Weekly Update. Capital District Vegetable & Small Fruit Program. Effectively Managing Cucurbit Mildews: What you need to know!

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1 Capital District Vegetable & Small Fruit Program Vol. 4 Issue 19 August 2, 2012 Contact Information Chuck Bornt 61 State Street Troy, NY Office: Cell: cdb13@cornell.edu Laura McDermott 415 Lower Main Street Hudson Falls, NY Office: Cell: lgm4@cornell.edu Crystal Stewart 141 Fonclair Terrace Johnstown, NY Cell: cls263@cornell.edu Contributors: Amy Ivy 6064 Rte 22 #5 Plattsburgh, NY Office: adi2@cornell.edu Teresa Rusinek 232 Plaza Road Kingston, NY Office: tr28@cornell.edu Maire Ulrich 18 Seward Ave., Ste 300 Middletown, NY Office: mru2@cornell.edu Weekly Update Effectively Managing Cucurbit Mildews: What you need to know! BREAKING NEWS: DM has been confirmed in Eerie and Suffolk Counties. The northern part of our region is currently at low risk: the rest of the region is at minimal risk, but stay alert for symptoms as weather patterns change. Producing a high-quality cucurbit crop necessitates effectively managing powdery mildew and downy mildew. These two foliar, fungal diseases are common in the northeast because the pathogens produce spores easily dispersed by wind that enable them to spread widely. Crops often are affected by both. While neither pathogen affects fruit directly, they cause leaves to die prematurely which results in fewer fruit and/or fruit of low quality (poor flavor, sunscald, poor storability). Both are off to an early start in the eastern USA this season and are expected to be especially important. The most important component of an effective management program is an effective fungicide program. And the key to that is using mobile fungicides targeted to each disease. Mobile fungicides are needed for control on the underside of leaves. Fungicide program. Alternate among targeted, mobile fungicides in different FRAC Groups and apply with protectant fungicide to manage resistance development and avoid control failure if resistance occurs, and also to comply with Powdery Mildew, photo courtesy of UMass label use restrictions. Both pathogens have demonstrated ability to develop resistance to fungicides, thus a diversified fungicide program applied to resistant varieties when possible is critical for success. Powdery mildew is managed with resistant varieties and fungicides. An integrated program with both management tools is needed to achieve effective control because the pathogen is adept at evolving new strains resistant to individual tools that thus are not controlled as well by the tool. It is more difficult for new pathogen strains to develop when an integrated program is used, and effective control is more likely. There are now resistant varieties in most crop groups with new varieties released most years. Select cantaloupes with resistance to pathogen races 1 and 2. Select squash and pumpkins with resistance from both parents (homozygous resistance) when possible. This term is used in a few catalogues (for example Outstanding Seeds) whereas others use terms like high resistance and intermediate resistance to generally refer to homozygous and heterozygous resistance, respectively. Degree of disease suppression obtained with a variety also depends on modifying genes present. Resistant squash and pumpkin varieties have not provided as effective control in recent years as (Continued on page 2) Serving the research and educational needs of vegetable and small fruit growers in Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, & Washington Counties

2 V O L U M E 4, I S S U E 1 9 before. But they remain an important tool. Plant breeders are actively searching for new sources of resistance to powdery mildew. When to apply fungicides. The action threshold for starting applications is one leaf with symptoms out of 50 older leaves examined. Starting treatment after this point will compromise control and promotes resistance development. Powdery mildew usually begins to develop around the start of fruit production. Protectant fungicides applied before detection will slow initial development. After detection, continue applying fungicides weekly. Conditions are favorable for powdery mildew throughout the season. Recommended targeted fungicides. All listed here have been effective in fungicide evaluations conducted recently at Cornell s research facility on Long Island (LIHREC), but there has been some variation in performance possibly due to changes in the pathogen sensitivity to these fungicides. They are still contributing to control although fungicide sensitivity testing done each year at LIHREC has documented that there are now strains resistant to boscalid (in Pristine) and the pathogen is slowly becoming less sensitive to DMI fungicides and Quintec. Quintec (FRAC Code 13) has been the most consistently effective fungicide in fungicide evaluations, therefore it is recommended as the main mobile fungicide to use on labeled crops (pumpkin, winter squash, gourd, melon) where the crop rotational restriction of 12 months is acceptable. Recent crop additions to the Quintec label have increased the options of what can be planted within 12 months of the last application. The Quintec label specifies no more than two consecutive applications plus a crop maximum of four applications. DMI fungicides (Code 3), which include Procure, Rally, Tebuzol, Folicur, and Inspire Super. Highest label rate is recommended when resistance is quantitative (the case with DMIs, Quintec, and boscalid). Procure applied at its highest label rate provides a higher dose of active ingredient than the other Code 3 fungicides. Pristine (contains boscalid, Code 7 fungicide). While highly resistant pathogen strains have been detected, Pristine has continued to provide some control, including in the Long Island 2011 evaluation when it was as effective as Procure. In contrast with 2010, few resistant strains were detected in No longer recommended. Resistant pathogen strains are sufficiently common to render the following fungicides ineffective: Topsin M (FRAC code 1; MBC fungicide) and QoI fungicides (Code 11), which include Quadris, Cabrio and Flint. Resistant strains continue to be detected commonly every year on Long Island. Recommended protectant fungicides. Chlorothalonil, sulfur, copper, oils (mineral and botanical), and biologicals. There are many fungicides with contact activity for powdery mildew. Mancozeb is an exception. P A G E 2 less that what was achieved against strains present before However, these resistant varieties are still considered a worthwhile component of an integrated program. Fortunately, cucumber varieties with new genes for resistance are starting to be released. Two from Monsanto Seeds (formerly Seminis) are being tested this season at LIHREC. As with powdery mildew, fungicide resistance is also a concern Above: Downey Mildew with the downy mildew pathogen and therefore the fungicide program recommended for downy mildew is also targeted, mobile fungicides applied in alternation on a weekly schedule and tank mixed with a protectant fungicide beginning very early in disease development. When to apply fungicides. An important tool for determining when fungicide application is warranted is the forecast web site for this disease at Cucurbit plants are susceptible to downy mildew from emergence; however, this disease usually does not start to develop in the northeast until later in crop development when the pathogen is dispersed by wind into the region. The forecast program monitors where the disease occurs and predicts where the pathogen likely will be successfully spread. The pathogen needs living cucurbit crops to survive, thus it cannot survive where it is cold during winter. The risk of downy mildew occurring throughout the eastern US is forecast and posted three times a week. Forecasts enable timely fungicide applications. Growers can now subscribe to receive customizable alerts by or text message. Information is also maintained at the forecast web site of cucurbit crop types being affected by downy mildew. This is important because the pathogen exists as pathotypes that differ in their ability to infect the various crops. All pathotypes can infect cucumber; some also can infect melons and squashes are susceptible to others. Success of the forecast system depends on knowledge of where downy mildew is occurring; therefore prompt reporting of outbreaks by growers is critical. Downy mildew is primarily managed with fungicides. Resistance was the main tool for cucumbers until a new strain of the pathogen developed. Since 2004, varieties with this resistance, which include most hybrids, have provided some suppression of the new pathogen strains present, but substantially W E E K L Y U P D A T E Recommended targeted fungicides. Use in alternation tank mixed with a protectant fungicide. Ranman (FRAC Code 21). Use organosilicone surfactant when water volumes are less than 60 gallons per acre. (Continued on page 3)

