Working with your beekeepers for optimal pollination for fruit production
Zachary Huang and Walt Pett, Entomology

The decline of honey bees, a national trend March 18, 2008 -- Despite the importance of honey bees, the beekeeping industry has been in decline since two parasitic mites, varroa (Varroa descructor) and tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi), invaded the United States in the 1980s. Varroa mites have nearly wiped out the feral (unmanaged) honey bee population in the United States (Kraus and Page, 1995) and managed honey bee colonies have been declining mainly due to more complicated management because of the mites. For example, in Michigan alone, the total number of honey producing colonies has decreased from 95,000 in 1988 to 65,000 in 2006. This is almost one third of managed bee colonies during the last 16 years. About 30,000 of these colonies are “migratory,” whereby beekeepers move their bees to southern states (e.g. Florida, Georgia) to overwinter their colonies, and come back in April for fruit tree pollination. Varroa mites continue to be the major threat to our honey bees. The MSU apiary lost 34 out of 41 colonies, when bees were checked March 3, 2008. These high mortalities were most likely due to high mite populations late last year.

A honey bee works on a cherry blossom at the Northwest Michigan Michigan Horticultural Research Station.

Different strategies for different crops
Use the “early” strategy for tree fruits. For tree fruit crops, it is advantageous to have bees working the flowers as soon as they open. This provides multiple benefits. It improves the odds that fertilization will occur before the ovules start to lose vigor (this can happen in only three days on some crops). Flowers are more likely to receive the multiple visits needed to deposit enough pollen. In many crops, it is important to pollinate the first flowers (cherry) or “king blossoms” (apple) because they set the best fruits. 

Use the “late” strategy for small fruit crops
Generally, flowers of small fruit crops are less attractive to honeybees than other flowers due to flower shape and less nectar, so the opposite strategy is used. Let the crop start to bloom before bringing bees in so that bees tend to forage more on your crop. If brought in too early, bees will learn to forage elsewhere and when crops bloom, they are not attractive enough to get the bees "back" to where you want them. Blueberry flowers have about three days to be pollinated after the flowers open, but you want the bees to stay in the field, so move bees into blueberry fields after 5 percent bloom but before 25 percent percent of full bloom. The "late" strategy is especially important for cranberries, which are not very attractive to bees. Luckily, cranberry flowers will stay open for a while if not pollinated, and the petals will turn to a rosy color if not pollinated in time. In cranberries, it is better to wait until 10 percent bloom in order to maximize the yield. If you see too many flowers turning rosy, this means you did not have enough pollinators, so make sure you increase the number of bee hives next year.

Hive density recommendations
Because Varroa mites had wiped most of our feral (unmanaged) honey bee populations, recommended rates for pollination prior to 1987 have to be increased to compensate the lack of “free” honey bees. The accompanying table lists recommended rates for hive density. From an economic point of view, it is best to start with the highest number of hives you can afford, then cautiously reducing it the following year to see if your yield is affected. An alternative method is to place different densities of honey bee colonies in separate orchards and determine if there is a difference in yield.

Table 1. Recommended density of honey bee colonies (per acre) for Michigan crops

Internet resources
Honey bees as pollinators: http://cyberbee.net/column/pollinator/beepoll.pdf
Bumble bees as pollinators: http://cyberbee.net/column/pollinator/bumblepoll.pdf
Pollination and pesticides http://cyberbee.net/column/pollinator/pesticides.pdf

Dormant sprays for disease control
Mark Longstroth, District Extension Fruit Educator

March 18, 2008 -- Dormant sprays of lime sulfur, Bordeaux mixture (copper and lime) and heavy dormant oils used to be an important part of fruit culture. With the rise of synthetic pesticides, dormant sprays became less common. More growers are using these sprays to reduce pesticide costs, target problem diseases or because they are accepted organic sprays.

Lime sulfur is not lime and sulfur, but calcium polysulfide. It is a caustic material and after application this compound breaks down, releasing sulfur and burning exposed tissues. This burning action is very effective against diseases that overwinter on the host. The list of diseases controlled by these treatments is very comprehensive and growers should remember that this list dates from the days when there were no other treatments for these diseases. Lime sulfur is also effective against many insect pests that overwinter on the plant.

