Jul 6, 2020

 ‘Plan B’ for frost-affected fruit crops

{Sponsored} Growers whose trees, bushes and canes took a hit from May’s late frosts have been urged to adopt a ‘Plan B’ rather than abandon them completely for the rest of the season, despite the devastating damage to buds and blossom.

Peaches, cherries, apples, blueberries and raspberries were among the fruit crops ravaged by May’s late frosts, caused by a blast of polar air that reached nearly 80 per cent of the lower 48. With some areas recording damage rates to crops of up to 90 per cent, growers may be tempted to shut the gate on some of these crops in order to concentrate on the agronomic needs of their unaffected, healthy crops – the ones that are going to yield a harvest.

“It’s an understandable reaction,” said agronomist Dean Konieczka, of crop nutrition specialists OMEX® Agrifluids. “Why carry on with the ‘gold standard’ inputs program under these circumstances?

“But I’d suggest you don’t abandon the agronomy program altogether. Remember that even though the trees aren’t going to produce a full yield this year, they’ll need to stay healthy.

“Think long-term, prioritize the overall health of the tree, prime it for next season.

“This is time for Plan B agronomy,” he said. “Growers will know how an orchard often ‘bounces back’ after a bad year, so a ‘maintenance agronomy’ approach will ensure you’re maximizing next year’s yield potential.”

He gives disease control as an example. “We tend to think that we use fungicides to conserve fruit yield and maintain its appearance, for quality purposes. That’s true, of course, but in applying a fungicide we’re also ensuring the tree or cane itself stays disease-free, maximizing its ability to photosynthesize, store nutrients and prepare for new growth.”

Konieczka advises growers to consider a ‘lite’ fungicide program. “You’d normally expect to spend around $25/acre on each fungicide application, with passes every week or two throughout the critical period.

“Instead, focus your Plan B on a generic active ingredient, such as sulfur. Familiar to all growers, it’s a product that in normal years you might use to augment or supplement your normal fungicide program. Right now it’s ideal for that maintenance agronomy approach.”

Often used for control of common fungal diseases such as powdery mildew or botrytis, as well as known effectiveness against pests such as mites, sulfur is a broad-spectrum fungicide with wide approvals, thanks to minimal environmental effects – some jurisdictions even approve it for organic protocols. Yet growers often shy away from it because of its notorious reputation for being difficult to apply, acknowledges Konieczka.

“Specify sulfur fungicide to a merchant and you’re most likely to end up with a bag of wettable sulfur powder. It will do the job, but it’s extremely unpleasant to work with,” he said, “which has dissuaded a lot of growers from using it.”

It was the application troubles that prompted OMEX® to develop Sulphomex, a liquid sulfur formulation that is highly soluble and has been tested extensively to ensure it won’t block spray nozzles. It is also fully registered as a fungicidal product, with no use restrictions.

“As a liquid formulation, it’s easily absorbed by the leaf cuticle,” noted Konieczka, “quickly becoming bio-available to the plant. The addition of a small – 15 per cent by volume – amount of nitrogen provides the plant with an added boost, ensuring a strong greening effect in the days following application.”

Konieczka estimated a full-rate application of Sulphomex costs around $12/acre. “It’s a minimal input, but with maximum effect. Don’t ignore this opportunity to make a positive investment in next year’s crop.”

Learn more at www.omexusa.com.

The product names and brands referenced here are registered and trademarks of OMEX® Agrifluids, Inc.

© OMEX® Agrifluids, Inc. 2020.