Plum pox virus found in Michigan and New York:
Aug. 14 and 25, 2006 - The USDA has found plum pox virus in samples collected from a routine survey at the Michigan State University Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center. See Fruit Grower's News for more information.  On August 25, it was announced that PPV was found in New York.  Fruit Growers' News: "Discoveries of plum pox virus outside of Pennsylvania now total three, one confirmed in Michigan on Aug. 11 and two confirmed in New York’s Niagara County. The New York findings were on July 17 on two plum trees five miles from the Canadian quarantine area and one Aug. 21 on a peach tree 11 miles further east."

Mating disruption and Organic certification:
The National Organic Standards Board has recently amended organic guidelines so that many pheromone dispensers for mating disruption will now be allowed in organically certified orchards.  Most hand-placed dispensers are now considered to emit negligible amounts of inerts, and will be allowed.  Sprayables and puffers will not be allowed.  More information will be posted when available.

Updates on FQPA and Pesticide Registrations:

Azinphosmethyl: New Guthion label: EPA has announced the new label for Guthion, effective August 21, 2003.  Grapes and stawberries are now deleted from the label.  Guthion remains available for caneberries, nectarines and peaches until 2005.  Guthion remains apples and crabapples, blueberries, cherries, and pears.  Guthion Solupak will be the only formulation available.   Guthion timeline update:  Group 3 uses on track for renewal (almonds, apples, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, cherries, nursery stock, parsley, pears, pistachios, and walnuts).  As I said in the last update, the Group 2 uses have been requested to be terminated by Bayer (cotton, cranberries, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, southern pine seed orchards, and caneberries).  The following is a more detailed timeline for these crops, as provided by Bayer: “COMMERCIAL PIPELINE PROVISIONS: GUTHION manufactured after March 31, 2005 cannot have Group 2 uses on the label unless EPA-approved prior to that date. GUTHION with Group 2 uses on the label can be sold within commercial channels through August 31, 2005. GUTHION must not to be used on the Group 2 crops after December 31, 2005, unless the use has been extended. On Aug 17, 2005, EPA announced receipt of the request from the manufacturer to cancel azinphosmethyl uses on caneberries and peaches.  Public comments must be received by Sept 16, 2005. The distribution or sale of these products is permitted until March 31, 2006. The use of existing stocks of these products in the United States is permitted until September 30, 2006.   On 7 Dec 2005, EPA announced the availability of its azinphosmethyl ecological risk assessment and grower impact assessment (posted at http://www.regulations.gov; search on the docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0061).  Comments must be received on or before 6 Feb 2006.  Further information will be posted here when available.
carbaryl - EPA announces Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED - this pdf exceeds 300p. See also 6-page fact sheet) for carbaryl on 10/27/04.  On 30 March 2005, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) requested that EPA revoke all tolerances for carbaryl.  NRDC's letter to EPA is posted (html).  EPA's assessment of human health and environmental risks of carbaryl, and finding on whether the tolerances for carbaryl comply with the safety standard in FFDCA section 408, as amended by the FQPA, are contained in the IRED document for carbaryl, which is available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, under docket number OPP-2003-0376. (More information on risk assessment is available).  The e-docket for this issue has several items listed.  On 13 Oct 06, EPA announced a petition from Washington Toxics has been received to cancel all tolerances of carbaryl.   In the Regulations.gov page, search on ID no. EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0801.  Following that link, one can also find a link to the carbaryl IRED (Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision).  Public comments are requested and must be received by 13 Nov 06.

Diazinon uses cancelled by Syngenta, but...: IRED of July 31, 2002, proposed that on most crops where use would be continued, applications would be limited to one per growing season. A single dormant use is also proposed for cherry and pear, limited to every other year (unless pest pressure required annual application).  Use on apple would be limited to woolly apple aphid, once a year.  Grape uses would be cancelled.  REI in apple, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, pear, plums would be 4 days; caneberries, blueberries and strawberries would be 5 days.  Diazinion is highly toxic to birds.  Granular formulations, the source of most bird mortality, would be cancelled. These proposed changes have not been adopted into label changes; current labeling will remain in effect at least until July 31, 2004. May 30, 2003 Syngenta requests cancellations of all uses, effective June 30, 2003. Syngenta may not distribute after August 31.  Retail supplies may be sold until supplies exhausted.  However, Makhteshim-Agan intends to maintain all allowable uses.

endosulfan - On 29 Apr 09, EPA announced that it had received a petition to cancel all used of endosulfan. Comments must be received on or before 29 Jun 09.  Submit your comments throught the Federal eRulemaking Portal, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0615.

See Fruit Growers News for more information.

More will follow.

For some industry discussion on FQPA changes and issues, see Issues section of the CropLife America web site.

Mating disruption tools:

Plum Pox: A New Disease of Stone Fruits for Mid-Atlantic Region:

The presence of the disease was confirmed on October 13, in a block of Encore peaches in Adams County. A survey was carried out in orchards within one mile of the infected block; 10 blocks with plum pox were found, belonging to three different growers, including cases in peach, nectarine and plum. The search was expanded on October 21-22 to an additional one-mile radius. No symptoms were detected, though leaf analyses are pending. A map of the quarantined area is available on the web. This is the first case of plum pox in North America, although it was introduced into Chile in 1995, and caused concern for North American specialists at that time.

To date in 2000, the disease has also been found in Cumberland County PA, and in Canada. As of November 2000, the disease had not been found in Michigan. More information regarding this important development can be found in the plum pox page in the Virginia Fruit Web Page.

2009 Revisions to Tree Fruit Spray Guide:

2009 Revisions to Home Fruit Spray Guide:

Other Sites

2009 Fruit Schools:
The 2009 fruit schools were held on: Patrick-Carroll Feb 9; Botetourt-Roanoke Feb 10; Central Virginia (Nelson-Albemarle) Feb 11; Madison-Rappahannock Feb 12, and Winchester  on Feb 13.