Lime sulfur is registered for use on most fruits, but is most commonly used on small fruit. Lime sulfur is used on brambles to control anthracnose, spur blight, and cane blight. In blueberries, the diseases controlled include anthracnose and phomopsis. Annemiek Schilder of MSU Plant Pathology, has done research in grapes showing that lime sulfur is effective against black rot, powdery mildew and phomopsis. Lime sulfur is also used in apples and pears to reduce scab and in peaches to control peach leaf curl.

Copper sprays especially Bordeaux (copper sulfate with lime as a safer) are commonly used on tree fruit. Bordeaux mixtures are described by the ratio of copper sulfate to lime in 100 gallons of water. For example, an 8-8-100 Bordeaux is 8 pounds of copper sulfate, 8 pounds of hydrated spray lime in 100 gallons of water. The lime is added to the copper to reduce the phytotoxicity of the copper. Plants differ in their tolerance to copper. Spray oil is often used as a sticker spreader in the dormant sprays. After bud break when the green tissue is exposed, the copper rate is reduced to ratios such as 4-4-100 or 2-6-100, increasing the relative lime amount, as more and more green tissue is exposed.

Copper is a common material for dormant sprays in peaches, cherries, apples and pears. Copper sprayed on the trees will be redistributed during subsequent rains and the high copper levels reduce the amount of bacteria growing on the trees. This is the main reason it is used on stone and pome fruit. Using high copper rates in early sprays reduces the need for additional sprays. Some growers will put on a single large application early, while others will use several sprays at a lower rate.

Copper is used on cherries to reduce bacterial canker. Sweet cherries are very sensitive to copper and dormant applications reduce the risk of injury to the host. Once green tissue appears in sweet cherries, we do not recommend the use of copper. Tart cherries are quite tolerant of copper and it is used as a control for cherry leaf spot during the growing season.

Copper is used in apples and pears to reduce the inoculum for fire blight and often as a green tip spray to control scab. Higher rates of copper can be used before the green tissue appears, but these sprays have little effect on scab infection periods that need exposed green tissue for infection. Copper is believed to provide some protection against fire blight. The fire blight bacteria over winters inside the tree and the copper has no effect on this population, but as spring progresses and fire blight cankers begin to ooze, the bacteria on the outside of the tree is exposed to the copper residue reducing bacteria population. Copper sprayed on the exposed flowers in the expanding flower buds can cause russeting of the fruit so rates are reduced as the buds open and copper is not recommended after tight cluster.

Peach leaf curl is a sporadic peach disease in Michigan. This disease of peaches and nectarines can defoliate trees. Infections take place in the early spring as the buds open. The fungus infects peach buds from bud swell to bud opening under wet conditions. Copper is a very effective material against this disease and has the benefit of suppressing bacterial spot as well.

Effect of water pH on the stability of pesticides
Annemiek Schilder, Plant Pathology

March 18, 2008 -- Most pesticides are sold in concentrated form and have to be dissolved or suspended in water before they can be applied to crops. This water can come from various sources, such as wells, ponds, rivers, or municipal water supplies. Water naturally varies in the amount of dissolved minerals, organic matter and pH, depending on its source. The pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water, which refers to the number of hydrogen (H+) and hydroxyl (OH¯) ions in a solution. The scale for measuring pH runs from zero to 14. The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution, while a higher pH indicates that the solution is more alkaline. Water at pH 7 is neutral, meaning there are an equal number of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the solution. Many areas in Michigan have alkaline water with high mineral/iron content. In addition, the pH of water from natural sources can vary throughout the season.

The pH of water can negatively affect the stability of some pesticides. Under alkaline conditions, alkaline hydrolysis occurs which degrades the pesticide to non-toxic (inactive) forms. In general, insecticides (particularly organophosphates and carbamates) are more susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis than are fungicides, herbicides or growth regulators. The end result is less active ingredient applied and poor pesticide performance. The degradation of a pesticide can be measured in terms of its half life. For example, if a product has a half life of one hour, the amount of active ingredient is reduced to 50 percent in one hour, to 25 percent in the next hour, to 12.5 percent in the next hour, etc. Eventually, the pesticide becomes virtually ineffective. The effect of pH on pesticides varies from product to product and is also moderated by buffering solutions contained in the pesticide formulation. Tank-mixing multiple pesticides can modify the pH of the tank-mix.

