August and September. Bitter rot emerged at an increasing rate where fungicide was stopped in June or July or coverage until harvest was …