Another question and a comment- yeah! And a comment from me, too! Or maybe 2!

I just participated in a community conversation on biosecurity.  The organizer has been working on it in animal systems but I didn’t really know what it meant – so I had to learn that before I could present.  It is amazing how similar the requirements are – in general, not the specifics – in both animal and plant systems so the program was pretty interesting.  Here’s the organization website and I will send out the recording when it is done. https://www.healthyagriculture.org/ I am interested in the concept of crisis planning – now that we have been forced to deal with one, what advance planning would have been helpful? Several documents that relates to pork or animal production but have some relevance – just to start the thought process.

Farm Crisis Operations Planning Tool https://library.pork.org/media/?mediaId=039D5802-DB5C-448E-9A37774AE5A98786

Risk communication – https://www.healthyagriculture.org/detect/risk-communication/

Crisis communication – https://www.healthyagriculture.org/respond/crisis-communication/

Someone who gets my emails remarked that hand picking really helped with the Japanese beetles pretty quickly.  And there is even research! https://extension.unh.edu/blog/spotlight-research-can-hand-picking-japanese-beetle-really-help and information on why you should do it in the evening!

So what is Bt (and why I should remember not to use the initials).  Bt is Bacillus thuringiensis – a bacterium found in the soil that produces a toxin in the stomachs of insects that feed on it (http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/how_bt_work.html) It has been adapted for use as a pesticide and is often good at controlling young larvae of moths and caterpillars (like gypsy moth) and other insects. There are specific Bt’s for specific pests. https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/bacillus-thuringiensis-bt  In the Tree and Shrub Guidelines, for example, there are listings for aizawai for some caterpillars, galleriae for beetle adults or grubs, kurstaki for young instars of caterpillars, and tenebrionis for elm leaf beetle. It is considered a ‘soft’ pesticide but can be very effective if you get the correct one and apply to the correct size of insect

And last but not least…

I learned from Parade Magazine – and excellent resource (?) – that Taylor Swift’s first job was pulling praying mantis egg cases out of Christmas trees in PA.  Maybe she would come and talk to CTFANY! Good IPM and good customer service!

Have a great week!

Cooked yet!  Thank heavens I found a fan that attaches to my computer!

GDD                                       7.10.20                 7.15.20

Champlain                           990                        1109

Geneva                                 1112                      1242

Riverhead                            1315                      1452

Look at those straight lines up on the graphs! (well, of course they can’t go down…)

Want to learn more about gypsy moths? Turn on the fan and watch the video.   Rather cheerful music!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-oPJPzKodc&feature=youtu.be

Cooley spruce galls on blue spruce? Remove the galls and destroy them before 1850-1950 GDD

Next question?  Canada thistle control – you guys are giving me an education!

First – do you know your thistles?  As usual, they aren’t all the same. The Guidelines list

Canada                                 Cirsium arvense.   It is a prohibited plant in NYS and on some states noxious weeds lists.

Bull                                        Cirsium vulgare

Musk thistle                        Cardanus nutans

Artichoke thistle               Cynara cardunulus. Also called cardoon

Russian thistle                   Salsola kali.  Also called tumbleweed

Bull and musk id here https://ipcm.wisc.edu/download/weeds/Biennial-Thistle-Comparison.pdf

Canada thistle. https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/canadathistle.html

The biggest difference is that Canada thistle is perennial while bull and musk are biennial (vegetative the first year and flower the second).  Canada thistle has a large root system of creeping horizontal roots so you get a colony of plants that will keep getting larger.  That means you have to control seed and vegetative production.

Mow before it goes to seed to prevent the formation of new colonies by flying seed – and they are designed to fly so they will fly into your property from roadsides, etc.

One small good point – they can be shaded out so they won’t usually grow right under the trees.

Herbicide control – perennials usually require treatment over several years so keep track of where you sprayed before.

Pre-emergence

Broadstar

Casoron

Marengo

Post-emergence

Basagran                              there are specific recommendations for how and when to apply this

Finale                                    non-selective

Stinger                                  max allowable use rate applies

Have a cool weekend and feel free to do anything to encourage rain in my area that is allowed by law.

I love getting questions so feel free to send them along.  I have 2 today!  What is GDD? And how long does the poison ivy toxin last.

What are those GDD numbers? (which is not the same as what are those gd numbers 😊 )

Growing Degree Days (GDD) is a measure of the amount of heat that has accumulated since a start date and over a particular average temperature. The basic idea is that insects and plants (but not so much diseases which often need a relative humidity or rainfall factor as well as temperature) develop based in part on temperature.  Essentially things grow or develop faster when it is warmer.  Since I have been picking berries lately, that’s a good example.  Since it has been warm, they are ripening faster.

It isn’t a perfect system as the rate of development doesn’t continue to increase as temperature increases beyond a particular level and that level may depend on the species.  Very high temperatures are often detrimental to growth.  On the other end of the temperature spectrum, low temperatures don’t make the development go backwards.

However, the system works pretty well.  We use a start date of March 1 as warm temps before that don’t seem to have much effect.  We also use 50 as the base temperature as most insects don’t develop below that average temperature.  (Different systems use different base temps) Here’s how you can calculate it yourself, if you are feeling adventurous.