The accompanying table (view pdf file) shows the half life of a number of pesticide products as well as the optimum pH (where known). As you can see from the table, most pesticides are most stable when the spray solution is at a pH of about five. As many water sources are more alkaline than this, it may be necessary to adjust the pH of the spray solution. Do not attempt to acidify solutions containing copper-based fungicides, since copper becomes more soluble at a lower pH and may become phytotoxic to crops. In addition, phosphorous acid and other acid-based fungicides should not be acidified since they already have a low pH and lowering it could cause phytotoxicity. On the other hand, acidifying carbonate salt fungicides, such as Armicarb, may render them ineffective.

**The half-life is the period of time it takes for one half of the amount of pesticide in the water to degrade. Other factors than the pH can affect the rate of hydrolysis, including temperature, solubility, concentration, type of agitation, humidity, and other pesticides and adjuvants in the mixture.

Check the pH of the water used for spraying pesticides frequently throughout the season. If you know that your water has a pH of 7.5 or greater, consider lowering the pH, especially if you are applying a pesticide that is sensitive to high pH. The fastest way to determine the pH level of water is to test it with a pH meter or test paper. Paper test strips are the least expensive; however, they can be unreliable and can vary by as much as two pH points. A pH meter will provide the most reliable and consistent readings. Meters are available commercially for $50 to $400.

Adjust the water pH by using a commercially available acidifying/buffering agent before adding the pesticide. Buffering agents, such as Buffercide, Buffer-X, Unifilm B, and LI 700 Acidiphactant, will stabilize a spray solution at a predetermined pH and keep it at that level. Read and closely follow the directions on the label of the buffering agent and make sure that the solution is stirred well before taking a pH measurement. While a pH of five may be optimal, a pH of six is usually satisfactory for many pesticides, especially if they will be sprayed out immediately after mixing. Some buffering agents such as pHase5 or PHT indicate five will have a color indicator when the correct pH is achieved. Growers can add this product into the water until it reaches the color that indicates a given pH. For example, five = pink or red; six = orange; etc. Granulated food grade citric acid may be the most convenient and inexpensive acidifying material and is available in 50-pound bags from suppliers that handle food grade chemicals. Two ounces per 100 gallons has been shown to reduce the pH of tap water from 8.3 to 5.4.

When tank mixing multiple pesticides or foliar fertilizers, check the pH after the products have been thoroughly mixed and adjust the pH as needed. Not all pesticides react the same to the pH of the spray water solution and some products should not be used with buffering agents. Always read pesticide labels for any precautions with respect to pH and potential product incompatibility issues. Apply pesticides soon after mixing and avoid leaving pesticide tank mixes in the spray tank overnight.

Fungicide label update for small fruit crops in 2008
Annemiek Schilder, Plant Pathology

March 18, 2008 -- There have been several new fungicides that have been labeled for small fruit crops and some changes to existing labels. This article provides an update on these changes.

Adament (tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin) is a new fungicide product for grapes, cherries, peaches and nectarines. However, it is a pre-mix of two fungicides we already know, namely Elite and Flint and has a broader spectrum of disease control than either alone. Adament is effective against cherry leaf spot, brown rot, and powdery mildew on cherries, and powdery mildew in grapes. It has been moderately effective against Botrytis bunch rot. Adament is rainfast when dry, generally within two hours, and is best used as a protectant. Do not apply this product on ‘Concord’ grapes, as crop injury may result. Do not make more than two consecutive applications or a total of six (grapes) and four (stone fruit) applications per season. Adament may not be available in large quantities yet in 2008.

Gavel (mancozeb and zoxamide) is a broad-spectrum protectant fungicide with a supplemental label for grapes for control of downy mildew, bunch rot, and dead arm (this is an old term for a disease complex now known as Eutypa dieback and Phomopsis) in grapes. Addition of an agricultural surfactant will improve fungicide performance. Do not make more than eight applications per acre per season. Consider Gavel and all other EBDC fungicides in observing the maximum seasonal use rate recommendations for mancozeb. Gavel was effective against downy mildew in fungicide efficacy trials in grapes in Michigan, but its use is limited later in the season because of the 66-day pre-harvest interval.

