Growers Should Control Peach Borer, Nematodes
(Continued from Page A 1)
lo more than 123 commercial
growers during the Southeast Pen
nsylvania Twilight Fruit Growers
Meeting at Wolf’s Orchard on
Tuesday evening.
Growers should be aware of the
two types of borer that destroy
peach trees the peach tree borer
and the lesser peach tree borer.
According to Dr. Larry Hull,
professor of entomology at Penn
State, restrictions that prevent
growers from spraying for the bor
er because of fruit set don’t apply
in a year with no crop to be
harvested, so limcly applications
The peach tree borer has
one generation per year,
which emerges the second
week of June. Shown here,
the borer can attack the trunk
of the tree anywhere from 12
inches above the ground to
about 12 inches below. The
borer can kill the trees, said
Hull.
Growers should be aware of the two types of borer that
destroy peach trees the peach tree borer and the lesser
peach tree borer. According to Dr. Larry Hull, professor of
entomology at Penn State, restrictions that prevent grow
ers from spraying for the borer because of fruit set don't
apply in a year with no crop to be harvested, so timely appli
cations can be made. Here, Hull digs for the borer.
Another potential problem for growers to face Is the nematode. The problem, said
Dr. John Halbrendt, assistant professor of plant pathology at Penn State, can be slow
to develop.
can be made.
The peach tree borer has one
generation per year, which
emerges the second week of June.
The borer can attack the trunk of
the tree anywhere from 12 inches
above the ground to about 12
inches below. The borer can kill
the trees, said Hull, especially
young stock. And with a year “like
this, with no peach crop, you can
gel in there and spray the trees at
the proper lime,” he said.
The lesser peach tree borer,
because of its feeding, has the
potential to spread cytospora cank
er and other diseases. Two borer
generations emerge per year, one
about the second or third week of
June and another mid- to late
August.
Growers can utilize the window
of opportunity from Aug. 1-15 lo
spray for the pest.
Hull said, “The key to controll
ing borers is a thorough, dilute
application. Air blast sprayers just
don’t cut it. You cannot drive
enough material into the trunk of
the tree (using air blast sprayers.)' 1
Growers should use a high
pressure handgun, welting the
trunk of the tree up to the first
limbs. To be even more effective,'
Hull said one farmer used a hoe to
dig a holding trench for the chemi
cal at the base of the tree. Growers
should go out the first week of
August and make the applications.
“1 think this is the best tim&to
clean up your orchards, because
you can get in there and do that
application and really save these
peach trees and get the orchard
back into good health for the com
ing year," said Hull.
Another potential problem for
growers to face is the nematode.
K«n Hickey, Penn State Fruit Research Lab, Blglerville, spoke
for problems from diseases such as apple scab and fire blight at
evening at Wolf’s Orchard.
The problem, said Dr. John Hal
brendl, assistant professor of plant
pathology at Penn Slate, can be
slow to develop. Also, growers
often believe that if a problem is
out of sight, it’s out of mind,
according to the pathologist. This
could lead to trouble.
He told the growers that “you
need to think about the possibility
that you might have nematode
problems sooner or later in your
orchards or in your small fruit
production.
“By the time that you sec evi
dence of a nematode problem, then
you have a serious problem on
your hands, and it’s very difficult
to turn that situation around.”
For those planting a new
orchard or replanting an existing
one, they should first purchase a
soil assay kit for S 8 from any
extension office and have the
ground tested for a potential
problem.
“It’s much easier to use preven
tative measures, to send soil sam
ples to the lab ahead of time, before
replanting an orchard or before
putting in a small fruit planting,”
said Halbrendt. “Determine
whether there’s any potential at the
very outset to develop problems.”
The two big pests are the dagger
nematode (which can carry the
tomato ringspot virus that causes
peach stempit disease) and the root
lesion nematode, which can affect
young trees and dwarf stock readi
ly, according to Halbrendt.
The dagger nematode’s feeding
activities spread the ringspot vims.
