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Articles by Mark Longstroth
Wind chill doesn’t really matter to a plant
Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension - January 21, 2014 It’s the temperature of the air that matters to a plant, not the wind chill. Calm air can get much colder. We have had some cold winter weather this year with wind chills down to -20 or -30 degrees Fahrenheit and some school closings because of the snowy conditions and extreme cold.
A look at the Southwest Michigan fruit update
Michael Reinke, Mark Longstroth and William Shane | Farmers Advance EAST LANSING, MI. – Sweet cherry harvest is underway. Other small fruits are harvesting in southern parts of the region. Tree fruit San Jose scale males began showing up in the Trevor Nichols Research Center trapline on May 24. Crawler emergence is approximately 400 GDD base 51 F after biofix, which should be occurring in much of the region last week and the previous week. Apricots are 1.5 inches in diameter with hard pits.
A slice of the sweet life with the Southwest Michigan fruit update
Michael Reinke, Mark Longstroth and William Shane Published 9:01 a.m. ET May 26, 2021 EAST LANSING, MI. – Tree fruit crops are beginning to size, making load assessments easier this week. So far, most crops survived the April freezes well. Tree fruit Stone fruits have emerged from the shuck and are starting to size up. Fruit assessments can be made to see how the crops fared through the cold, extended blooms.
Picture Table of Critical Spring Temperatures for Tree Fruit Bud Development Stages
Picture Table of Critical Spring Temperatures for Tree Fruit Bud Development Stages DOWNLOAD FILE March 30, 2021 - Author: Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension Old standard temperature represented the critical temperature in Fahrenheit (the lowest temperature that can be endured for 30 minutes without damage). In addition, the chart shows the temperature at which 10% and 90% of normal buds will be killed.
West central Michigan small fruit update - May 15, 2020
West central Michigan remained unseasonably cool with some sporadic snow flurries late last week. A cold, windy Friday, May 8, brought cold polar air with a hard freeze, which slightly damaged blueberries and strawberries. A polar air mass passing on May 8 to 11 brought late spring freezes to west Michigan affecting fruit crops nearing bloom. Blueberries suffered some damage. The damages varied depending on location and variety.
Farm Resilience Starts with a Solid Financial Foundation
By Jonathan LaPorte and Mark Longstroth After struggling through the 2019 season, the agriculture community is looking to reset in 2020. Until the arrival of snow in mid-April, the weather was cooperating. There were opportunities to get into fields and operations appeared to be ahead of last year. Even with improved weather, commodity prices are challenging. Global and domestic demand has collapsed, pushing prices below 2019 levels.
What can fruit growers do if a freeze is coming?
You cannot fight Mother Nature, but when frost or freeze conditions occur in fruit orchards, vineyards and fields, growers can work to minimize the potential damage. Spring freezes Spring freezes are feared by all fruit growers. The risk of losing all or part of your crop focuses their attention every spring. As plants start to grow in the spring, they become susceptible to warmer and warmer temperatures. As the buds swell, they can be damaged by temperatures above 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - April 21, 2020
A cold, windy week with several hard radiation freezes killed open flowers on blooming apricots and plums. Damage to most tree fruit crops was spotty, depending on the crop and location. Weather The first full week of April was warm with highs in the 60s and 70s. Tree fruit moved quickly and early blooming crops began to bloom. Cold, windy conditions arrived with a cold front Monday, April 13. This air mass dropped high temperatures into the 30s and 40s for most of the week.
Southwest Michigan Fruit Update - April 7, 2020
By Mark Longstroth and William Shane et.al. Weather The weather for the first week of April was mild. There were a few mornings below freezing but generally temperatures were above freezing and highs in the 40s and 50s. Bud swell continues and many buds are opening. Soils are moist and soil temperatures are averaging 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain for the week including Tuesday morning is about a third of an inch for the region. The next few days will have highs in the 60s and 70s with scattered showers.
MSU vineyard IPM scouting report - Aug. 28, 2019
This is the seventh IPM scouting report we are sending out for 2019 based on visits to multiple juice and wine grape vineyards. This report will be available every other Wednesday throughout the growing season. There are various insect and disease issues that are highlighted below, and these vary in intensity from site to site and from southern to northern Michigan. This highlights the need to scout your own vineyards.