Indar (fenbuconazole) is a systemic fungicide that received a full registration for use in blueberries in 2007 and also has a supplemental label for disease control in cranberries. Indar was already labeled for use in stone fruit. It is available in two formulations: Indar 75WSP (water soluble packets) and Indar 2F (flowable). They have the same active ingredient and are for all practical purposes the same. Indar has repeatedly shown good efficacy against mummy berry and Phomopsis canker and twig blight in blueberries. The application rate for Indar 75WSP is 2 oz per acre; a maximum of four applications (8 oz) may be made per season. The application rate for Indar 2F is 6 fl oz per acre; a maximum of four applications (24 fl oz) may be made per season. Apply Indar in a minimum water volume of 10 gal/acre, if applied aerially, and 20 gal/acre if applied by ground. The pre-harvest interval is 30 days. Since Indar is the least systemic of the sterol inhibitor fungicides, a non-polymer containing spray adjuvant may be added to spray solutions according to the manufacturers use instructions to improve disease control by aiding penetration of Indar into the plant tissue.

Orbit (propiconazole) is a systemic sterol inhibitor fungicide labeled for use in blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries and cranberries. It is also labeled for stonefruit. It has protectant and curative activity. Orbit is a broad-spectrum material that is effective against mummy berry, rusts, powdery mildew, leaf spot, etc. We have found that Orbit is as effective as Indar against the shoot infection phase of mummy berry, but not as effective against the fruit infection phase. The PHI of Orbit is 30 days.

Orius (tebuconazole) is a systemic sterol inhibitor fungicide labeled for use against powdery mildew and black rot in grapes. Orius is similar to Elite and is expected to have similar efficacy. It is available in several formulations and may be less expensive than Elite. The PHI is 14 days.

Rally (myclobutanil): Effective immediately, Dow AgroSciences will discontinue Nova 40WP and replace it with Rally 40WSP. It's the exact same formulation and has the same EPA registration number, just a different name. Dow AgroSciences is consolidating labels and product. Rather than having two products, Nova 40WP and Rally 40WSP, we will have only one, Rally 40WSP. So for all of us on the East Coast, rather than having 4-5 oz packets per over pack there will be 5-4 oz packets in an over pack.

Revus (mandipropamid) is a new fungicide from Syngenta for control of downy mildew of grapes and will be evaluated for efficacy in 2008 (We currently have no experience with this product.). It is in the carboxylic acid amide fungicide group. Revus is a protectant fungicide for which thorough coverage is important. The addition of a spreading/penetrating adjuvant such as a non-ionic based surfactant or crop oil concentrate or blend is recommended. The PHI is 14 days.

Sonata (Bacillus pumilis QST 2808) is a protectant biofungicide that is OMRI listed and therefore can be used in organic production. Sonata is labeled for use on grapes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and currants. The label lists control of leaf rust and powdery mildew in berry crops, and powdery mildew in strawberries and grapes. Sonata has a zero-day pre-harvest interval and a four-hour re-entry interval. Sonata has been moderately effective against powdery mildew, downy mildew and Phomopsis in grape trials in Michigan. Adding a non-phytotoxic spray adjuvant, such as Biotune, can improve coverage and control. If disease pressure is high, alternate or tank mix this product with other effective fungicides. Further testing is needed to determine its utility for disease control in small fruit crops in Michigan.

Other new or newer products that are available, but have not been evaluated for disease control efficacy on small fruit crops in Michigan are Sporan (rosemary oil, clove oil, thyme oil, wintergreen oil, lecithin, butyl lactate) which is a broad-spectrum protectant fungicide for use in apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries. Sporan is OMRI listed so it can be used in organic production. Sporan has no re-entry interval and a zero-day pre-harvest interval. Another OMRI-listed product is Trilogy (clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil) a plant extract. Trilogy is contact/protectant fungicide, miticide and insecticide. Trilogy is labeled for use on apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants and cranberries.

2008 fruit insecticide registration update
John Wise, Rufus Isaacs and Larry Gut, Entomology

March 18, 2008 -- This is a summary of insecticide/miticide label new additions and corrections to the 2008 MSU Fruit Management Guide. Agri-chemical labels and regulations can change quickly so use this information within the context of each compound's actual label. (View pdf file of table with label changes and restrictions)

Assail (60)* (acetamiprid) belongs to a new class of insecticides called neonicotinoids (chloronicotinyl subclass). Assail is registered for use in pome and stone fruits, targeting aphids, leafhoppers, leafminers, psylla, plum curculio, apple maggot, oriental fruit moth, and codling moth. Assail is labeled on grapes for control of leafhoppers and aphids, rose chafer, phylloxera, and Japanese beetle. Assail is labeled for use on strawberries, blueberries and caneberries for leafhoppers, aphids, sap beetle, blueberry maggot, fruitworms and Japanese beetle. This translaminar (locally systemic) material has long residual inside the plant. Because most of Assail's surface residue is quickly absorbed into the plant, negative impact on natural enemies is minimized.

Delegate (85)* (spinetoram) is a new compound in the Spinosyn insecticide class registered on apples, pears, grapes, caneberries, blueberries, cranberries, and stone fruits for control of leafrollers, codling moth, oriental fruit moth, fruit worms, grape berry moth, fruit flies, and thrips. The active ingredient of spinetoram, containing spinosyns J & L, is a waste metabolite produced during the growth of a bacteria. The primary route of entry into the target insects is through ingestion, although the product is also absorbed through the cuticle. Delegate provides up to 14 days of residual control, depending on the target pest, but good coverage will increase consistency of crop protection. Delegate should be applied no more than six times per season (four times per season for pome and stone fruits). Delegate has shown good safety to many beneficials, but is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds.

Guthion (8)* (azinphos-methyl) is no longer labeled for use on peaches, nectarines, plums, caneberries and cranberries. Guthion is still registered for use in apples, pears, cherries, and blueberries with some use restrictions. The maximum yearly amount of Guthion 50 WP to be applied has been reduced to 6 lbs on apples, 6 lbs on pears, 2.5 lbs on blueberries, and 3 lbs on cherries. The Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI) for apple and pear use is 14 days, with a 21-day PHI if the last application is greater than 2 lbs of Guthion 50 WP per acre. Additionally, growers must observe a 60-foot buffer from permanent bodies of water and occupied dwellings (not including farm buildings and barns), and Pick-Your-Own apple growers must observe a pre-harvest interval of 44 days when applying between 2.02 lbs per acre and 3 lbs per acre of formulated product, 39 days when applying 1.2 lbs per acre and 2 lbs per acre of formulated product and 33 days when applying 1.2 lbs per acre or less.

Imidan (9)* (phosmet) is an organophosphate chemical with a low toxicity to mammals, comparable to Sevin. It is formulated as a 70 percent wettable powder for pre-bloom and post-bloom applications on apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, prunes, blueberries, cranberries, grapes and apricots. It is phytotoxic on sweet cherries. It provides good broad-spectrum control of many fruit pests in Michigan. It will not control organophosphate resistant strains of white apple leafhopper, spotted tentiform leafminer and obliquebanded leafroller and codling moth, which are increasingly common in Michigan. To prevent premature product breakdown from alkaline hydrolysis, spray-tank water should be buffered to a pH of 5.0 – 5.5. The maximum yearly amount of Imidan 70 WP to be applied is 30 lbs on apples, 16 lbs on pears, 17 lbs on peaches, 13 lbs on plums/prunes, 6.5 lbs on grapes, 7 1/8 lbs (5 apps) on blueberries, 15.6 lb on cranberries, and 7.5 lbs on tart cherries. New labeled product REI of 3 days for apple, pear and cherry, 5 days for peach and nectarine, 14 days for grape, and 24 hr for blueberry.

Intrepid (50)* (methoxyfenozide) is an insect growth regulator in the diacylhydrazine class of insecticides registered for use on pome and stone fruits, grapes, and bushberries (including blueberry) for the control of lepidopterous insect pests such as the obliquebanded leafroller, codling moth, oriental fruit moth, fruitworms, spotted tentiform leafminer, grape berry moth, and tufted apple budmoth. This compound works by mimicking the action of the natural insect hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone, the physiological inducer of the molting and metamorphosis process in insects. It must be ingested by the larvae and may take several days to cause mortality. The addition of an agricultural adjuvant (such as Latron B-1956) to Intrepid 2 F is recommended to improve spray deposition.