3 V O L U M E 4, I S S U E 1 9 P A G E 3 (Continued from page 2) Presidio (43). This has been the most effective fungicide. It has provided less suppression than expected in fungicide efficacy trials conducted recently in the southern US suggesting that resistance may have developed. It is prudent to use it judiciously in a good rotation program. Presidio has a long rotational interval of 18 months for non-labeled crops, which can be a constraint on production. All cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, tuberous and corm vegetables (except potato), and leafy vegetables are now labeled; carrot, sugar beet, potato and rotational wheat will be labeled soon; and rotational field corn is expected in Revus or Forum (40). While in the same fungicide chemical group, there is indication they may have slightly different mode of action, thus there may be benefit to using one for the first application of a product in this group in a fungicide program and then switch to the other product later in the program. Previcur Flex (28). This fungicide is more systemic than others and has good activity for fowny mildew, but it is not effective for Phytophthora blight, which usually is also a concern in cucurbit crops. Curzate or Tanos (27). These have some curative activity (up to 2 days under cool temperatures) but limited residual activity (about 3-5 days). They can be a good choice when it was not possible to apply fungicide at the start of a high risk period when temperature is below 80 F. Apply another targeted fungicide 3-5 days later. Curzate is not labeled for Phytophthora blight. Gavel (22). This is the only product that consists of a targeted fungicide and a protectant fungicide (mancozeb). Recommended protectant fungicides. Chlorothalonil and mancozeb are the main protectant fungicides for downy mildew. This article from the UMass June 24th 2011 Vegetable Notes is a great overview of diseases that look like Late Blight. As LB continues to be detected in production areas around us, including a suspected case in Washington County, we thought that this overview might answer some questions that folks have been putting forth. Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans). This is the disease that everyone is worried about this year. Effective management of this disease is largely dependent on an accurate assessment of risk, and knowing where and when the disease is present is a key component in assessing the risk to your crops. Assessing the risk for this season depends on those two things favorable weather conditions and the presence of the pathogen. The most Tomato Bilghts: A Comparison Copper is not as effective. Dithane now has a supplemental label that includes pumpkin, winter squash and gourd. Chlorothalonil is best when both mildews are present. No longer recommended. Resistance to mefenoxam and metalaxyl and to strobilurins is sufficiently common that fungicides with these active ingredients (e.g. Ridomil and Cabrio), which use to be highly effective, are now ineffective. Fortunately, as these pathogens begin to adapt to the currently available products after several years of use, there are new mobile fungicides for powdery mildew and downy mildew expected to be available in the near future. In conclusion, to manage the mildew diseases effectively in cucurbit crops: 1) select resistant varieties, 2) sign up to receive alerts about downy mildew occurrence and routinely check the forecast web site to know where the disease is occurring and what crops are affected, 3) inspect crops routinely for symptoms beginning at the start of crop development for downy mildew and fruit development for powdery mildew, 4) apply protectant fungicides when there is a risk of disease development, and 5) beginning when these diseases start to develop, apply targeted fungicides weekly and alternate amongst available chemistry based on FRAC code. Unfortunately there are no targeted fungicides effective for both mildew diseases because the causal pathogens are biologically very different. Add new fungicides to the program when they become available; substitute new for older product if they are in the same FRAC group. Please Note: The specific directions on fungicide labels must be adhered to -- they supersede these recommendations, if there is a conflict. Note that some products mentioned are not yet registered for use on cucurbits. Check labels for use restrictions. Any reference to commercial products, trade or brand names is for information only; no endorsement is intended. -Margaret Tuttle McGrath, LIHREC common symptoms on tomatoes are sunken, dark green or brown lesions on leaves and brown lesions on stems, with white fungal growth developing under moist conditions. Classic symptoms are large (at least nickel-sized) olive-green to brown spots on leaves with slightly fuzzy white fungal growth on the underside when conditions have been humid (early morning or after rain). Sometimes the lesion border is slightly yellow or has a water-soaked appearance (see image). Leaf lesions begin as tiny, irregularly shaped brown spots and quickly grow larger spots that are consistently small are most likely septoria leaf spot (see below). Brown to blackish lesions develop on upper stems and leaf petioles. These stem lesions are a fairly distinctive sign of late blight and should definitely raise a red flag. Firm, brown spots develop on tomato fruit. If the lesion has a yellow border and is occurring on the bottom of the plant, it is likely due to infection of either early blight or Septoria leaf spot. Septoria leaf spot (Septoria lycopersici). Septoria leaf spot is one of the most destructive diseases of tomato foliage and it occurs worldwide wherever tomatoes are grown. This disease can destroy most of a plant s foliage resulting in sunscald, failure of fruit to mature properly, and low yields. Once infections begin, (Continued on page 4) W E E K L Y U P D A T E

4 V O L U M E 4, I S S U E 1 9 P A G E 4 (Continued from page 3) they can spread rapidly from lower to upper tomato canopy. Symptoms consist of circular tan to grey lesions with a dark brown margin that appear on lower leaves first, after the first fruit set. If conditions are favorable, lesions can enlarge rapidly, form pycnidia (fruiting bodies that look like black specks) and turn infected leaves yellow then brown. With a 10X hand lens, these black specks can be seen in the center of the lesions. These fruiting bodies, plus the generally smaller size of the lesions, and the absence of target-like circular bands within the lesion distinguish this disease from early blight. The fruiting bodies, smaller lesion size, and associated yellow-ing of heavily infected foliage help to distinguish this disease from late blight. Fruit infection is rare, but lesions occur on foliage, stems, petioles, and the calyx. The pathogen overwinters on infected tomato debris or infected solanaceous weed hosts, and can also survive on stakes and other equipment. Seed infection is possible, but rare. Once introduced, Septoria is spread by splashing water, insects, workers, and equipment. Early blight (Alternaria solani). Early blight occurs on the foliage, stem, and fruit of tomato and also occurs world-wide. It first appears as small brown to black lesions on older foliage. The tissue surrounding the initial lesion may become yellow, and when lesions are numerous entire leaves may become chlorotic. As the lesions enlarge, they often develop concentric rings giving them a bull s eye or target-spot appearance. As the disease progresses, plants can become defoliated, reducing both fruit quantity and quality. Fruit can become infected either in the green or ripe stage through the stem attachment. Fruit lesions can become quite large, involve the whole fruit, and have characteristic concentric rings. Infected fruit often drop and losses of 30-50% of immature fruit may occur. On potato, foliar symptoms are quite similar though complete defoliation rarely results. The concentric rings in the lesions are fairly diagnostic for this disease, and help to distinguish it from either late blight or Septoria. Some varieties of tomato with early blight resistance or tolerance are available, however most tomato cultivars are susceptible to Septoria leaf spot. Adequate nitrogen fertility throughout the season can help delay disease development; lower leaves become more susceptible as the nitrogen demand increases with fruit load and older leaves decline in nitrogen. Protectant fungicide sprays at regular intervals will delay onset of the disease. Many of the fungicides that are labeled for the control of late blight will also provide control of early blight and Septoria leaf spot. Both pathogens survive between crops on infected plant debris, soil, and other solanaceous host weeds and can be carried on tomato seed. Early blight can be transmitted in infected potato tubers. Rotate out of tomato crops for at least two years, control susceptible weeds, and incorporate debris after harvest. Reduce the length of time that tomato foliage is wet by us-ing trickle irrigation, wider plant spacing, and staking. Keep workers and equipment out of wet fields where possible. Leaf Mold (Fulvia fulva). This disease occurs in both soil and hydoponic production and is most important in poorly ventilated plastic greenhouses. It can occur in the field but is most common in greenhouses. Symptoms look somewhat like late blight. The high temperatures in the greenhouse make late blight less likely, but growers on hyper-alert for late blight have been concerned. Infections begin on older leaves with yellow areas visible on the upper leaf surface. Corresponding to these, on the underside, are areas of olive-green to grayish-purple fuzzy growth where the fungus is making spores. Leaves turn yellow, then brown. The disease can spread rapidly as spores disperse on air currents, water, insects, and workers. Start with certified disease free seed. Improve air circulation and avoid the formation of water droplets on leaves by watering in the morning. Reduce relative humidity by a combination of heating and venting, especially at night. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization. Remove diseased leaves, place in plastic bag, and destroy. At the end of the crop cycle, remove all plant residue and destroy and disinfest the entire greenhouse. Many fungicides are registered and effective against these diseases. For organic growers, copper hydroxide products are probably the best option for protectant fungicides. - Bess Dicklow, Andy Cavanagh, Ruth Hazzard, University of Massachusetts W E E K L Y U P D A T E

5 V O L U M E 4, I S S U E 1 9 P A G E 5 Partial List of Tomato Fungicides Arranged for Conventional, Organic or Home garden usage (approved for NYS) Prepared by T.A. Zitter, Dept. Plant Pathology and P-MB, Cornell University, Ithaca June I. Conventional grower fungicides (all rated + unless specified) Trade name Common name Grp(s) PHI days LB EB SLS Gray mold, Leaf mold A. Protectant Mode of Action (these three are used alone or as Tank Mix [TM] partner) Bravo Weather Stik or OLP Dithane DF or OLP coppers, many registered Abbrev. TM = tank mix; OLP = other labeled product; PHI = preharvest interval; Groups, if M before I, 3 or 5 implies multisite activity; Systemic* = others Curzate, Forum, phosphorous acids and Tanos. Bacteria (Spck, Spot, Canker) chlorothalonil M5 0 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No mancozeb (mz) M3 5 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No, can be TM with copper copper, type M1 0 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes, consider varies TM with mz B. Translaminar Mode of Action (mainly strobilurins like Quadris fungicide must tank-mix all strobilurins with a protectant fungicide due to resistance to EB present in the state) Quadris Opti azoxystrobin Yes Yes ++ Yes ++ No No No chlorothalonil M5 Quadris Top azoxystrobin + difenoconazole No Yes ++ Yes ++ No Yes No Other Strobilurins, ie. Flint varies + TM protectant 11 + M1, 3, or 5 Can vary Yes Yes Yes TM No No No C. Late Blight Specific Fungicides (Systemic* in bold; TM with protectant for other diseases) Presidio + TM fluopicolide +? 43 +? 2 or? Yes Yes Yes TM No No No TM Revus Top difenoconazole Yes Yes Yes No No No mandipropamid Previcur Flex + propamocarb +? 28 +? 5 Yes Yes Yes TM No No No TM TM Ranman + TM cyazofamid +? 21 +? 0 or Yes Yes Yes TM No No No longer TM Gavel zoxamide Yes Yes Yes TM No No No mancozeb M3 ++ Ridomil Gold Bravo or OLP mefenoxam + chlorothalonil 4 + M5 14 US22 US23 Yes Yes No No No II. Organic grower approved fungicides (all protectants) Champ WG or many OLPs copper hydroxide M1 0 Yes Yes Yes No No Yes III. Home garden fungicides (all protectants) Bonide Copper fungicide or OLP Bonide Fungonil or OLP W E E K L Y U P D A T E basic copper sulfate M1 0 Yes Yes Yes No No Yes chlorothalonil M5 0 Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

6 Last summer a CT grower showed me the small garage that he super-insulated with foam board and was using as a walk-in cooler. To cool the space down to 35 degrees F he was using one or two standard air conditioners (depending upon how hot it was outside) that were controlled by a COOLBot. The COOLBot cycles the conditioner units on and off to avoid freeze-up so that they can cool a room far below the standard 60 degrees that units are pre-programed to shut off at. He said he had saved over $500 per month on his electric bill by switching to this system from his old walk-in cooler compressor, and that was after adding central air to his house at the same time. He was looking forward to saving even more because he would no longer have expensive repair bills for the old compressor. I checked in with him again at the end of the season and the new system worked well all year for him and saved him a small fortune. If you want to find out more about the COOLBot go to or search for the web site under COOLBot. This robot was invented by a NY farmer in his quest for a cheaper way to cool his produce. On his web site he has notes on how to build an inexpensive walk-in cooler, hints on post-harvest vegetable care with temperature requirements for individual crops, COOLBot installation instructions/video, suggestions for air conditioner brands/sizes to match room sizes, and the limitations of what COOlBot can and can t do. The I nstallation is incredibly easy here is his pitch and Lower your electric bill with CoolBot installation instructions The CoolBot turns any brand of off-the-shelf, window-type air conditioning unit (purchased separately) into a turbo-charged cooling machine. With it, you can transform a highly-insulated room into a walk-in cooler, keeping your vegetables fresh and thermostatically controlled cool down to 34 F! CoolBot will not only save you on installation and repair costs, it will also help you save electricity, reducing your operating costs when combined with new Energy Star air conditioning units engineered to much stricter environmental standards than standard walk-in cooler compressors. CoolBot uses new (patent-pending) technology that just became available in Performance varies based on the size of your room and the size of the A/C unit you have. As a guide: Here in Southern New York, a $300 Home Depot 18,000 BTU window A/C unit kept produce in a 7' x 12' insulated room at the 38 F we set it to during the summer with plenty of cooling power to spare. Install any brand of window A/C unit which you've purchased separately. (See the table below for sizing.) We just cut a sloppy hole in the wall of our home-built walk-in cooler with a chain saw, stuffed the A/C unit into the hole, and then used Great Stuff foam sealant to seal up the gaps. Plug the CoolBot into a standard A/C outlet - it uses no more electricity to run than a cell-phone charger, so no special electrical connections are needed. There are three labeled wires coming out of CoolBot: one measures the temperature of the room, just let it hang free. The second wire (labeled frost sensor) you stick into the cooling vent fins of the A/C unit. It holds there on its own, you don't need tape or screws or anything. Attach the third wire to the temperature sensor you see sticking out of the front of your A/C unit. (It's the only thing you'll see attached to the front fins of your A/C unit. Sometimes it's black with a little bulbous end... sometimes white with a little bulbous end... Just wrap the CoolBot wire and the end of that temperature sensor together using a small 1/2 inch by 1 inch piece of aluminum foil to ensure a good thermal connection. There are three buttons on the CoolBot - Set the first one (labelled Room temperature) to your desired temperature (between degrees F). That's really all there is to it! Your should be finished in 2-3 minutes and be seeing results below your a/c units normal capabilities within minutes after that! The time it takes to reach your desired temperature obviously depends... someone in AZ with a starting ambient temperatures of 109 and an un-insulated (109 degree) concrete floor is going to take longer than someone in NY with an ambient temperature of 85 and an insulated floor! If you follow our specifications (below) EVERYONE will be able to reach their desired temperatures (we even have (Continued on page 7)

