In this week's edition of In the Berry Field; Sonny Murray gives a crop update for the major berry crops. To view the video Click Here
Once we are passed the threat of experiencing -12 c
temperatures, the straw should be removed from the strawberry fields. The temperatures forecasted for the valley
this week are really quite warm and we will no doubt see the strawberry plants
begin to push with new growth. If the
strawberries are uncovered and exposed to sunlight, energy to fuel the new
growth will be generated from the leaves and new growth. But, if the straw is left on too long the
energy for this new growth will be taken from the crown, leaving the plant weaker. If this goes on for too long the plant
will bloom earlier as a stress response, perhaps requiring more frost
protection in the spring. Due to the
plant using up some of its energy reserves from the crown and being slightly stressed, the resulting berry crops tends to be smaller in size, yield and earlier than
normal. For these reasons, I like to
see growers get the straw off early, (and this year letting the plants and
soil dry out) in order to maximize yield.
While you are out there removing straw have a look around
for small weeds and root problems that we may have to address in the coming
weeks.
Today, I finally finished editing two more video's:
Blackberry Rotating Cross Arm Trellis with Patrick Byers from University of Missouri Extension: Click Here
I would like to take a moment and thank Patrick for taking the time to present to us. This is a very interesting system and he was great to give a a northern perspective on it.
Common Diseases of Berry Crops with Perennia's Dustin MacLean: Click Here
Previous video from the Berry Primer:
AAFC Berry Breeding and Variety Evaluations with AAFC's Beatrice Amyotte: Click Here
Integrating Biologicals into your Spray Program with Perennia's Dustin MacLean: Click Here
Nematode Survey Results and Management with Perennia’s Matt Peill: Click Here
Silica and it's importance in Plant Health and Yield with University of Toledo's Wendy Zellner: Click Here
Video's from the 2024 Berry Primer
Last week, we had
a great lineup of speakers at the 2024 Berry Primer Webinar. On Monday, I
shared the recording on Nematode Survey Results and Management with Perennia’s Matt
Peill and Silica and it's Importance in Plant Health and Yield with
University of Toledo's Wendy Zellner so make sure to check below for those
two videos if you have missed them.
Today, I finally
finished editing two more video's:
AAFC Berry Breeding and Variety
Evaluations with AAFC's Beatrice Amyotte: Click Here
Integrating Biologicals into your
Spray Program with Perennia's Dustin MacLean: Click Here
Monday's videos:
Nematode Survey
Results and Management with Perennia’s Matt Peill: Click Here
Silica and it's
importance in Plant Health and Yield with University of Toledo's Wendy
Zellner: Click Here
Introducing Perennia’s Online
Pest Management Guides
April 10th at 12:00
To sign up for a
demonstration of this game changing tool please follow the link:
A couple things to keep in mind for
your 2024 Strawberry Planting
You’ve done your prep to get your 2024
strawberry field ready, selecting the site, planting the cover crops, dialing
in the soil fertility. Now is not the time to rest on your haunches. Here
are a few things to look out for in the spring to keep this planting on
track.
When you receive your strawberry
plants open the boxes and inspect the plants. If they warmed during shipping
leave them open and place them in the cooler, in a single layer, to quickly get
them back down to temperature. Reseal the bags after a couple of hours
and the plants have cooled. The plants are usually packed in a plastic bag
within the box. Inside the bag they are usually packed with shredded paper or
moss. This should be damp, if it is starting to dry out add a
small amount of water and reseal the bags. Do not wet or soak your plants
until you are ready to plant. If you notice mold growth at this
time, call your nursery right away. Store the dormant bare root plants as
close to -2 c as you can without cooling past -2.7 c. For shorter periods
of up to a week, plants can be held as “warm” as 4 c.
Before planting should begin make sure
to have a well thought out herbicide program mapped out and the product on
hand. This will allow you to make applications in a timely manner when
plants are still dormant and at proper timings though the season.
Some growers will soak their plants in
a “secret sauce” of water, biologicals and phosphorous before planting.
If nothing else this will re-hydrate the roots before putting them in the
soil. If you are using this technique, consider adding “the sauce”
to the bag in the box rather than removing plants from the bag and soaking in a
central tank. Putting the plants in a central bath may spread disease from box
to box and across varieties. Alternatively, so that planting is not held up
and disease is not spread, biologicals and phosphorous can be added to a drench
with a root fungicide after planting.
Planting should take place as soon as
the ground is fit, and the soil temperature reaches 10 c. Planting depth is
very important. Crowns should be placed so that the middle of the crowns are at
the soil line. Roots should be spread out in a downward direction rather
than bent. This may require deeper tillage than is required for other
crops. Make sure you have enough soil to work with before bringing the
transplanter to the field and adjust the shoe depth from there.
If the weather is dry, it is important
that irrigation is provided after planting. This is important for rehydration
but also to settle the soil around the roots creating root to soil
contact. Some growers will also roll after planting in order to facilitate
the settling of the soil. I believe this also provides a more
uniform surface for herbicide application thus making your herbicides more
effective.
As the plant is establishing it may be
important to get an Orondis Gold, or Aliette applied for the control of
phytophthora crown rot. Phytophthora spreads rapidly under wet conditions
and can take out large sections of rows very quickly.
Losing mother plants at planting can
quickly affect the final stand so care should be taken out of the gate.
Keeping these steps in mind will help get the plants off to a good start
putting more berries in the basket in the next years.
Introducing Perennia’s Online
Pest Management Guides
April 10th at 12:00
Perennia has created an online pest guide to streamline your pesticide selection process and help you access information more easily. Join us on April 10th as we show you how to maximize its usefulness to your farm. Some of our 2024 updates include:
Join us in April to learn how we can help you optimize your pest control options through this new tool.
