Apple Project > IPM Guidelines: Apple

Introduction
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systematic approach to pest management that considers all factors affecting crop health, including plant nutrition, horticultural practices, and all suitable means of pest suppression. IPM programs are based on information obtained by sampling and monitoring, and this information is used to make management decisions. Pest management tactics may include biological, chemical, mechanical, and cultural methods. An IPM program for a given crop will include some essential elements, but some practices will not be appropriate in all situations: designing a farm-specific IPM program requires flexibility.

The Massachusetts IPM Guidelines are a list of best management practices, developed cooperatively by growers, university faculty and extension specialists, and private IPM consultants. Additional input was solicited from commodity associations and participants in IPM verification programs and IPM courses. Practices have been evaluated for their practicality and assigned points based on their importance to IPM and/or their difficulty. The guidelines for most crops have been tested and adjusted through the USDA Farm Service Agency ICM cost-share program and through the Partners with Nature program. While these guidelines represent the best management options currently available, they will evolve as new IPM technologies are developed.

IPM Guidelines can be used in a number of ways: 1.) As a checklist for farmers to evaluate their on-farm pest management programs and identify areas where management can be improved; 2.) To verify and document that IPM is practiced on the farm; 3.) As an educational tool which describes the scope and complexity of IPM to farmers, government officials, community groups and the general public.

Definitions
The followings terms are used in calculating points in the IPM guidelines:

Category or Grand Total Practice Points
Refers to the sum of all possible practice points described within a category or individual crop guideline. For example, if a grower used every practice in the guideline, all points would apply.

Adjusted Category or Grand Total Practice Points
Refers to the sum of all practice points appropriate for the crop, within a category or guideline. Because some practices may not apply to the site being assessed, the points associated with that practice may be deducted from the Total Practice Points. Such practices are marked with an asterisk (*) within each guideline.

Bonus Points
Refers to points associated with practices which are of potential value to an IPM system, and are worthy of trial, but are experimental or require exceptional effort. Point values associated with these practices do not contribute to the Total Practice Points but, if the practice is completed, the points are added when calculating Grand Total Practice Points. Bonus points are labeled as such within the guidelines.

Apple

by William M. Coli, Daniel R. Cooley, Craig S. Hollingsworth, Glen Morin,
Ronald J. Prokopy, Robin Spitko, Arthur Tuttle, Starker Wright.

Soil Nutrient Management and Cultural Practices

1. Trees are pruned during dormancy so that spray penetration and air circulation
   are adequate. 10 pts
2. Summer pruning is done on densely-foliated, vigorous trees. 15 pts
3. Prunings are removed or destroyed such that no residue is present after one year. 5 pts
4. A complete leaf tissue analysis is performed in the current year. 10 pts
5. Fertilizer amendments are applied according to previous year's leaf tissue analysis. 10 pts
6. Orchard renovation (4% of the orchard or greater) includes size-controlling
   rootstocks in the new plantings. 10 pts

Category Total 60 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. Orchard sprayer is calibrated accurately at the start of the season. 10 pts
2. Herbicide sprayer is calibrated accurately at the start of the season. 10 pts
3. Orchard sprayer is recalibrated at mid-season. 10 pts
4. The grower has calculated tree-row volume for each block and applications
   conform to tree-row volume calculations. 20 pts

Category Total 50 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Insect Management

Monitoring

Monitoring should be carried out in a scientifically valid manner. Records should be kept of all monitoring
information collected.

1. Tarnished plant bug adults are monitored by white visual traps 10 pts
2. European apple sawfly is monitored by white visual traps. 10 pts
3. Fruit is monitored for plum curculio injury. 20 pts
4. Foliage is sampled for mites and mite predators. 10 pts
5. Apple maggot is monitored by red sphere traps. 20 pts
6. Leafminers are monitored by red visual traps or foliar monitoring of first
   generation mines. 10 pts
7. Terminal foliage is monitored for aphids and aphid predators. 10 pts
8. Foliage is monitored for leafhoppers. 10 pts
9. Bark of trunk and limbs is monitored for San Jose scale, woolly apple aphid or
   borers, where appropriate. *10 pts
10. Fruit and foliage are monitored for codling moth, fruitworm and leafroller larvae or
    injury, where appropriate. *5 pts
11. Where pear thrips have been noted previously, they are monitored using
    yellow sticky traps or weekly bud counts. *5 pts

