Heavy scab and rust infection period

A heavy scab and rust infection period ended last night; variable and intermitent wetting approximately 28 hr at 53-63 degrees with 1.3-in. rain total for the event Apr 25-27.  (Actually our wetness sensor was wetted and dried 11 times yesterday!). Fruit that are big enough to thin now were probably no longer susceptible to quince rust, but smaller fruit of later blooming cultivars such as Yorks and Romes are still susceptible.  It is likely that a protectant fungicide would not have weathered through the recent wettting period. If your orchard is in a rust-prone location, the safest bet would be to supplement the next application with an SI fungicide for after-infection rust control.

Several calls have been received related to fire blight symptoms in areas east of the Blue Ridge, evidence of early season infection which probably occurred Apr 6 or earlier.