MSU vineyard IPM scouting report - Aug. 14, 2019
This is the sixth integrated pest management (IPM) scouting report we are sending out for 2019 based on visits to multiple juice and wine grape vineyards. This report will be available every other Wednesday throughout the growing season. There are various insect and disease issues that are highlighted below, and these vary in intensity from site to site and from southern to northern Michigan. This highlights the need to scout your own vineyards.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - July 30, 2019
Last week began cool with highs in the 70s and then warmed up in the 80s into the weekend. Last week was dry with no significant rainfall. The passage of a cold front on Monday dropped temperatures and brought a few scattered showers across the region. Monday’s showers dropped about 0.2 inches across the region, with totals ranging from a trace to 0.4 inches. Rainfall totals for the season remain at about 14 to 20 inches across the region since April 1.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - July 16, 2019
Last week’s weather was hot. High temperatures were in the 80s and 90s. Lows were generally in the 50s. Precipitation last week was spotty. Many locations had no rain. Some locations received storms which dropped from 0.1 to 0.5 inches. The regional average was 0.1 inch. Rainfall totals for the season remain about 12 to 18 inches across the region since April 1. The forecast for this coming week is for hot and humid conditions, with highs in the 80s and 90s and lows around 70.
Southwest Michigan Fruit update - May 28, 2019
Last week began cool, with high temperatures in the 50s. Highs rose into the 70s by Wednesday. Most nights stayed in the upper 40s or 50s. Tuesday morning lows were in the mid-30s. This near frost caused no damage. The second half of the week brought periodic rain. Precipitation totals for the week were about half an inch. The rain was light and scattered causing few infection events.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - April 23, 2019
Last week was warm. High temperatures were in the 60s and lows in the 40s. Rain fell across the region Thursday, April 18. Rainfall totals were about an inch. The forecast for this week is for warm temperatures with highs in the 60s and lows near 40. Little rain is forecast this week, with a good chance of rain this weekend. We picked up about 60 growing degree days (GDD) base 42 and 30 GDD base 50.
The rise of the mummy: Mummy berries in Michigan
Warmer temperatures over the last week have pushed mummy berries to germinate apothecia. Throughout Michigan, we are between early and late green tip and shoots are very susceptible to new mummy berry infections at this time. To date, germinated mummy berries with apothecia have been found in Ottawa and Saginaw counties and they are likely present throughout southwest Michigan currently (Fig. 1).
Where did all the blueberries go?
Michigan had a terrible blueberry crop in 2018. Across Michigan, yields for early and mid-season varieties were normal but not great. Yields for late mid-season (Jersey) and late-season varieties (Elliott and others) were terrible. I think this was due to mid-winter cold and several very hot episodes during the growing season. We had a warm fall in 2017 and did not get cold weather until late November and early December. Early December was cold and snowy.
What can be done for late season downy mildew on grapes?
Several episodes of hot and humid weather in Michigan has allowed downy mildew to become a severe problem in some areas of northwest and southwest Michigan (see photos). Downy mildew can be found on leaves and clusters and is caused by the fungal-like pathogen, Plasmopara viticola. Severe downy mildew will defoliate grape plants by killing the leaves. Downy mildew can also damage fruit and cause off-flavors.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - Sept. 19, 2018
Last week was warm and dry, with highs rising into the upper 80s and overnight lows in the 50s. There is heavy dew and fog most mornings. There was no rain last week. Sandy soils are beginning to dry out. Heavier soil still have good moisture content. Soils with poor drainage are still very wet. We are beginning to see the fall color change in stressed plants and plants which lose their leaves very early. The upcoming week will be warm with highs in the 80s.
Late season cultural and chemical options for diseases in grapes-don’t wait!
