Category: 2021 trap network

Seven sites in the five counties of Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Saratoga, and Schuyler are now at sustained catch of SWD — that is, the insect has now been detected in traps two weeks in a row. At two of the locations numbers are still below 5, but at all others they are 5 and above...up to 75 total caught at one location. Most locations have four traps. Details are below:

Albany County - summer raspberry, 18 females and 57 males, total 75 SWD, traps checked on June 28, 2021 by Natasha Field, ENYCHP.

Columbia County - tart cherry, 2 females and 12 males, total 14 SWD, traps checked on June 28, 2021 by Natasha Field, ENYCHP.

Dutchess County - sweet cherry, 17 females and 14 males, total 31 SWD, traps checked on June 28, 2021 by Sarah Tobin, ENYCHP.

Saratoga County - blackberry, 3 females and 4 males, total 7 SWD, traps checked on July 1, 2021 by Natasha Field, ENYCHP.

Schuyler County - blueberry, 0 females and 3 males, total 3 SWD; blueberry 1 female and 0 males, total 1 SWD; raspberry, 2 females and 3 males, total 5 SWD; traps checked by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM.

Time to plan and implement a solid insecticide spray program

Insecticide treatments will kill SWD adults and thereby reduce egg laying. Spray programs should begin when susceptible fruit crops are ripening and ripe. Treatments should be applied at least every seven days and repeated in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides with pre-harvest intervals (PHI's) that work for your harvest schedules. Rotate insecticides according to their modes of action. SWD insecticide quick guides are on the SWD Management web page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/. Check the Cornell Guidelines for your crop (cropandpestguides.cce.cornell.edu/) for the latest list of approved pesticides. Always read and follow the pesticide label instructions.

Hoping for a day when SWD has its own set of natural enemies?

That day may be on the horizon! The Sustainable SWD Management, swdmanagement.org/, project team will be gearing up to release parasitoids, like Ganapsis brasiliensis, a tiny little wasp that doesn't sting and instead uses its "stinger" to lay eggs on the SWD larvae that are inside your fruit. Brilliant! Project team members will release these biological control agents—parasitoids of SWD—from SWD's homeland and assess survival and effectiveness as an alternate management tactic. Stay tuned.

 

Two farms in Orleans County where monitoring is underway for SWD detected their first catch in traps on June 28, 2021. 1 male and 1 female SWD in a blueberry planting and 2 females in a raspberry planting.

These traps are being monitored by Janet van Zoeren, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, CCE.  Janet relayed that the crops at both locations are just entering harvest.

The blueberries range from beginning to color to nearly ripe. There are various varieties and harvest began around June 30.

The earliest raspberries are ripe, most are between hard and green to just beginning to soften.

Cooler weather, along with moist humid conditions, will favor SWD. It will be very important to remember and implement the foundations of SWD management.

SWD Management entails 5 key tactics:

• Excellent sanitation will reduce SWD populations.

Fruit should be harvested frequently and completely to prevent the buildup of ripe and over-ripe fruit. Unmarketable fruit should be removed from the field and either frozen, “baked” in clear plastic bags placed in the sun, or disposed of in bags off-site. This will kill larvae, remove them from your crop, and prevent them from emerging as adults.

• Canopy and water management will make the environment less favorable.

Prune to maintain an open canopy, increase sunlight and reduce humidity. This will make plantings less attractive to SWD and will improve spray coverage. Repair leaking drip lines and avoid overhead irrigation when possible. Allow the ground and mulch surface to dry before irrigating.

• Insecticide sprays will kill SWD adults and thereby reduce egg laying.

Insecticide treatments should begin when either regional monitoring alerts about the first SWD trap catch or when highly susceptible fruit crops, such as raspberries and blackberries, are ripening. Treatments should be applied at least every seven days and repeated in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides with pre harvest intervals that work for your picking schedule. Rotate insecticides according to their modes of action. Quick reference guides are on the SWD Management web page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/. Check the Cornell Guidelines for your crop (cropandpestguides.cce.cornell.edu/) for the latest list of approved pesticides. Always read and follow the pesticide label instructions.

• Regular fruit sampling.

At least 100 fruit per block per harvest should be observed for infestation. Talk to your local CCE agent about a monitoring program. Fruit can be inspected for evidence of larval feeding. Small holes in berries where the eggs were laid may leak juice when the berry is gently squeezed; this is especially diagnostic on blueberry. Infested red raspberry fruit may leave a red juice stain on the berry receptacle when the fruit is picked. Fruit with small indents or bruises where the berry surface appears to have flattened or deflated may be damaged.

A salt flotation method, immersing fruit in a solution of 1 Tbsp. (14.8 cc) table salt per 1 cup (236.6 ml) water, may cause larvae to float to surface. At least 100 fruit per block per harvest should be observed for infestation. Suggested methods were adapted for NY growers in Guidelines for Checking Fruit for SWD Larvae in the Field.

• Cool berries immediately.