7 (Continued from page 6) people using CoolBots in Dubai this year! Heat is NOT a problem. No permanent modifcations are made to the a/c units. Room size to a/c size ration for rooms that insulated to industry standard 4" solid styrofoam floor/walls/ceiling and cooling to 35 deg F. Jude Boucher Florists and Convenience stores using glass display doors should call for adjusted sizing recommendations. Dimensions of Cooler Size of A/C Unit 6' x 8' 10,000 BTU 8' x 8' 12,000 BTU 8' x 10' 15,000 BTU 8' x 12' 18,000 BTU 10' x 12' 21,000 BTU 10' x 14' 25,000 BTU If you don t, these little hand held devices may be costing you a lot of money. Are you an employer who provides your employees with a phone for work use and you cover the cost? Or, do you have employees who own their own phone and use it on your time? Either way cell phones used on the job may be costing you more money than you think, especially in time wasted; unproductive time; time you as an employer are paying for. Today s young people were brought up in, and continue to thrive in, a very complex, fast moving world. Generation X, Y and Z ers ( year olds) are all soon to enter, or are already in the workforce. Those young workers born after 1980 (Gen Y) are also referred to as the Net or Millennium Generation. They are very comfortable with technology and the internet is where and how they communicate. The Gen Z workers, born after 1995, have never experience life without the instant gratification of the internet, computers or mobile phones. They are also known as Digital Natives as they are used to instant answers and satisfaction via constant internet access. They are often frustrated if they have to wait for an answer, especially if it due to an old or otherwise slow computer. Today s phones are not just for calling people anymore. Smart phones are 4G internet-capable hand held computer that occasionally make phone calls. In light of this, let s consider some of the statistics that marketing savvy people track. 82% of the adult population owns a cell phone. 52% have over 300 friends on Facebook; the top 10% have over 1,000 friends. 40% visit Facebook more than 10 times per day. 67% access Facebook from their smart phone and 59% reported visiting Facebook during class while they were still in school, so why should we think that this trend would not carry over into their work life? 58% of Gen Y & Z ers say use Twitter all the time. 75% say they upload photos via a mobile device. And then we have text messaging. Does your farm have a cell phone use policy? Texting has now taken over as the number one way young people communicate; most would rather text than call their friends on the phone. 50% of the years olds surveyed send 50 or more text messages a day, that s 1500 texts a month, 33% send 100 a day or over 3,000 a month. 15% report sending over 200 texts each day! Research shows that males send and receive around 30 texts each day while females come in closer to 80 a day. What I find alarming in the workplace is this. 38% of those surveyed said they could not go more than 10 minutes without checking their digital device, 10 minutes is 6 times an hour or nearly 50 times in an 8 hour work day. How is anyone able to get any work done? And what about when your employees who are driving a commercial vehicle? No driver is to be using a handheld phone while operating a motor vehicle. Statistics have shown that dialing a hand-held cell phone while operating a commercial vehicle results in approximately six times more accidents. Driving is defined as operating a vehicle on a highway, even while stopped at a light or held up in traffic. Remind your employees that they should not answer their phone while driving, even if it is a call from the office unless the vehicle is safely pulled off the road and stopped. We have policy manuals that cover our personal appearance, meals and breaks, employee benefits, and our operational policies. If you haven t already done so, maybe it s time to add a page on cell phone use during regular work hours? Make sure you have policies in place to protect your employees from injuring themselves and the company they represent. Written by Chuck Schmitt, Senior Resource Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County, Source: Capital District Growing Trends, Vol. 16 Issue 7 Sources: Latterell, Jeff, Are You Using A Cell Phone While Driving a Commercial Vehicle? The Scoop, Volume 35, Number 6, pg. # 30, June Walter, Ekaterina, Number Crunching: The Top 51 Stats for Generation Y Marketers, Social Media, Part Of The Next Web Family, 2012.

