Mummy berry forecast for Thurs. May 5th 2011

Lincoln, Knox, Waldo and South Hancock counties

Mummy berry cups are still present and were actively shooting out spores this week in Belfast, Union and Liberty. New immature cups were present today (Thursday) in Belfast and Liberty so spore production will be continuing for a while. The cups are likely to continue being active over the weekend and possibly into early next week. I do not have a mummy berry patch south of Union, so to be cautious, I am considering the cups are still active in southern Knox and Lincoln counties.

There was a 32 to 34 hours long wet period producing a long infection period throughout this area from Tues. May 3^rd approximately 11pm to midnight through to Thurs. May 5^th 7 to 8am. The rain/drizzle/fog is also predicted to continue in this area through part of Thursday night. The forecast for west of the Penobscot river is for dry weather on Friday and a low chance of rain over the weekend, so it is unlikely there will be more infection periods this weekend, unless you have a field that regularly gets more than 8 to 9 hours of fog.

If you applied fungicide on or after Fri. April 29^th then your plants will have been protected during this last infection period and you do NOT need to apply fungicide for this last infection period.

If you last applied fungicide before Fri. April 29^th then your plants were not protected during this last infection period. If you then apply fungicide (propiconazole or fenbuconazole) before Fri. May 6^th at 11pm, the fungicide will kill of any infection that may have occurred in this last infection period AND your plants will be protected for a further 7 days.

Southern Penobscot, northern Hancock and Washington counties

Active mummy berry cups and new immature cups were present at Deblois and Jonesboro, but had not started yet in Jonesport. In cooler, later fields, cups have not yet started but elsewhere in this area cups are actively producing spores and are predicted to continue through the weekend and into next week.

There was a wet period from Monday, May 2^nd starting at 8pm to 10pm and continuing through to Tuesday, May 3^rd at 6 to 7am that did NOT produce an infection by the mummy berry fungus since it was too short a length of plant wetness at the average temperature of 37 to 39F.

There were infection periods from Tues. May 3^rd at 7pm to Wed. May 4^th at 10am AND from Wed. May 4^th at 4pm to Thurs. May 5^th 9am and possibly continuing.

The rain/drizzle/fog is also predicted to continue in this area through part of Thursday night and perhaps into Friday. The forecast for east of the Penobscot river is for a chance of rain through Friday and Saturday which may produce infection periods.

If you applied fungicide on or after Fri. April 29^th then your plants will have been protected during this last infection period and you do NOT need to apply fungicide for this last infection period.

If you last applied fungicide on Wed. April 27^th or Thurs. April 28th then your plants were protected Wed. of this week but will not be protected for the infection period occurring today (Thursday). If you apply fungicide before Sat. May 6^th at 4pm, the fungicide will kill of any infection that may have occurred in this last infection period AND your plants will be protected for a further 7 days.

If you last applied fungicide before Wed. April 27^th then your plants were not protected during these last infection periods. If you apply fungicide before Fri. May 6^th at 7pm, then the fungicide will kill off any infection that may have occurred and your plants will be protected for a further 7 days.