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blackrag

Bad Apple Pics, Effect of Blight? Insect Injury?

blackrag
9 years ago

I am 5 years in on 52 trees. I see plenty of people on this forum with their issues so I'm not complaining and not alone. Have to say this year has been the worst of 5 after very high expectations.

Are these Honeycrisp apples the victim of blight or insect? Better not be insect or controllable fungus because I sprayed my a$$ off more than I was comfortable, paid attention to timing, scouted, and used Imidan/mycobutinal.

I am suspect of the shelf life of my mycobutinal source.

Thanks, Chad

Comments (12)

  • swampsnaggs
    9 years ago

    This appears to be bitter rot. I have provided a link that shows the fruiting bodies of the fungus which are visible in your photo.

    Here is a link that might be useful: bitter rot of apple

  • mjmarco
    9 years ago

    What does your leaves look like ? Just looking at the fruit is not always the answer....could be sun scald but being your in Pa could be bitter rot or black rot but this is just my guess I don't see any insect damage so it looks fungus or sun to me.

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    Looks like one of the summer diseases to me (i.e. fungus). I'm not sure of the efficacy of myclobutanil on summer disease complex, but you might Google it up to see if that's the problem. One other possibility is that your apples have contracted a resistant strain to myclo. A lot of apples are grown in PA, so resistant fungi strains could migrate from commercial orchards to home orchards.

    I like the color of your tractor, BTW.

    This post was edited by olpea on Tue, Aug 26, 14 at 9:21

  • blackrag
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I do have some blight in my orchard that I have been cutting out weekly and burning but not on this tree. Leaves are fine. I will follow the link to "bitter rot". (Another new one to me...)

    My Immunox is 3 seasons old. I will start over next year with new product. I am certain that Triazicide & Immunox needs to be new every year from now on, especially after reading about others who suspect it's longevity.

    Thanks Olpea, a 955 that never fails or complains, just wants to work.

    I do have a neglected, older commercial orchard about 3 miles away.

  • blackrag
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I do have some blight in my orchard that I have been cutting out weekly and burning but not on this tree. Leaves are fine. I will follow the link to "bitter rot". (Another new one to me...)

    My Immunox is 3 seasons old. I will start over next year with new product. I am certain that Triazicide & Immunox needs to be new every year from now on, especially after reading about others who suspect it's longevity.

    Thanks Olpea, a 955 that never fails or complains, just wants to work.

    I do have a neglected, older commercial orchard about 3 miles away.

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    Chad,

    I'm fairly certain your problem is that you are spraying the wrong fungicide for summer rots.

    I looked at the label, and myclobutanil is not labeled for summer apple rots. I looked at the Cornell spray guide and the Michigan spray guide. Both guides give no indication myclobutanil is effective against summer rots. I also think I recall reading somewhere that myclobutanil is not effective against summer rots on apple.

    Myclobutanil is effective against scab, rust and mildew, but I don't think it has any activity against black rot, bitter rot, bot rot, etc.

    Remember most fungicides are at least partially selective in the diseases they treat. For example, Captan is very effective against scab, but has no activity whatever against rust.

    Good looking 955. I'm assuming it's a 4X4?

  • appleseed70
    9 years ago

    So what do you spray Olpea for summer rots? I see Ziram 76 and Topsin 70 listed. Any experience with those?
    I've been fortunate with this. The only rot I've ever experienced was with stung or bitten apples. I wonder if Sulfur (I almost always mix in sulfur) could be what has saved me?

  • lakewoodfarm
    9 years ago

    I had the same problem with my gala apples this year. This is how I dealt with it:
    1. pick off all "mummies" these are small black shriveled apples which are carriers for the fungus.
    2. Spray weekly with captan 2 tbs/gallon + myclobutanil.
    3. remove all fruit that shows any sign of rot

    I carried out the above steps and was able to harvest 85% of the apples with no damage

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    "So what do you spray Olpea for summer rots?"

    Appleseed,

    I don't have a lot of apples. I've grown maybe 5 or 6 varieties in my yard is all. I have about 25 apples planted at the farm, but they are pretty new and none have fruited, so I really don't have a lot of experience with apples.

    I've not had an issue with summer apple rots here. Most of the time, when I spray peaches here at the house, I also hit the apples with whatever is in the tank, as long as it's labeled for apples. Most of the time the tank will have some fungicide in it.

    Typically I might use Captan for peach scab early season. Later in the season I use a fungicide more specific to brown rot on peaches. Something like Pristine. Both are labeled for apples as well as peaches.

    I've used Ziram before (also labeled for apples and peaches) and I think I may go back to that. It's not as effective against scab as Captan, but it does provide some foliar zinc, and peaches are heavy feeders of zinc.

  • blackrag
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    After reading up on it and seeing lakewoodfarm's reminder, I need to get in that orchard and clean it up. I've kind of stared at this situation for 2 weeks kind of "dumb-founded". Maybe I can save what's left. I hit it with Captan last night. I read through my Fungi Fighter pamphlet and see it is only rated for stone fruit rots.
    Yup Olpea, 4x4 and hydrostatic. With a little weight on the 3 pt hitch and a power-angle plow on the loader, it plows snow like a beast. Also the world's best "lazy person" wheel barrow ever.

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    I'm jealous Chad. I've seen those little 4X4 John Deeres, work, and they will do a ton of work in tight spaces.

    4X4 makes all the difference. I pulled a dump truck out with mine the other day. Another day I managed to get out of a pond I was almost stuck in. Both would have been impossible with a 2wd.

    Mine is a Massey. Although I prefer green, Massey is a very good tractor too.

  • outdoor334
    9 years ago

    I live in central alabama; not the most friendliest place for growing apples. i have 18 apple trees from 6 years to 2 years old. I bagged my apples this year and it worked wonders. First time I have ever gotten apples so pretty. You should try that and spray less.