Chilling berries immediately after harvest to 32° – 34° F will slow or stop the development of larvae and eggs in the fruit. U-Pick customers should be encouraged to refrigerate fruit immediately to maintain fruit quality at home.

SWD is being detected in most counties across New York that are in the monitoring network. This week (June 27 to July 3), in particular, has seen several locations reaching first and sustained catch.

In Livingston County, a small blueberry patch had 1 male and 1 female SWD in two traps checked on June 30, 2021. The blueberry crop across the Northeast has seen very early ripening and harvest this year. Some reporting its the earliest ever. The early crop may see less damage and pressure from SWD, due to it's -somewhat- late arrival this year. A recap on management is always useful:

SWD Management in Blueberry

Read this blog, Managing SWD in blueberries at blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/08/02/managing-swd-in-blueberries/ .

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Blueberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub2

In Cayuga County, a raspberry field that opened last week for Upick had first catch of 1 male and 2 female SWD detected in four traps checked on July 1, 2021. Raspberry harvests are underway and the crop looks beautiful and tastes even better! Inform your customers about SWD and how important refrigeration of fruit is after they take it home. A recap on management is always useful (and hopefully not too boring, if you read these blogs, which I hope you do!):

SWD Management in Raspberry and Blackberry

Read this blog, Managing SWD in raspberries and blackberries at blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/07/17/managing-swd-in-raspberries-blackberries/

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Raspberries and Blackberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub1

 

First catch reports are coming in from across New York State this week. Likely the few remaining counties with zero catch will have catch in the next several days.

Nine out of eleven tart cherry orchards, not in the monitoring network, but part of a research program on SWD IPM for tart cherries, have reached first catch this week.

SWD numbers are on the rise, especially in Eastern New York and along Lake Ontario. Here are the details:

Niagara County

In raspberry, fruit are ripe and harvests are underway. 4 male and 22 female SWD were caught in four traps checked on June 28, 2021. That's 26 SWD! No question, it's time to protect the crop with insecticides. These traps are being monitored by Elizabeth Tee, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, CCE.

Clinton County

In blueberry, fruit are ripening. 1 male SWD was caught in four traps checked on June 29, 2021. It's time to plan the insecticide program to protect the crop. These traps are being monitored by Elisabeth Hodgdon and Andy Galimberti, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, CCE.

Chautauqua County

In blueberry, which is 10% blue, 1 male and 2 female SWD were caught in two traps checked on June 29, 2021. This blueberry planting will need to be protected against SWD with insecticides. These traps are being monitored by Anna Osatuke, Berry Specialist with the Harvest NY team, CCE. Anna recently started in her position. Please welcome her to berry extension!

Onondaga County

In blueberry, fruit are ripening on early-season varieties and still green on late-season varieties. 1 male SWD was caught in four traps checked on June 30, 2021. Harvest is underway in an adjacent raspberry planting nearer the woods and it is likely numbers of SWD are higher in that area of the farm. Raspberries need protection with insecticides, carefully chosen to allow for pre-harvest intervals. Blueberries will need protection once fruit are ripe. These traps are being monitored by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM Program, CCE.

Please stay tuned, check your harvest for infestation with salt flotation, place harvested fresh fruit into cold storage (33°F-34°F) immediately, and implement your SWD management program.

SWD management program tips:

• Plan insecticide use so you have materials with lower PHI for use close to harvest.
• Rotate active ingredients (IRAC groups) through to harvest for resistance management.
• Don’t stretch spray intervals, 7 day interval max.
• Achieve thorough coverage.
• If it rains, reapply (according to label).
• Mow the row middles.
• Prune to open the canopy to sunlight.
• Read and follow label recommendations.

Find more information on the Cornell Fruit Resources SWD Management page, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/.

Sustained catch of a single female SWD in a raspberry planting in Essex County and a single female SWD in a tart cherry orchard in Washington County was obtained during the week ending on June 25, 2021.

Raspberries are ripening and harvests are getting underway. U-pick in the cherry orchard will open soon. Because numbers are still low, the cherry crop may escape severe infestation, especially if the hot weather continues, which is suboptimal for SWD.

You know what you need to do! Read, read, plan, plan, manage, manage. Practice IPM and reduce your insecticide footprint. Late arrival of SWD, low numbers of SWD, and early ripening of crops has worked in our favor this year. But the fruiting season isn't over yet! Wild elderberries are in full bloom across the region.

Traps in Essex County are being monitored by Andy Galimberti and Elisabeth Hodgdon, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program (ENYCHP), CCE. Traps in Washington County are being monitored by Laura McDermott, ENYCHP.

After early catch in May and 4 weeks of zero SWD, a single male SWD was caught in the blueberry planting in Schuyler County on June 24, 2021. Two other male SWD were caught in Schuyler County - one in a raspberry planting on the same farm and the other in a second blueberry planting on another farm. Numbers are still low (1 SWD/4 traps and 1 SWD/9 traps). All these males were caught on a red sticky card trap, set on the edge of the planting nearest the woods and shade.

Raspberry harvest is underway at this farm. Early blueberry varieties are starting to color. Mid-season and late season varieties are still green.