Mustang Max (86)* (zeta-cypermethrin) is a pyrethroid insecticide registered for use on grapes, blueberries, caneberries, pome and stone fruits for the control of many insect pests, including cutworms, plant bugs, leafhoppers, leafrollers, fruitworms, beetles, and fruit flies. This material is highly toxic to bees and is disruptive to natural enemies. Do not apply more than 24 fl oz of Mustang Max 0.8EC per acre pre season.

Platinum (77)* (thiamethoxam) is a soil-applied insecticide that belongs to a new class of insecticides called neonicotinoids (thianicotinyl subclass). Platinum is registered for use in blueberries, grapes and strawberries targeting aphids, phylloxera, Japanese beetles, and leafhoppers. This product should be applied to moist soil in the root zone, and then followed with 0.5-1 inch of water to be properly translocated into the plant. Being a systemic material, it has long residual inside the plant and is particularly effective on piercing/sucking insect pests with minimal negative impact on natural enemies. Platinum 2 SC is restricted to one application per season.

Radiant SC (87) (spinetoram) is the formulation of the new Spinosyn insecticide class registered in strawberries for leafrollers, armyworms and thrips. The active ingredient of spinetoram, containing spinosyns J & L, is a waste metabolite produced during the growth of a bacteria. The primary route of entry into the target insects is through ingestion, although the product is also absorbed through the cuticle. Radiant provides up to 14 days of residual control, depending on the target pest, but good coverage will increase consistency of crop protection. Radiant should be applied no more than five times per season or a total of 39 fl oz. Radiant has shown good safety to many beneficials, but is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds.

*MSU Fruit Management Guide E-154 product numbers in parenthesizes.

March 18, 2008 -- Spring frosts are a worry for fruit growers. Radiation frosts occur when clear calm conditions during the night allow the ground to cool by radiation to the sky. The cool soil chills the air above it lowering the air temperature. Soils have a large heat capacity, so they can capture and store considerable heat during sunny days. This heat can maintain warmer air temperatures during cold nights. Cover crops insulate the soil surface from the sun reducing heat storage. Taller unmowed cover crops also raise the effective ground level, increasing the height of the cold air layer so higher flower buds may be injured where there is a tall stand of grass or weeds.

Growers can use cultivation to increase soil temperatures during radiation frosts. Cover crops serve many valuable functions in fruit plantings such as reducing or preventing soil erosion and reducing soil compaction from vehicle traffic over wet soils. Cover crops also shade the soil resulting in cooler soils during radiation frosts. Keeping the soil surface clean of vegetation allows it to absorb more heat during the day.

Cultivation should be done as early as possible to allow the cultivated soils to settle. The condition of the soil is important in determining the amount of heat it is able to store during the day and release at night. Wet or moist soils have a higher heat capacity than dry soils. Packed soils are able to absorb more heat than recently cultivated soils. This means that clean, moist, and packed soil surfaces will absorb more radiant energy during the day, and protect from frost by releasing this heat during the night. In general, unmowed cover crops are cooler than mowed covers, which are cooler than loose cultivated soils. Packed bare soils are warmer than loose soils and wet soils are the warmest of all.

Moist packed soils can be as much as five degrees warmer than unmowed cover crops during radiation frosts. It is unlikely that such high increases in temperature are common, but I have seen noticeable differences in fruit set between orchards that were cultivated as opposed to those nearby where nothing was done to the cover crop. Cultivation is not for everyone, especially where the fruit planting is on uneven ground where soil erosion is a concern. Cultivation is more suited to flatter plantings where drainage or cold air out of the planting is not a major factor in the orchard.

U.S. agricultural labor statistics for winter 2008
Vera Bitsch, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist

March 18, 2008 -- Each quarter, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases farm labor statistics for the national level, broken down by regions. This article is based on the NASS release of February 15, 2008, and the data describe the situation during the week of January 6-12, 2008. While the data is considered reliable at the national level, data of individual regions often have a higher margin of error. In a time when agricultural employers are looking for benchmarks to base their decisions on, this is the most current and comprehensive data available. For more details, the complete release is available at the NASS website (www.usda.gov/nass/). Select “Publications” and then “Reports Calendar” or “Publications” and then “Search,” by “Title” or “Subject” (Farm Labor).