To sign up for a demonstration of this game changing tool please follow the link:
Video's from the 2024 Berry Primer
Last week, we had a great lineup of speakers at the 2024 Berry Primer Webinar. I will be sending out the recordings in the blog over the next few weeks as I can get them edited.
Check out what you may have missed or view it again if you were not taking notes quickly enough!
Nematode Survey Results and Management with Perennia’s
Matt Peill: Click Here
Silica and it's importance in Plant Health and Yield with University of Toledo's Wendy Zellner: Click Here
Oxidate: received a label expansion for control of Angular Leaf Spot, Botrytis and Powdery Mildew in field strawberries. Oxidate is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid. It is important to note that oxidate works more closely to a surface disinfectant and does not give any residual control of diseases. Therefore, it would be best used as a tank mix partner with a residual fungicide or in a program that allows frequent applications. The pre harvest interval for oxidate is 0 days and can be applied in conventional and organic spray programs.
Inspire
Super: Inspire Super has received a registration
through the minor use program. Inspire Super
is a mix of groups 3+9; so taking the 3 from difenoconozole which is in
products like Quadris Top and mixing it with cyprodinil which is the 9 in Switch. The landscape of anthracnose control is very
crowded with 3, 9 and 12’s. It is
important to rotate them correctly when they are all co packed together. I think the guidelines for anthracnose
control still apply….start the seasons with group M’s, apply switch at bloom,
and then continue through harvest with products with shorter days to
harvest. If you are growing ever-bearing
strawberries the principals are the same and you will likely need Inspire Super
to get you through the season. Inspire
Super has a 1 days PHI. Anthracnose is a tricky one, botrytis is easy by
comparison.
Allegro 500F: Received a label expansion for
highbush blueberry for Anthracnose, Botrytis and Mummy Berry. Allegro is a
group 29 so makes it a great product to break up some chemical rotations. Keep in mind that it has a 30 day PHI. For Botrytis protection applications should
begin at early bloom.
Spear T: has received registration for control
of spotted winged drosophila on highbush blueberry and caneberries. Spear T is a group 32 which makes it
different than other insecticides for SWD control and great for resistance
management. It has a 0 day PHI and short
re entry period. This product should be
used with a non ionic surfactant.
Magister
SC: has received
registration for mites on strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. There is currently a submission for registration
before PMRA for cyclamen mite control, but is not expected for this growing
season. Magister is a group 21 making it
the same group as only Nexter. Magister
is a contact product and has activity on eggs, nymphs and adults. Since this is a contact insecticide, coverage
with this product is very important.
Magister has a 1 day PHI but a long residual control on mites. Because Magister has a short PHI, products with
longer PHI’s will probably be used for mite control before harvest then
Magister can be used during harvest and may last you through harvest with its lengthy
residual. SC formulations can be little a
tricky to keep in solution so good agitation is key and probably should be pre
dissolved in warm water. To maximize
coverage a non-ionic surfactant should be used.
2024 Berry
Primer March 21st BErry Primer
Register by following
this link: Click Here
To
help you prepare for the 2024 berry growing season, Perennia’s Berry
Specialist, Sonny Murray, is hosting the upcoming webinar ‘2024 Berry Primer.’
During this session, attendees will hear from six fantastic guest speakers on a
variety of topics, including:
·
Nematodes:
Survey and management, Matt Peill
·
Phytopthora:
The Wet Season Disease, Cheryl Trueman
·
Silica
and Berry Nutrition, Wendy Zellner
·
RCA
trellis system for Blackberries, Patrick Byers
·
Strawberry
Disease Pests and Strawberry Insect Pests, Dustin MacLean
·
Strawberry
Varieties, Beatrice Amyott
·
Weed
control, Sonny Murray
·
Production
systems, Sonny Murray
Strawberry Soil Fertility, Sonny Murray
The snow is gone and the sun is out......may as well start pruning those Highbush Blueberries. Maybe this will be the year we can get it finished before bloom! To start pruning season off, here is Sonny Murray giving a short Intro to Highbush Blueberry Pruning. To see the video please follow these links:
Horticulture Nova Scotia Research Priority Setting Survey……..Don’t worry it is short!
Help us narrow down and identify new priorities for future research efforts. Horticulture Nova Scotia collaborates on research projects with many other institutions. These projects aim to assist farmers by improving pest control, exploring different growing systems or changing management practices. This survey will act as a tool to narrow down and identify new priorities for future research efforts.
To complete the survey either scan the QR code or click on this link: Click here.
.
Have your say into research in your
horticulture crops by completing these two surveys.
Horticulture Nova Scotia Research Priority
Setting Survey……..Don’t worry it is short!
Help us narrow down and identify new priorities for future research efforts. Horticulture Nova Scotia collaborates on research projects with many other institutions. These projects aim to assist farmers by improving pest control, exploring different growing systems or changing management practices. This survey will act as a tool to narrow down and identify new priorities for future research efforts.
To complete the survey either
scan the QR code or click on this link: Click here.
The Canadian Berry Trial Network Survey
The Canadian Berry Trial Network is getting ready for their 2024 variety trials, and AAFC’s, Dr. Beatrice Amyotte was hoping to get some input
from Nova Scotia growers. She will plant new trials of strawberry and raspberry
this spring. We have a shortlist of varieties to consider in the attached
survey link.
The deadline to return the survey to her is February 27,
2024. Please take the time to voice your input so that we can have valuable trial
results.
To find the survey please follow the link by clicking here.