The virus exists in broadleaf
weeds, such as dandelions.
Halbrendt stressed the impor
tance of controlling both the
broadleaf weeds and the nematode
itself all at once.
The root lesion nematode can be
devastating to growers who have
young stock or with the small root
systems inherent in dwarf stock.
More and more orchardists arc
using dwarf stock and should be
aware of potential problems
because of the nematodes.
A combination of cultural prac
tices and the use of pesticides in
the correct manner can offer con
trol of the pest.
One of the ways that Penn State
research has found to reduce the
incidence of nematode infestation
is using a cover crop. Penn State
looked into the effectiveness of
two crops, sudangrass and rap
esecd, because of the beneficial
effects of organic material in the
soil toward preventing nematodes.
As the cover crop decomposes,
chemicals toxic to nematodes are
released.
“The cover crop I’m most
excited about right now is the use
or rapeseed as an interim rotata-
Dairymen Inc.,
Mid-America To Merge
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Leaders
of Dairymen Inc. (DI), of Louis
ville, Kentucky, and Mid-America
Dairymen Inc. (Mid-Am), of
Springfield, Missouri, announced
this week the signing of the non
binding letter of understanding
initiating actions that could result
in the merger of the two dairy co
operatives.
The proposed merger would
bring together 3,300 dairy farmer
members of Dairymen Inc., and
13,000 members of Mid-America
Dairymen Inc., which together
marketed more than 12.3 billion
pounds of milk in 1993.
“This merger makes a lot of
sense for both our organizations,”
said DI Board President Buckey
M. Jones. “Mid-Am is a strong
competitor in the Midwest mar
kets, and Dl is a major marketer in
the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic re
gions of the United States. Com
bining our organizations will in
crease our operational and market
ing efficiency, and that will
benefit members of both organiza
tions."
Mid-Am Board President Carl
Baumann said merger of the two
organizations would result in few
changes for member dairy farm
ers.
“Both organizations are finan
cially sound and there are many
similarities in the way both or
ganizations operate,” he said, not-
potential
Tuesday
about the
a meeting
lion,” he said. “The use of rap
eseed as a green manure has a tre
mendous benefit for reducing
nematode population. A two-year
rotation with rapeseed can be as
effective as a soil fumigant.”
Different rapeseed varieties
vary in their effectiveness, accord
ing to the researcher.
Ken Hickey, Penn Stale Fruit
Research Lab. Biglcrville, spoke
about the potential for problems
from diseases such as apple scab
and fire blight because of rain dur
ing the growing season, particular
ly from mid-June until harvest.
“The incidence and severity of
these diseases is closely correlated
with the amount of rainfall that
happens during the summer,” said
Hickey. “We need lb concentrate j
on the control of these diseases
from this point forward."
Fire blight and other bacteria is
controlled by limiting the amount
of Icafhoppcr present. The lime to
spray to control the fire blight bac
teria is when the blossoms are
open.
ing that the mission of both co
operatives is to provide each
member market security by pro
viding a market for all the milk the
member desires to produce and
marketing that milk in the form
and market channels providing
maximum returns consistent with
long-term stability.
Preliminary merger discussions ;
by a committee of board members j
from both organizations resulted
in a non-binding letter of under
standing. The target date for the <
merger (if approved by boards and
members of both organizations) is ;
August 31, 1994.
Membership governance struc- >
lure will be studied by a commit-1
lee of five members from each co- I
operative. The proposed plan of j
consolidation will be submitted to j
both boards of directors, and if ap- |
proved, will be taken to each re- j
spective membership for approv- *
al. j
In 1993, Dairymen Inc., and its ;
subsidiaries, had revenues of $784 j
million from total assets valued at ’
$174 million. Member equity was |
$52.2 million and the number of |
employees is approximately I
2,900. Mid-America Dairymen \
Inc., had revenues of $l.B billion
in 1993, and total assets valued at
$385.3 million. Member equity
stood at $133.8 million and the co
operative has nearly 3,000 em
ployees.
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