curculio progress

How are we doing with curculio strategies? I am quite happy with the results of a limited Surround plan integrated with biological kill strategies. Specifically, this means full-rate Surround where this pest first shows up immediately after bloom ends. For me, that's essentially the American-Asian hybrid plums. the pie cherries, and the pears. All these fruits bloom prior to apple and thus have a jump start on fruit set. Curculio notices, and thus that first clay spray weakens the beast. The next week I combine Surround with Entrust (spinosad) as this kills approximately 50% of curculio plus apple sawfly in the second instar stage. This goes on first round trees and all nearby apples. The next week I alternate the plan with Venerate, a fermented biology product which lists curculio on its label, on all those same trees plus bearing apples further out. Still using Surround as well, just because the clay is totally irritating to these persistent weevils. The results are totally satisfactory for me in this place in this belated 2019 season as we enter July.

Here's what cool. If you now post what you have done and the subjective results of such . . . we continue to learn more about one of our most challenging pests. Some of you are possibly frustrated as hell. Share that. There's admittedly less pressure from plum curculio in northern New Hampshire but I have apple curculio to make up the difference. Genuine sharing is the key to growers learning more, whatever the bioregion. And that's how we collectively gain through a shared knowledge base by means of the direct experience of each and every one of us.

Lost Nation Orchard
Zone 4b in New Hampshire



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2019 06:27AM by Michael Phillips.