Valley Peach and Pecan Notes

Texas Agricultural Extension Service
The Texas A&M University System


DECEMBER, 1995 VOL. 10, NO. 12
IN THIS ISSUE:
IMPORTED FIRE ANT ----- Spot infestations of the imported fire ant have been identified in Cameron County over the last couple of years, and have been treated as they occurred. These infestations were thought to have come into the Valley in container nursery stock from other areas of the state. Recently, mounds of the imported fire ant have appeared in a local pecan orchard and other infestations have been reported in Hidalgo County. Once this pest becomes established in irrigated pastures and orchards, it will likely spread rather rapidly. The reason is that under conditions of flooding, whether caused by flood irrigation or heavy rains, the fire ants form a raft-like mass that floats on the water so they just float downstream until the water subsides (or they encounter high ground) and then form new colonies underground. The floating mass includes the young, eggs and the queen. Eradication does not appear to be a viable option. Treatment options with insecticides are limited. One treatment that will cause the ants to drown is spraying the floating rafts with detergent until they all sink however, we cannot determine if the soap treatment is legal in the eyes of the Environmental Protection Agency and we remember when EPA considered soap spraying of bees to be illegal.

PEACH DEFOLIATION WITH ZINC SULPHATE ----- To better improve dormancy in low-chill, short-cycle peaches of deep South Texas, it is advisable to use zinc sulfate soon after mid-December to cause total defoliation. At 10 pounds of zinc sulfate in 50 to 100 gallons of water per acre, all persistent peach leaves will be burned off. Pruning does not have to be completed prior to spraying zinc sulfate. This use of zinc sulfate should also have the added benefit of absorption of zinc through the bark of twigs, thereby providing adequate zinc for next season's growth.

ORCHARD PRUNING SCALE SCOUTING ----- Area peach pruning gets underway this month, which in itself will help in the defoliation effort, as pruning will remove a lot of long terminals with tufts of leaves at the ends. While pruning crews are in the orchard, they should be instructed in how to recognize scale insect infestation on peach trees. Since every tree is pruned, properly trained crews can identify and delineate pockets of scale infestation so that scale control materials can be applied to those areas as needed. Dormant oil, with good coverage, is a most effective product for scale control and can be mixed with Lorsban . From both an economic and an environmental standpoint, the use of dormant season scalicides should be targeted to specific areas of infestation and surrounding trees and rows if the infestations are scattered and localized. At some level of infestation across the orchard, it will become more practical to treat the entire orchard but that level will have to be determined by the grower for a given orchard.

VALLEY IRRIGATION CONFERENCE --- The Lower Rio Grande Irrigation Conference is being presented by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and the LRGV Irrigation District Managers' Association, with sponsorship by the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association and the Southmost Soil and Water Conservation District. This one-day conference and trade show will present current irrigation technologies and management practices and strategies to maximize production with limited water supplies and information on improving water-use efficiency. Three general sessions and four concurrent workshops will fill the day, offering critical information for all irrigation water use from pastures through row crops and orchards to golf course/turf irrigation. Registration is $15 per person if received by December 8, $20 thereafter and at the door. Checks are payable to Irrigation Conference and should be sent to the County Agricultural Extension office in either Edinburg, Rio Grande City, San Benito and Raymondville or can be mailed to Ms. Pamela Baker, Agricultural Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2117. As you know, the prospects of a full allotment of irrigation water for 1996 are rather slim, which is expected to impact all agricultural use in the coming season. Given this scenario, it behooves all agricultural water users to be fully aware of the situation and to utilize all practical means available to survive this crisis with minimal adverse impact, if possible. I hope to see you there December 12, 7:30 to 4:30, McAllen Civic Center.

PIT SPITTING? ----- On the lighter side, a fellow by the name of Rick "Pellet Gun" Krause is the reigning North American Cherry Pit Spitting Champion who recently won the World Record Cherry Pit Spitting title in Germany. According to a report in American Fruit Grower (November, 1995), the North American competition requires fresh, chilled Montmorency tart cherries, while the competition in Germany allows canned, sweet cherries which have smooth pits and better aerodynamics. It is doubtful that pit spitting will achieve the prominence of watermelon seed pitting or cow chip tossing in Texas, but it's nice to see fellow growers enjoying the lighter side of fruit production.

DORMEX ----- I have not been able to detemine whether Dormex has been granted registration for use on peaches this seson. Texas Department of Agriculture does not know, and calls to DK Int'l have not been returned. As you know, the preferred timing of Dormex in the Valley is the lst two weeks of December, a little later further north should it become available. If you are thinking about using it if it becomes available, give me a call at 210/968-5581, as I plant to keep calling the company until I get an answer or December 8, whichever comes first. JULIAN W. SAULS, Ph.D. Professor & Extension Horticulturist 2401 East Highway 83 Weslaco TX 78596

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