8 Plants show their reactions to stress in various ways. Basil with its lush foliage can suffer from scorching from heat and sun, mostly likely when both conditions occur at the same time that the plants are stressed for water. Under water stress, plants close down the stomates in their leaves which reduces the cooling effect of transpiration. The plants in this photo had no sign of insect damage and no sign of disease, but a whole stage of leaves had this bronzing discoloration making them undesirable to buyers. The newer growth, formed after conditions changed, is looking better. This grower had this problem in both his high tunnel and outside in the field, for at least two years. Both locations receive full sun. Next year this grower can try planting some basil where it will get shade for part of the day, but he will need to be careful to not go to the other extreme of planting where shade is too dense. Providing enough water has been a challenge for everyone this summer. Cathy Heidenrich of the NYS berry program consulted with Juliet Carroll of the IPM program where they had seen similar damage to raspberry leaves, and they contacted Dr. Bronzing on Basil Leaves Berry Update Sample berry foliage NOW for nutrient recommendations Berry foliage should be sampled and evaluated, in conjunction with soil samples, to determine fertilizer needs after the berry planting is established. To do this, follow the directions below: Strawberries: Collect 30 leaflets after renovation in July or August. Raspberries/Blackberries: Collect 30 newly expanded leaflets from primocanes in early August. Blueberries: Collect 30 newly expanded leaves from well-exposed branches in late July or early August. Currants and Gooseberries: Collect 30 newly expanded leaves from well-exposed branches in late July or early August. Cranberries: Collect upright tips only (no more than top 2 of growth), mixing flowering and vegetative uprights for about 1 cup material between mid-august and mid-september. Wash dirt off collected tissue, blot off excess water, place tissue in a paper bag, allow tissue to air dry and then send to: Agro-One, 730 Warren Rd., Ithaca, NY Blueberries often have 2 flushes of growth during season. Leaves for analysis should be fully expanded new growth from 1st flush, not second. Foliar analysis in new blueberry plantings may be beneficial but sometimes produce rather erratic results. This is attributed to the need for 4-5 years to Alan Lakso, plant physiologist, who said this: During drought and high temperatures, plants often cannot keep up with cooling via transpiration because of stomatal closure and the leaf tissue essentially cooks. We see something similar in grape leaves. The center of a leaf usually gets hotter as a boundary layer of still air forms, with less along the edges. So burning in the center of the leaf occurs first. pass after planting for plants to settle down and juvenile growth spurts to be over. Age usually calculated from when plants go in the ground; transplant age not necessarily included in calculation in this respect (i.e. 3 year old transplants, planted 3 years probably still in juvenile growth spurt.) With fall raspberries, sampling timing maybe a little tricky; and it is good to have soil analysis to compliment it. For example foliar analysis in an early fruiting year showed low Potassium; soil levels were adequate. The probable explanation fruit acting as a sink for foliar potassium. LGM

9 V O L U M E 4, I S S U E 1 9 Site Trap Catches for the week of August 1st Weekly and Seasonal Weather Information Growing Degree Information Base 50 O F Weekly Total 7/25 7/31/12 Season Total 3/1-7/31/2012 Upcoming Meetings and Notices Rainfall Accumulations P A G E 9 August 14th, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Summer Twilight Meeting at John Altobelli s. Join the team for our second twilight meeting of the season. We will be joined by Dr. Andrew Landers, who will discuss sprayers, nozzles, and application issues. We ll also have a general overview of pests and diseases we are seeing in the field, and will tour a tomato variety trial being hosted by John. Beginning Farmers: Join us at 5pm for a beginner s guide to sprayer information. This topic will be tuned towards hand sprayers, and will be applicable for both organic and conventional growers. Meet the other beginning farmers and bring your questions! If you have questions please contact Crystal at or cls263@cornell.edu. Location ECB-E ECB-Z Corn Earworm Fall Armyworm W. Bean Cutworm N. Washington C. Washington N. Rensselaer Albany C. Fulton N. Columbia W. Montgomery Saratoga Schoharie Total 3/1 7/31/ Weekly Rainfall 7/25 7/31/12 (inches) 2012 Season Rainfall 3/1 7/31 (inches) 2011 Total Rainfall 3/1 7/31 (inches) Albany Bennington, VT Clifton Park Glens Falls Guilderland Granville Hudson Websites of Interest Diagnose pest and disease problems using color pictures: Cornell Guidelines for fruit and vegetables: htt p:// Cucurbit Downy Mildew forecast: USDA Fruit and Vegetable Market News: Organic Prices: or Cornell Cooperative Extension and the staff assume no liability for the effectiveness of results of any chemicals for pesticide use No endorsement of any products is made or implied. Every effort has been made to provide correct, complete, and current pesticide recommendations. Nevertheless, changes in pesticide regulations occur constantly and human errors are still possible. These recommendations are not substitutes for pesticide labeling. Please read the label before applying any pesticide. Where trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.