We’re presently experiencing a cold spell for couple of days, but temperatures will be approaching the high 70s/low 80s throughout the State by the end of the week. Temperatures this weekend were in the 80s and risks were “extreme” for plantings of early flowering cultivars. Currently, orchards in the Hudson Valley are in bloom or on the cusp of bloom. Growers need to be prepared to start and finish the susceptible period (from bloom through petal fall) strong with their most effective options. With the early hot spring we are now experiencing right before bloom, we should remain vigilant and prepare for higher risk periods of erratic of hot weather that often end with storms. Plantings on Long Island and the Hudson Valley were well beyond bloom and able to escape these late May infections. Many growers using strong antibacterial programs until the end of bloom were easily able to manage fire blight while others experienced outbreaks of shoot blight during storms at or shortly after petal fall. There were some outbreaks in Wayne, but the situation was not as dire or widespread beyond the region. Fortunately, for most farms east and of the finger lakes, this period of hot wet weather was too late or not severe enough to lead to infections. This bloom time weather pattern was similar to the previous year and the year prior. These were perfect conditions for fire blight that resulted in systemic shoot blight infections. The season was characterized by cool “low risk” bloom that seemed to linger and exceptionally hot, stormy “high-risk” weather from the end of bloom into petal fall. In 2022, there were devastating fire blight outbreaks in Finger Lakes region after petal fall at the end of May. Janet van Zoeren, CCE, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, Albion, NYĢ022 fire blight season recap. Līga Astra Kalniņa & Kerik Cox, PPPMB, Geneva, NY

Fire blight sprays