Article by Madeline Wimmer-UMN Extension Educator, Fruit Production General fruit : About: The winsome fly and Japanese beetles Pollinator installations and support Apples: Growth update: Beginning of ripening Grapes: Symptom check: Black rot on grape berries Plums: Russeting on fruits General fruit: About: The winsome fly and Japanese beetles Image: Japanese beetle adults will continue to feed as winsome fly eggs are laid on their thorax (middle body segment). The larval feeding eventually kills the Japanese beetle, which disrupts egg-laying in female beetles. While you’re out monitoring for and managing Japanese beetles this year, you might take note if you see any beetles with one or more white dots on their green thorax. These are eggs of the winsome fly ( Istocheta aldrichi ), a tachinid fly that is a parasitoid* of Japanese beetles. It only takes a few days after eggs are laid for a larva to hatch and begin feeding and developing through its larval stages. This damage does not ca...
Article written by Madeline Wimmer - Extension Educator, Fruit Production Images: Pollinator resources often recommend planting at least three species of pollinator friendly plants, specific to your crop and region, for each bloom period (early, mid-season, late). Introduction Successful pollination is key for quality fruit production anywhere in the world. When the fruit set is lower than expected, there are a number of factors that could be contributing, depending on which fruit crop you’re growing, including the following: Very few fruit crops, like grapes, are wind pollinated, but the majority of fruit crops rely on, or benefit from insect pollination (primarily bees). Some fruit crops are self-incompatible, which means they will not use their own pollen for pollination. Two varieties used to cross pollinate one another need their bloom times to overlap. Additionally... Certain fruit crops, like honeyberries, are self-incompatible and will not accept pollen from varieties tha...