Due to budget constraints, the January 2007 Farm Labor Survey was not conducted. Therefore, comparisons to the previous year are not available in this report. Comparisons to 2006 are provided where appropriate.

During the survey week, the total number of hired workers is estimated at 778,000 individuals; that’s down from 794,000 individuals in 2006. In the reference week, 599,000 individuals were hired directly by farm operators. The average number of hours worked stood at 38.4, similar to 2006 with 38.2 hours.

The average wage rate was $10.77 per hour, compared to $10.10 two years ago. Field workers received $9.64, compared to $9.11 two years ago. Livestock workers earned $10.19, compared to $9.26 two years ago. Last October’s wage rate for livestock workers has been revised to $10.02 and the overall wage rate to $10.38 per hour. These wage rates do not include the value of benefits.

Hired workers include anyone, other than an agricultural service worker, who was paid for at least one hour of agricultural work on a farm or ranch. Worker subgroups, depending on what the employee was primarily hired to do, are field workers, livestock workers, supervisors and other workers (e.g., bookkeepers and pilots).

Field workers are employees engaged in planting, tending and harvesting crops, including operation of farm machinery on crop farms.
Livestock workers are employees tending livestock, milking cows or caring for poultry, including operation of farm machinery on livestock or poultry operations.

Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin make up the Lake region. For the three states, the number of hours worked stood at 33.1 hours during the survey week, compared to 37.8 hours two years ago. The total number of workers, excluding agricultural service workers, is estimated at 40,000 individuals. The average wage rate for all hired workers, including supervisors and other workers was $11.72 per hour, which is second only to Hawaii with $13.04. Two years ago the average wage in the Lake region was $10.73 per hour. In this year’s reference week, field workers earned $10.93 and livestock workers earned $10.67 per hour.

In addition to analyzing wage rates by type of worker, NASS provides wage data by type of farm with slightly different results. These data combine field workers and livestock workers, but exclude the other, typically higher paid, subgroups. The average hourly wage rates in 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, during this January were $9.87 overall, $9.79 for field crops, $9.68 for other crops, and $10.09 for livestock and poultry. Two years ago those rates were $9.19, $9.39, $8.90, and $9.50, respectively.

This January’s survey week, the hourly wage rates in the Lake region were $10.75 for all farms, $8.81 for field crops, $11.75 for other crops, and $10.47 for livestock and poultry farms ­excluding supervisors and other workers. On average, the Lake region was paying the third highest wages of all regions (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) overall during the survey week. Higher wages were paid in the Northern Plains (Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota) with $11.15 and in the Cornbelt (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio) with $10.88. Wages were highest for other crop farms in the Lake region. Two years ago the wages in the Lake region were $9.69 for all farms, $9.42 for livestock and poultry farms, and $10.53 for other crops farms. For statistical reasons, crop farm wages were not available in 2006.

Other crops are farms producing vegetables, melons, berry crops, grapes, tree nuts, citrus fruits, deciduous trees fruits, avocados, dates, figs, olives, nursery, or greenhouse crops.

Contact Dr. Bitsch at mbitsch@msu.edu or visit her website at http://www.msu.edu/user/bitsch

March 18, 2008 -- The Monday Fruit IPM update meetings will be at Annette and Randy Bjorge’s Fruit Acres in Berrien County again this year. The weekly meetings will begin on April 7 and run until July 10. There will be no Monday meetings on Memorial Day, May 26. The meeting will run from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. Each meeting will be a review of the current fruit pest situation in Berrien County with displays of insects and fruit collected that day from area fruit plantings. Bill Shane, Greg Vlaming and Mark Longstroth will share the results of their scouting and discuss current and upcoming pest events and emergences. Each week will change with changing pest complex.

The meeting dates are April 7, 14, 21, 28; May 6, 12, 19; June 2, 9, 16, 23; July 7, 21; August 4,18. One RUP credit is available for private pesticide applicators and commercial with a fruit certification (1C).

