ISHS Acta Horticulturae 468: III International Cherry Symposium
INTEGRATED SOUR CHERRY (PRUNUS CERASUS) PRODUCTION IN NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN |
| Authors: | C.E. Edson, J.E. Laubach, J.E. Nugent, G.E. Thornton |
| Keywords: | Orchard systems, Integrated Crop Management |
| Abstract:
Michigan produces seventy-five percent of the USA sour cherry crop, with one half of that production in Northwest lower Michigan. Sour cherry is susceptible to a range of pests including the arthropods cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cingulata and R. fausta), plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar), and mites (Tetranychus urticae, Panonychus ulmi); nematodes (several species); the diseases cherry leaf spot (Blumeriella jaapi), brown rot (Monilinia fructicola), and powdery mildew (Podosphaera clandestina); and weeds, among others. A production system had evolved that relied on pesticides applied on a weekly to biweekly basis to control pests. However, growers' concerns about environmental quality, pest resistance to pesticides, loss of important pesticides, increasing input costs and urbanization of farmland have challenged them to change the way pests are managed. In the last decade, NW Michigan sour cherry growers have made significant reductions in the number of pesticide applications necessary to produce the high quality fruit demanded by the marketplace. Reductions in pesticide use have come primarily through the implementation of intensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that utilizes scouting for insects and diseases, current and predictive weather information, degree day models, alternate row middle and border spraying, innovative spray application technology and biological control. A network of electronically accessed weather stations was developed by a consulting firm to enhance disease and insect prediction. A code-a-phone and fax network were developed by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) to provide updates on pest activities and management strategies and to provide daily detailed weather predictions. New thresholds for plum curculio based on timing of egg laying were developed and implemented. The significant success in industry-wide pesticide reduction is the result of close teamwork by the public (research, MSUE and others) and the private (growers, consultants, and agri-businesses) sectors. | |
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