It is time for winter spraying!
Timing: During the dormant period of the trees.
Objective: To destroy the stages of pests and disease agents that overwinter on the trunk and branches
- peach leaf curl, shot hole disease, early brown rot, plum pockets, bacterial blight
- overwintering eggs of European red mite, aphids, apple and pear psylla, winter moths, San Jose scale and other flat scale insects, plum scale, codling moth, hawthorn mite, common spider mite and yellow apple mite
Key points:
- Winter spraying against pests is necessary only if a density above the economic injury threshold has been established. For diseases, however, it is mandatory.
- The best effect from winter spraying is achieved when it is carried out immediately before bud swell. At that time the development of the overwintering stages of insects and mites begins. The embryo in the egg is in an advanced stage of development, and the overwintering caterpillars and adult insects leave their winter shelters and move along the branches of the trees.
- The method of spraying is very important. All parts of the branches, twigs and branching points, where pests most often accumulate, as well as the trunk, must be thoroughly drenched with the solution. In other words, the entire tree must be “bathed”.
Products:
- Against diseases – Bordeaux mixture 1%, and against peach leaf curl only – in addition to it, the fungicides Funguran OH 50 WP – 0.15%, Champion – 0.3%, Dithane DG – 0.3%, Dithane M-45 – 0.3% or Thiram 80 WG – 0.3% may be used.
- Against pests – Para zomer 0.3%, Oviteks 2 l/da.
If you have pears
At a temperature of 3–5 °C and sunny weather, the pear psylla migrates into the canopy and begins to feed, and at a temperature of 8 °C it starts laying eggs. This is the moment for spraying. Good effect will be obtained from Alphamex 100 EC – 0.0125% or Sumi Alpha 5 EC – 0.03%. After the beginning of egg laying, Deltamex 2.5 EC – 0.03% is recommended. In pear orchards, the development of pear psylla must be monitored, and more precisely its departure from the winter shelters and the dispersal of the overwintered adults on the swelling buds, from where they start sucking sap. At high pest density (1 adult per 10 spur twigs), it is necessary to spray against the adults before egg laying. Very often the treatment against this pest coincides with the winter spraying, and then one of the insecticides is added to Para zomer: Vaztak Nov 100 EC – 0.02%, Decis 2.5 EC – 0.03%, Deka EC – 75 ml/da, Sumicidin 5 EC – 0.03%.
The quantity of working solution required for winter spraying is determined depending on the age of the trees and the shape of the canopy. Usually, from 80 to 150 l of working solution per decare are used.