Calculate the average temperature for the day.  At the most basic that is the high plus the low divided by 2. Subtract 50.  Negative answers are considered zero.  Add that value up for each day starting March 1 and that gives you the GDD for the season.

Want to let someone else do the math?  I use NEWA’s degree day calculator when I look them up for the emails I send.

http://newa.cornell.edu/index.php?page=degree-day-calculator  Note that the Degree Day type says Base 50 and the Accumulation start date says 3/1/2020.  The Base 50 seems to stay on my computer but I have to remember to change the start date every time.  Choose the Weather station (this one is set at Riverhead LIHREC).  You can choose from the map or look at the list under Station Pages – New York (then remember to check the start date again) Click Get report and you’ll get a graph and values for past, current and a 5-day forecast.

You can also get the GDD from the Station page but it doesn’t show the forecast

And how about that poison ivy question – How long does the poison ivy toxin – urushiol – last after the plants are removed from the tree.

That’s a tougher one.  I found this answer on-line relative to composting poison ivy – which is quite different.  He doesn’t cite his sources but does suggest he has found some – which is more than I did.  I found a couple of uncited references for the fact that urushiol – which is an oil – can last on surfaces a long time.  But it is an organic compound and it must break down somehow.

http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/poison-ivy-oil-how-long-is-it-potent/

I suspect – and this is merely a suspicion – that if the plant is just growing up through the tree but has not attached itself to the tree, the likelihood of there being large amounts of urushiol on the needles is low.  It is the sap that is the issue and unless wounded, plants don’t usually lose much sap.  That argues for removing it as carefully as possible.  Is it possible that the sap tends to bead up and roll or wash off the waxy needles more than it would other surfaces?  I hope so but don’t know.

If however, it has attached to the tree with rootlets, it is hard to remove without leaving some of those rootlets behind.  They are more likely to contain some sap and urushiol and are potentially more likely to be a cause of poison ivy.

So, (you will see how cleverly I bring this around to the idea of scouting) I think that removing the poison ivy as soon and as carefully as possible will help.  Scouting for it when it is small and easier to control will 1) help keep you and your crew from getting poison ivy and 2) not let it grow up into the tree and attach with rootlets.

This is another situation where a late summer application of glyphosate or triclopyr may work best because it will move the herbicice to the roots but cutting it out early, remembering (or even writing down!) where it was and treating any regrowth might be the way to go.  It may still take several years to kill the poison ivy outright.  Remember to check labels or NYSPAD https://www.dec.ny.gov/nyspad/products?0 to make sure you are getting a pesticide labeled for NY and read the label – long and complex as it may be!

Have a lovely day and stay cool!

Happy almost 4^th of July!  I will miss the fireworks (although my neighbors are helping a bit with that) and our annual picnic.  I have a whole 4^th of July family in addition to the natural (?! Can’t go so far as normal 😊) ones I have.

So what’s happening with the weather?  That’s a loaded question.

GDD                       July 3                                     July 8

Champlain           811                                         939

Geneva                915                                         1062

Riverhead           1116                                       1240

From Branching Out – If you have Cooley spruce gall adelgid galls on blue spruce, you want to cut them off and burn/bury/bag them before they open.  That should be happening soon.  Stop that next generation before it happens!

Same is true for white pine weevil affected leaders – cut them out before the adults emerge.  If you are seeing holes in the shepherd’s crooked leaders, you missed some but cut them out anyway.  And don’t leave the cut ones in the field as the adults can emerge anyway.  You may have to cut lower than you think.  Look for damage at the cut and keep cutting until you don’t see any.

My official white pine weevil trapper had a break in finds and then got another one.  I wonder if it is this season’s first adults?

Japanese beetle adults – which we have seen feeding on leaders – GDD 1029-2154

Pine needle scale – 2^nd generation of crawlers emerge GDD 1290-1917.  If you have it, it’s time to scout for crawlers.

Has anyone else seen bleaching on blue spruce needles?  Send me pictures if you do!

Keep working on those safety plans!  They are not just for sales season!

Have a great week!

How is time passing so quickly?  Almost July!

Dicamba isn’t used as a herbicide in ornamental production but if you have other crops, it may be on your list. New information from NYS DEC. For Xtendimax with Vaporgrip Technology, EPA Reg. No. 524-617; Engenia, EPA Reg. No. 7969-345; and FeXapan, EPA Reg. No. 352-913, the registrations are canceled as of July 31, 2020. All use, including storage of open containers, is prohibited after the same date.

Looking for a way to get DEC pesticide recertification credits while so many programs are canceled? The Pesticide Management Education Program at Cornell has some online versions at http://pmepcourses.cce.cornell.edu/  There are some new ones – like one on spotted lanternfly.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program hasn’t opened up for ornamental producers (yet and we are hoping) but if you have other crops that are covered, there are some new online tools and application methods.  Scroll about half way down to find them on https://www.farmers.gov/cfap

Need some good advice on preventing tick bites and entertainment at the same time?  Dr. Matt Frye and his sidekick Matty appear in 4 short videos to show you what to do on the NYS IPM YouTube channel.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSTTbrTmKDc65iMZht1Z7w Matt has also starred as a cartoon character in bed bug training so I think he is coming up in the world!

Just a few things to think about!  Have a great week!