Looking at apple scab spore squashes over the last two weeks, it is apparent that there are plenty of spores available. This probably overstates the real situation. However, growers should be aware that in high inoculum areas, there will beplenty of inoculum to present a problem when the first infection periods hit this year. The maturity is slightly advanced, and so orchards with low to normal scab levels should plan to apply scab fungicides at least as early as they normally do. Those Pear Trees Down, Boys Adult psyllas were active in many pear blocks during the warm days of this past weekend but as yet there has been little or no egglaying.
Oil can deter egglaying as well as smother existent eggs, providing coverage is excellent.
Trap Tarnished Plant Bug Silver tip is the time to hang white sticky rectangle traps for monitoring of tarnished plant bugs. From the perspective of apple growers trying to manage scab, we certainly live in interesting times. Any fungicide program has potential problems, and finding the right answer on any farm still may leave one uneasy. For example, as we gain more information on mite management, and developing biocontrol of mites, we seem to be cutting down fungicide options. Polyram, another EBDC, may be somewhat less toxic to mite predators but to what extent or under what conditions this is true remains unclear.