In This Issue:

Drought Conditions Persist as of Sept. 25th
Economic Relief for Cider Producers?
Fall Crop Checklists
Preventing Deer Damage
Terminal Market Wholesale Fruit Prices

Drought Conditions in Ohio as of Sept.25th

Economic Relief for Cider Producers?

A flood of cheap apple-juice concentrate imports from China has had a devastating impact on our entire industry. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation requiring warning labels on unpasteurized juice products, and impending mandatory Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan for juice processors, has only exacerbated the economic problems currently being suffered by juice and cider producers.

The U.S. Apple Association (US Apple) is gravely concerned about the economic hardships being experienced by small cider producers, and is seeking the inclusion of two separate provisions to assist juice and cider producers in the federal agriculture appropriations bill now being considered by Congress.

First, U.S. Apple is seeking funds in the farm relief package to make federal matching grants up to $10,000 per operation available to small cider producers of 50,000 gallons or less per year, for the purpose of improving their efficiency and ensuring the safety of their products. Grants would be made available to any producer having undertaken such an investment over the past two years, and to any producer planning to do so within the next three years.

According to a 1997 survey conducted by U.S. Apple of 1,558 cider producers in 33 states, the vast majority of respondents reported average annual production of 50,000 gallons or less. It is unknown how many producers have since been forced out of business due to adverse economic conditions.

Second, U.S. Apple is also seeking a moratorium on FDA's impending proposal to require all juice and cider producers to implement mandatory HACCP programs. Our industry is working with the research community to more clearly identify any legitimate food-safety concerns, and appropriate preventive measures for ensuring the safety of our juice products. We believe the imposition of mandatory HACCP programs is premature and unjustified, and are seeking support in Congress for an amendment to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill that would prohibit FDA from promulgating its final HACCP rule.

Should you have any questions, please contact Kraig Naasz, President & CEO, U.S. Apple Association at (800) 781-4443.

Fall Crop Checklists

Strawberries:

* General: Flower bud initiation deep in the crown of the plants is happening now, determining next year's yield. So maintaining good plant health into the fall is important. In addition to keeping up with the fertilizer program, suppressing leaf diseases improves the ability of the plant to carry on photosynthesis and store starch in the crowns. Don't let leaf spot or powdery mildew get ahead of you. Narrow the rows to about 12" and cultivate the alleys in fruiting fields and new plantings for the last time before mulching. Plant winter rye in plowed down fields as soon as possible in order to get food establishment and growth before winter.

* Nutrition: Nitrogen fertilizer should have been applied in early September to bring your seasonal total up to 100-120 lbs/acre. Most growers apply about 70-80 lbs of nitrogen at renovation. The fall application should provide another 30-50 lbs (more on soils with low organic matter content). This stimulates good root growth in the fall and supplies nitrogen needed for flower bud initiation. New fields also need to have a total of around100 lbs/acre of nitrogen. Ammonium nitrate (35% N) is a good fertilizer for the fall. If your leaf tissue analysis shows deficiencies in magnesium or boron, early fall is a good time for foliar applications of Epsom salts (15 lbs/100 gal/acre for magnesium) and Solubor (3 lbs/100 gal/acre) for boron. Don't make these applications on hot humid days, however, or phytotoxicity could result. Read the labels.

* Weeds: Weed management in the early fall is limited to cultivation and hand weeding/hoeing. The only herbicide you should consider using is Poast for controlling grasses. Poast will only work on relatively small grasses. Big clumps of crabgrass will have to be pulled by hand. However, quackgrass can be knocked down by cultivation or mowing and then treated with Poast when new growth is less than 6" high. One note of caution: Poast, which is used with a crop oil surfactant, can injure strawberry foliage in cold weather. I would recommend its use as a spot treatment at this time of year rather than a broadcast treatment of the whole field. Weed management later in the fall can include applications of preemergent materials such as Devrinol and Sinbar.

* Diseases: Clean up severe infections of leaf spot and powdery mildew. Healthy leaves are important at this time of year to supply the plant with the energy to produce flower buds for next year's crop and to store energy in the roots for the first flush of growth next spring. Apply Ridomil Gold or Alliette in September or early October in areas where Red Stele has been identified. It is best to apply these materials when the soil is beginning to cool.