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Brown marmorated stink bugs increasing in grapes
We are catching more brown marmorated stink bugs in traps and seeing more scouting vineyards. So far, we have seen no signs of feeding. Growers and scouts should be looking for this pest and checking berries for puncture wounds with discoloration, or berries that are shriveled until harvest. Damage to berries can result in botrytis and sour rot infections that spread in damaged wine grape clusters.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - July 30, 2018
Last week temperatures were cooler with highs in the upper 70s. Scattered showers crossed the region during the week dropping light rain in widely scattered areas. Rain fall totals ranged from zero to over a half inch with an average of 0.25 inches. Highs this week will higher, above 80 with lows in the 60s. There is chance of thunderstorms most of the week. Dry conditions in July have reduced plant disease activity. Our heat accumulation is about 7 to 10 days ahead of normal.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - July 10, 2018
Last week began hot and cooled off. Highs were in the 90s driven but hot humid air from the south. The weekend was cooler with highs in the 90s. No significant rain has fallen since June 27. Soils are beginning to dry out especially sandy soils. Late planted row crops are wilting in the mid-day heat. A few spots in southwest Michigan are still very wet from heavy June rains. We have not had any significant rain in two weeks with hot, dry temperatures.
Southwest Michigan fruit update - June 12, 2018
Last week was cooler with highs in 70s. Highs rose into the 80s before the weekend. The weekend was stormy and rainy with heavy rains and flooding in some areas. Rain on Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10, were significant disease infection periods with long wetting periods that spanned the weekend. Measured rainfall totals for the weekend were generally 1 to 2 inches, but many areas received more and there was local flooding. Soils are wet. Fields have standing water in low spots.
Shoot blight in Michigan blueberries
Weather conditions have been wet in Michigan and blighted twigs have been found in blueberries (Photo 1). Tip dieback and blighted blossom clusters are the first symptoms growers and scouts find of shoot blights. Various fungi such as anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum), phomopsis (Phomopsis vaccinii), botrytis (Botrytis cinerea) and bacteria canker (Pseudomonas syringae) can cause twig blight. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum) is often to blame for twig infections during wet seasons.
Early spring mummy berry shoot strike infections eyed
Mummy berry is a unique disease. The fungal pathogen needs to infect the plant twice to complete its life cycle; the first being new shoots at the beginning of spring growth, and the second during bloom, where the fungus is carried to the flowers by insects (e.g., bees and flies) infecting the bloom and fruit. The infected fruit becomes a mummy and overwinters to infect the plants again in spring.
The blueberry mummies return! Here’s how to be prepared.
Mummy berry is a unique disease. The fungal pathogen needs to infect the plant twice to complete its life cycle; the first being new shoots at the beginning of spring growth, and the second during bloom, where the fungus is carried to the flowers by insects (e.g., bees and flies) infecting the bloom and fruit. The infected fruit becomes a mummy and overwinters to infect the plants again in spring.
Dormant sprays for disease control in blueberries
Southwest Michigan has had a relatively mild winter. This allows cane blight pathogens such as phomopsis (Phomopsis vaccinii) and anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum) to survive on old, dead tissues. Spores from these overwintering lesions can infect new growth in spring. Phomopsis overwinters in dead shoots previously killed by phomopsis (Photo 1). Anthracnose overwinters on old fruit trusses and bud tissue (Photo 2).
Preseason fruit IPM meetings set for March 21 and 23
You are invited to the Preseason Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Update for fruit growers by Michigan State University Extension fruit educators Bill Shane, Brad Baughman and Mark Longstroth. Included is a review of important changes in the new 2017 MSU Michigan Fruit Management Guide (E0154), including management information for fruit insects and diseases. We will discuss useful findings from recent fruit research projects and the proper use of new pesticides.
Worried about February warmup to fruit crops?
I receive many calls about what warm weather will do to fruit in the wintertime. Often, I will say there is no need to worry, they have not completed their chilling requirement. When perennial plants go dormant in winter, they track the hours just above freezing (between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit) to avoid winter cold. This is the chilling requirement. Temperatures below freezing do not matter. During winter dormancy, the trees can acclimate to very cold temperatures.
Freeze damage depends on tree fruit stage of development
Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension - March 16, 2012 Damage from freezes depends on the development stage of the fruit crop. These tables allow you to quickly asses the risk for your tree fruit crops During the winter, fruit trees can withstand very cold temperatures. As fruit trees develop in the spring and buds start to swell, they lose the ability to withstand cold winter temperatures.
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