Regional reports
1 -- Southwest
Mark Longstroth, Bill Shane, Greg Vlaming

Weather
The beginning of the winter was snowy, but lows were seldom much below 20°F. Several mid-winter thaws melted the early snow in January. A cold snap occurred in late January with lows around zero. February was cold and snowy. Temperatures were close to zero several times in the last three weeks of February. This may have caused little damage to fruit buds. Conditions look very good in the region. The snow has melted off in open areas, but in other areas snow remains and lows have generally been below freezing. Many lakes still have ice. Soil moisture is good. The ground recently thawed, so the surface is no longer muddy except where the water table is high. Growing degree day (GDD) accumulations are low for this time of year. We have just started to warm up with highs above freezing each day. We are about average with the last 10 years in growing degree days. We are behind the development of the last ten years. Cool weather continues to slow development. The accompanying GDD table shows accumulations from January 1 and March 1 to demonstrate the difference. From now on, we will only report GDD from March 1, or April 1 in grapes.

Tree fruit
Tree fruits show little movement. Growers have reported some movement in apricots and Japanese plums in the extreme south. Growers still have the opportunity to apply dormant sprays to reduce overwintering disease inoculum.

Small fruit
Small fruit are still dormant. Now is the window for lime sulfur applications in blueberries, grapes and brambles to suppress diseases that overwinter on the plant.

Miscellaneous
The first Monday Fruit Update meeting will be, Monday April 7, at the Fruit Acres Farm in Berrien County.

2 -- Southeast
Bob Tritten

Weather
Most of the winter has been relatively mild across eastern Michigan, with the exception of a sudden cold event that occurred in late January. Our current degree day accumulations are more toward the normal, and definitely behind last year’s very early growing season. Our spring temperatures have been cool, and there is still a fair amount of snow in woodlands and ditch banks. Many areas of the region still have patchy frost in the ground.

The only notable weather event was a sudden cold snap that occurred on January 30, 2008. The two prior days had been relatively mild with temperatures in the mid-40’s. On the morning of January 30 at 1:00 AM, the temperature at many reporting stations was 42°F to 44°F. A cold front moved through and rapidly dropped the temperature, such that by 5:30 AM that same morning temperatures were recorded as low as 7°F. Between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM the temperature was dropping well over 10°F an hour. Coupled with this very rapid temperature drop, were sustained winds in the range of 30 to 40 miles per hour, with wind gusts just over 50 miles per hour. This rapid temperature drop of almost 36°F may have done some damage to fruit buds. Time will tell us more as spring proceeds.

Over the last six weeks, I have cut hundreds of fruit buds while on orchard visits and collected many branch samples for forcing from peach, apple and sweet cherry. There was a good bud swell amongst all of the samples that I have collected from across the region. I will say that the dramatic temperature drop, which I described earlier, may not have affected our fruit crop as much as it could have. At this time, it appears that we have a good crop of fruit buds on all of our fruit crops across the region.
Our soil moisture levels appear to be greater than they were last year at this time; obviously we have had a fair amount of precipitation in the form of snow and rain over the winter. Many of our soils went into fall and winter last year in a depleted soil moistures situation. The exception to this was the lower tier of counties in the southeast region that had plenty of moisture in late summer and going into the fall.

I am excited to announce that in the next few weeks a new weather station will be online for southeast Michigan. That weather station is to be located in Romeo. As soon as it is online and functions well, I will make note of it here in my CAT Alert report. Many thanks to the Roy family at Westview Orchards for making a donation for this weather station. There may be another station added near Holly this season as well. Over the last few seasons we added two stations that have helped to broaden the framework of weather collecting data that is available to fruit growers in the region. Visit these stations at Enviro-weather.msu.edu to get more data and forecasts.

Tree fruits
Apple buds are mostly at dormant to some early silvertip in the south. Two pest problems notable last fall that I would like to bring to fruit growers attention include woolly apple aphid populations being high in September and October, and the high incidence of fruit rot by black rot disease being prevalent at many farms across the region. Pruning is moving along well on all tree fruits.

Pear buds show little movement.

Peach buds have swollen slightly. Now is the time to control peach leaf curl as sprays should be applied before buds open.
Sweet and tart cherries are dormant to slightly swollen.

Small fruit
Strawberry growth has not begun.

Raspberries show little to no movement. I am seeing a bit of tip dieback in summer fruiting red and purple raspberries.

Blueberry buds are dormant with little to no movement.

Grapes are dormant with no movement.