* Insects: Check fields for infestations of leafhopper or aphids. Generally, plants can take a fair amount of feeding by these insects, but heavy infestations can be a problem. And aphids in particular can vector virus diseases and should not be allowed to build up, especially when they are in the winged form and can disperse to other fields.

Raspberries:

* General: Encourage hardening off of canes in summer bearing varieties of red and black raspberries and blackberries by avoiding nitrogen fertilizers and supplemental watering at this time. Do not remove spent floricanes until later in the winter unless they are significantly infected with disease. Fall bearing raspberries can still benefit from irrigation in dry weather to help maintain fruit size.

* Nutrition: Based on soil and tissue test results, apply non-nitrogen containing fertilizers and lime as needed. For example, Sul-Po-Mag or Epsom Salts can be applied now so that fall rains can help wash it into the root zone for the plants.

* Weeds: Now is a good time to do a weed survey and map of problem areas, so that you can use this information to develop an effective management strategy.

* Diseases: Scout summer bearing brambles to look for powdery mildew and treat if necessary. See the Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook for recommended materials and rates. If Phytophthora root rot has been identified in a field, treat the affected area with Ridomil Gold or Alliette in September or early October.

* Insects: Now is the time to check plantings for crown borers. Adults of this pest look like very large yellow jackets, but are actually moths. They are active in the field in August and September, laying eggs. Scout the fields for crown borer damage by looking for wilting canes. This symptom can also indicate Phytophthora root rot, so when you find a plant with a wilting cane (or two), dig up the plant and check the roots for brick red discoloration in the core of the roots (phytophthora) or the presence of crown borer larvae in the crown. Rogue out infested crowns and eliminate wild brambles near the planting, since they will harbor more of this pest.

Insecticide applications can be made to the canes in October and to the crowns (in a drench application) in early spring.

Highbush Blueberries:

* General: As with raspberries, blueberry plants should be encouraged to harden off for the winter. This means no nitrogen fertilizer at this time.

* Nutrition: Hold off on any nitrogen fertilizers. Based on leaf tissue tests and soil tests, sulfur, lime, and some fertilizers can be added now. Apply these before adding any supplemental mulch to the plants.

* Weeds: As with other small fruit crops, now is a good time to do a weed survey and map the weed problems in your planting. This information will be very useful in tailoring your weed management plan so that it is effective and not wasteful.

* Diseases: Weak plants can easily be detected this time of year because they tend to turn red earlier than healthy bushes. Upon finding weakened bushes, try to determine the reason for weakness. Is the root system damaged? If so, is it likely from a disease infection or root damage by voles or grubs? If the roots are healthy, could a crown borer (Dogwood borer) be the culprit? Or is stunt disease the cause? Accurate diagnosis is the first step in resolving the problem and avoiding spread. Enlist the help of specialists if you have trouble determining the cause of problems.

* Insects: The main worry now is for sharp-nosed leafhopper, which is the vector for stunt disease.

Preventing Deer Damage

The drought this summer may result in a lack of food available for deer this winter. This could increase the likelihood of deer feeding on strawberry crowns. Deer have been a problem during the winter in areas of high herd populations and low food resources. The animals will scrape through snow and mulch to feed on strawberry crowns, which will kill the plants. Successful control of deer injury is based on prevention. If you have a history of deer feeding in your fields, or know the local deer population is a threat to crops, you should consider setting electric fence around your fields before deer feeding becomes a problem. Trying to discourage deer once they have become accustomed to feeding on a crop is very difficult. Single strand, portable fencing that runs off of car batteries is usually effective if installed early and properly. Killing deer is only permitted if economic damage to the crop can be proven, and permission is granted by local wildlife authorities. Contact your local game warden regarding deer injury before talking any actions against the animals. For more information on fencing and other means of deer control contact the USDA Office of Animal Damage Control in Sandusky at (419) 625-9093 or Columbus at (614) 469-5681.

Ted W. Gastier
Extension Agent, Agriculture
Tree Fruit Team Coordinator
Ohio State University Extension Huron County
180 Milan Avenue
Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: (419)668-8210
FAX: (419)663-4233
E-mail: gastier.1@osu.edu

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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.

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