TheThe Mid-AtlanticMid-Atlantic BerryBerry GuideGuide for Commercial Growers 2013–2014 Produced by The Pennsylvania State University in cooperation with The University of Delaware Rutgers University, the University of Delaware, the University of Gordon C. Johnson, Extension Vegetable and Fruit Specialist and Assistant Maryland, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University. Professor, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Carvel Research and Education Center ACKNOWLEDGMENts The University of Maryland The Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide is intended to provide information for com- Bryan R. Butler, Senior Agent, University of Maryland Extension in Carroll mercial berry growers within the region. Homeowners may use this publica- County tion for background information; however, many of the recommendations Joseph A. Fiola, Professor and Specialist in Viticulture and Small Fruit, Univer- contained in this guide assume that the production is on a large scale and sity of Maryland Extension that producers have a commercial pesticide applicator’s license. Willie Lantz, Senior Agent, University of Maryland Extension in Garrett Uses of pesticides listed in this publication were current as of July 1, County 2012. However, changes in registration status may occur at any time, so please consult the label before use—the label is the law. If there are differ- USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland ences in use patterns between the pesticide label in your possession and Mark Ehlenfeldt, Research Geneticist, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and those listed in this guide, follow the instructions on the label. If in doubt, Vegetables Laboratory consult your cooperative extension educator. Virginia Tech Jeffrey F. Derr, Professor, Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Exten- COORDINatOR sion Center Kathleen Demchak, Senior Extension Associate, Department of Horticulture, Charles Johnson, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, Southern Pied- Penn State mont Agricultural Research and Extension Center CONTRIBUTORS Douglas G. Pfeiffer, Professor, Department of Entomology R. Allen Straw, Area Specialist, Southwest Virginia Agricultural Research and Penn State Extension Center Kathleen Demchak, Senior Extension Associate, Department of Horticulture Keith S. Yoder, Professor of Plant Pathology, Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Timothy E. Elkner, Senior Extension Educator, Penn State Cooperative Exten- Research and Extension Center sion in Lancaster County C. John Esslinger, Extension Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension, West Virginia University Northeast Region Alan R. Biggs, Professor of Plant Pathology and Extension Specialist, Kear- Maryann Frazier, Senior Extension Associate, Department of Entomology neysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center Scott D. Guiser, Senior Extension Educator, Penn State Cooperative Exten- John W. Jett, Extension Specialist, West Virginia University Extension Service sion in Bucks County Lewis W. Jett, Extension Specialist, West Virginia University Extension Service John M. Halbrendt, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, Department of Additional Contributors Plant Pathology Ed Mashburn, Northumberland, Pennsylvania, former President of The Inter- Jayson K. Harper, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Department of Agri- national Ribes Association cultural Economics and Rural Sociology Harry Swartz, Five Aces Breeding, LLC Grzegorz Krawczyk, Senior Research Associate, Department of Entomology Kerry M. Richards, Director, Pesticide Management Information Center Past Contributors This guide includes material from authors whose work appeared in earlier Rutgers University, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station extension publications in the region or in earlier editions of this guide. These Joseph R. Heckman, Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Biology and authors include John Baniecki, Ed Beste, Barbara Bowling, Tony Bratsch, Pathology Margaret Brittingham-Brant, Dewey Caron, Anne DeMarsay, Henry Hogmire, Bradley A. Majek, Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Biology and Win Hock, Ed Kee, Henry Ngugi, Jeremy Pattison, Sridhar Polavarapu, Pete Pathology Probasco, Ed Rajotte, Bob Rouse, Jo Rytter, Elsa Sánchez, Gary San Julian, Peter Nitzsche, County Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris Pete Shearer, Mike Stanghellini, Paul Steiner, Jim Travis, and Richard Zim- County merman. Their contributions and work, which laid the groundwork for this Peter V. Oudemans, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Biology and version, are gratefully acknowledged. Pathology Gary Pavlis, County Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County Editor Dean Polk, Statewide Fruit IPM Agent, Department of Agricultural and Amanda Kirsten, Ag Communications and Marketing, Penn State Resource Management Agents Designer Cesar Rodriguez-Saona, Assistant Extension Specialist, Department of Nora Serotkin, Ag Communications and Marketing, Penn State Entomology Illustrations and Photos William J. Sciarappa, County Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Illustrations, except Figure 7.2, by Ellen Lovelidge, Penn State. Figure 7.2 Monmouth County courtesy of Virginia Tech. Daniel L. Ward, Assistant Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Biology Blackberry flower and strawberry photos: Kathleen Demchak and Pathology Others: istockphoto.com The Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide CONTENTS List of Tables and Figures ................................................................................................................ii Chapter 1: Preplant Considerations ......................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Soil Management and Nutrition for Berry Crops ........................................7 Chapter 3: Pesticides, Pesticide Safety, and Chemical Fumigation ......................... 15 Chapter 4: Weed Management ............................................................................................ 31 Chapter 5: Wildlife Damage Control in Commercial Plantings ................................. 41 Chapter 6: Strawberries .......................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 7: Blueberries ...........................................................................................................115 Chapter 8: Brambles ...............................................................................................................171 Chapter 9: Gooseberries and Currants ............................................................................225 Appendix A: Expanded Special Topics ................................................................................239 Appendix B: Diagnostic Services...........................................................................................247 Appendix C: Nursery Sources of Berry Plants ...................................................................259 Appendix D: Production Supplies and Services ...............................................................263 Appendix E: Additional Sources of Information ..............................................................269 TABLES AND FIGURES Chapter 2—Soil Management and Nutrition for Berry Crops ...........................7 Table 2.1. Pounds of lime with a CCE (calcium carbonate equivalent) of 100 needed per acre to maintain or raise the soil pH to 6.5. ........................ 8 Table 2.2. Green manure crops categorized by use, life cycle, and season. .......13 Chapter 3—Pesticides, Pesticide Safety, and Chemical Fumigation .............15 Table 3.1. Toxicity of pesticides to birds, fish, honey bees, and beneficial predators. .................................................................................................................16 Table 3.2. General and restricted-use pesticides labeled for use on strawberries, brambles, blueberries, gooseberries, and currants .................................23 Table 3.3. Fumigants and spectrums of activity. ...........................................................27 Chapter 4—Weed Management ........................................................................31 Table 4.1. Weed susceptibility to herbicides. ..................................................................34 Table 4.2. Herbicide water solubility and soil adsorption characteristics. ...........38 Chapter 6—Strawberries ....................................................................................49 Table 6.1. Number of strawberry plants per acre for different in-row and between-row spacings .......................................................................................52 Table 6.2. Recommended fertilizer amounts for June-bearing matted-row strawberry plantings ...........................................................................................53 Table 6.3. June-bearing matted-row strawberry cultivars. ........................................54 Table 6.4. Recommended nutrients for annual plasticulture strawberry plantings ..................................................................................................................58 Table 6.5. June-bearing strawberry cultivars for plasticulture production. ........61 Table 6.6. Day-neutral strawberry cultivars .....................................................................65 Table 6.7. Summary of estimated costs per acre, 2011: year of land preparation for strawberries ......................................................................................................70 Table 6.8. Summary of estimated costs per acre, 2011: