Increasing summer disease and brown rot pressures

Summer disease pressure increased in the past week, with two extended wetting events at our AREC: Aug 6-7, 16 hr wet at 68-65° with 0.11 in. of rain and Aug 9-10, 16 hr wet at 74-72° with 0.52 in. of rain. (Another extended wetting event is in progress at the time of this post).

As of the Monday morning, Aug 10, total accumulated wetting hours (ACW) at the AREC were: at 909 ft elevation, 796 hr; at 952 ft elevation, 567 hr; and at the 983 ft elevation, 518 hr ACW. Since accumulation of wetting hours began May 14, this represents an increase of 3.8 wetting hours per foot of elevation drop from 983 to 909 ft.

At Tyro, in Nelson County, total ACW as of Monday morning, Aug 10, were: at 941 ft elevation, 670 ACW; at 1165 ft, 368 ACW; and at 1465 ft, 409 ACW. 

The recent wetting events will again increase brown rot pressure on ripening peaches, as well as sooty blotch, flyspeck and rots on early ripening apples.