Category Total 120 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. Application of insecticides corresponds to pest threshold ranges specified in state
   apple IPM publications. 25 pts
2. One application of dormant oil is applied. 10 pts
3. A second application of dormant oil is applied. 15 pts
4. A border-row application is used in lieu of one or more whole-orchard sprays
   against plum curculio. 10 pts
5. Biological control by naturally occurring predators is used for control of aphids. 10 pts
6. Mite suppression.
   • Mite control materials are used on a rotating basis for resistance
     management. 5 pts
   • Summer oil is used in part as a substitute for other acaricides used to
     suppress mites in early season. 10 pts
   • Biological control by naturally occurring predators is used for control of
     mites: no miticide is applied. 20 pts
7. Synthetic pyrethroids are not applied as they are likely to induce outbreaks of
   mites and woolly aphids. 20 pts
8. A border-row spray is used in lieu of one or more whole-orchard sprays against
   apple maggot. 10 pts
9. Where appropriate, application of pesticides for mites, aphids or apple maggot are
   reduced by one-half of the labeled rate, as defined in the New England Apple Pest
   Management Guide. *10 pts
10. At least one insecticide or miticide application is made by alternate row spraying. 10 pts
11. Orchard is surrounded by odor-baited red sphere traps at a rate of 1 trap
    per 15 ft in lieu of pesticide application against apple maggot. Bonus: 30 pts
12. All abandoned apple trees within 100 yards of the orchard border are removed
    to prevent codling moth immigration. Bonus: 15 pts
13. Efforts are made to establish the mite predator, T. pyri. Bonus: 15 pts

Category Total 140 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Disease Management
Summer pruning of densely foliated, vigorous trees has significant potential for lowering summer disease severity.

1. First fungicide spray is delayed an appropriate time according to ascospore
   development and from previous year's ascospore density and scab incidence. 15 pts
2. For each of the following scab management approaches, the appropriate number
   of fungicide applications per season may vary between 2 and 6 per year, depending
   on conditions.
   • Unless visible infections develop, fungicides for scab management are
     applied only until the end of primary scab season (as defined by ascospore
     maturity and release). 15 pts
   • A combination of tree phenology, ascospore maturity and Mill's infection
     periods are used to guide fungicide application decisions. 10 pts
   • Grower uses a delayed sterol inhibitor fungicide program. 15 pts
3. Trees are monitored for cedar apple rust. Where cedar apple rust is a problem,
   red cedar and juniper within 100 yds surrounding orchard are removed. *5 pts
4. Litter chopping or urea treatment is practiced so as to reduce scab. Bonus: 5 pts
5. Treatments for fire blight follow blight forecast in Healthy Fruit (UMass Pest Alert)
   or other recognized fire blight program. Bonus: 5 pts
6. Calcium chloride is applied at the standard rate in a tank mix with a reduced rate of
   a summer fungicide (calcium chloride has a negative effect on flyspeck development). Bonus: 5 pts
7. Experimental block of disease-resistant trees is planted. Bonus: 10 pts
8. New plantings are located at least 25 yeards away from wooded or shrubby borders,
   or borders are cleared so they are no closer than 25 yeards from existing trees. Bonus: 5 pts

Category Total 35 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Weed Management

1. Herbicides of the same class are not used in successive years. 10 pts
2. Nonchemical weed management techniques (e.g., mowing, mulches) are used. 5 pts
3. Agents toxic to predatory mites are avoided, except spot treatment of noxious
   weeds (e.g., poison ivy, bindweed). 5 pts

 Category Total 20 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Vertebrate Management

1. Where deer pressure is high, soap or appropriate fencing is used. 5 pts
2. A monitoring program for rodents is conducted to determine the need for
   rodenticides. 10 pts
3. Where rodenticides are applied, bait stations, rather than broadcast treatments,
   are used. *5 pts
4. Appropriately positioned scare-eye balloons are used to reduce bird pressure,
   where appropriate. Bonus: 5 pts

Category Total 20 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Weather and Crop Monitoring

1. Grower monitors high and low daily temperatures, and leaf wetness (modified
   hygrothermograph or equivalent). Records are kept on a daily basis. 15 pts
2. Records of the stage of tree development are maintained on a weekly basis. 5 pts

Category Total 20 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Education

1. Manager attends one or more UMass Extension IPM workshops during the current year. 5 pts
2. Manager possesses current New England Apple Pest Management Guide. 5 pts
3. Manager subscribes to UMass Extension newsletter, Healthy Fruit and March Message. 5 pts
4. Farm contracts with nationally certified professional crop consultant. Bonus: 10 pts

Category Total 15 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Grand Total 480 pts
Adjusted Grand Total ______ pts
Percentage of adjusted total %

Selected IPM Articles:
2001 Annual Report
APPLE
IPM Guidelines: Apple
OTHER FRUITS
IPM Guidelines: Highbush Blueberry
IPM Guidelines: Wine Grape
IPM Guidelines: Raspberry
IPM Guidelines: Strawberry