We are at the point where it will be imperative to sample each harvest with salt flotation tests. Communicate with customers about SWD infestation. Make sure fruit is placed into cold storage or refrigeration after harvest. Keep weeds down, mow row middles, prune back tree branches shading rows.

• SWD Management, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/management/
• SWD Salt Flotation Test, cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/0/7265/files/2017/01/SaltFloatation-2kmt284.pdf
• Insecticide Quick Guides
  • Berry
  • Tree Fruit & Grape
  • Dropped Fruit

The traps in Schuyler County are being monitored by Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM Program, CCE.

Nine SWD were caught (1 female and 8 males) in the week ending June 24, 2021 in a blackberry planting in Saratoga County. Although the blackberries are hard and green, the raspberries in an adjacent field are ripe and ready for harvest.

It will be imperative to protect the red raspberry crop during harvest, because they are so very susceptible. Pay close attention to pre-harvest intervals (PHI's) on insecticides used. No doubt, by the time the blackberries are ripe, the SWD population will have built to damaging levels and this crop must be protected with insecticides. The SWD insecticide quick guide for berries can be consulted to put together a program to protect the crop, while rotating among insecticide mode of action to avoid insecticide resistance and observing the required PHI.

Review key steps in SWD management on Cornell Fruit Resources. In Eastern NY, most counties in the network have reached first catch, as can be seen on the distribution map. Suffolk and Steuben County are in the network, have not caught SWD yet, but those data aren't in the system that generates the map.

Again, here's a recap of SWD management in brambles that will prove helpful to get you in the right frame of mind to protect your fruit crops.

SWD Management in Raspberry and Blackberry

Read this blog, Managing SWD in raspberries and blackberries at blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/07/17/managing-swd-in-raspberries-blackberries/

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Raspberries and Blackberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub1

Learn more about SWD. Knowledge is power! Check out the information on Cornell Fruit Resources Spotted Wing Drosophila, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/.

Traps at this location are being monitored by Natasha Field, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, CCE.

Three SWD (2 females and 1 male) were caught during the week ending on June 21, 2021 in Dutchess County. Four traps are set on the edge of a sweet cherry orchard with harvest underway, two red sticky cards and two jar traps. The insects were caught in the jar traps.

Because harvest is underway, it is difficult to impossible to apply insecticides at this point, given the need to observe the labeled pre-harvest interval (PHI). That said, because numbers are low, about 1.5 SWD on average, per trap, the crop may escape infestation and be harvested before significant, noticeable damage occurs. If sweet cherry varieties are picked at different times, spanning a two-week-long period, then judicious application of insecticides with appropriate PHI's to the later season varieties may prove beneficial, so as not to stretch the interval since the last spray much past 7 to 10 days. Review the insecticide quick guide for stone fruit for more information.

Best practice post-harvest is refrigeration or cold storage at around 34° F. Review other management tactics on the SWD Management page.

Traps at this location are being monitored by Sarah Tobin, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, CCE.

On June 18, 2021, a single male was caught in a jar trap set on the edge of a blueberry planting in Chemung County. Three other traps at the site caught zero SWD. These traps are being monitored by Liz Alexander, Chemung County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Blueberries are still sizing up. Most are still green in the central and western NY plantings I've visited this week. Some early varieties have started to show signs of color in more southern locations. Because blueberries are less susceptible than brambles and cherries, trap catch of a single SWD doesn't signal time to treat. And certainly not if fruit aren't ripe and softening.

Let's take this opportunity, when SWD numbers are still very low, to get ready for SWD management in this crop with the recap below.

SWD Management in Blueberry

Read this blog, Managing SWD in blueberries at blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/08/02/managing-swd-in-blueberries/ .

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Blueberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub2

Learn more about SWD. Knowledge is power! Check out the information on Cornell Fruit Resources Spotted Wing Drosophila, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/.

A single male was caught on a red sticky card trap set on the edge of a summer raspberry planting in Albany County checked on June 21, 2021. Three other traps at the site caught zero SWD. These traps are being monitored by Natasha Field, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, CCE.

Summer raspberry harvests are getting underway. Monitoring SWD in this crop can be very useful, because fruit may be harvested before SWD is caught or builds up to high numbers. Thus saving spray applications. However, raspberries are very susceptible to SWD infestation and once even low numbers of SWD are consistently being caught, this signals the crop is at risk of infestation. Clean picking may prove effective when trap catch numbers remain in the single digits.

Here's a recap of SWD management in brambles that will prove helpful to get you in the right frame of mind while we still have low SWD trap catch.

SWD Management in Raspberry and Blackberry

Read this blog, Managing SWD in raspberries and blackberries at blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2019/07/17/managing-swd-in-raspberries-blackberries/

Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Raspberries and Blackberries from the NE IPM Center SWD Working Group, neipmc.org/go/swdpub1

Learn more about SWD. Knowledge is power! Check out the information on Cornell Fruit Resources Spotted Wing Drosophila, fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/.