Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops - Quick Guide

Updated May 2024

May 2023 - Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops - Quick Guide

June 2022 - Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops - Quick Guide

June-bearing (JB) strawberry growers know that the first berries to market in the spring fetch the highest prices and draw in customers. With more and more high tunnels being constructed on farms every year, growers are interested in the utility of tunnels for strawberries versus tomatoes and other warm-season crops. We see a wide variety of strawberry production under cover around the state, ranging from sophisticated greenhouses with hydroponic production to high tunnels and smaller caterpillar tunnels. These structures help extend the season for JB strawberries, hastening maturity in May. They also protect plants from rain and extreme weather events, reducing disease pressure. Although larger tunnel structures are a more common site in NY farms, we seldom see low tunnels—waist-high plastic structures—on farms. 

Late summer and fall is a good time to work on tough-to-control perennial weeds such as Virginia creeper vine, grapevine, milkweed, goldenrod, poison ivy and brambles. These perennials generally do not respond to soil applied herbicides, but can be managed by careful applications of glyphosate (Roundup) in the fall. Glyphosate is effective on these weeds, but will also kill berry plants. Perennial weeds succumb because the plant is moving carbohydrate reserves down into the root system at this time of year. So treated leaves quickly move the systemic herbicide glyphosate down into the crown and root. You need to treat before the leaves drop though - so the clock is ticking. Some woody weeds like Virginia creeper vine, drops its leaves early in the fall.

Viruses can be a menace to berry crops. A single breeding selection or mother plant can easily be propagated to millions of daughter plants, and if the mother plant is infected, all daughter plants will also be infected. An infected plant could translate to poor establishment and loss of yield and could possibly lead to the need for growers to replant. For these reasons, virologists put a lot of effort into virus testing and elimination. 

June 2020 - Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops - Quick Guide

Weed pressure, root disease, plant parasitic nematodes and soil insects have all been identified by strawberry industry groups as barriers to success with strawberry production in the northeast United States.  Research into best management practices has revealed that cover cropping and proper crop rotation will significantly reduce the impact of disease on strawberry production, these recommendations however, are not being used on all farms.   

Successful overwintering of strawberries is a tricky business and not giving it enough consideration can result in poor yield the following year.  

June 2018 - Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops - Quick Guide

Here's a strawberry spray guide that manages fungicide resistance, when your main objective is gray mold (Botrytis) protection: