North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Cooper" <JCooper@lewiston.k12.id.us>]

I almost never spray my pears either, except dormant sprays.

When I mix a few things I almost always have problems. Even dormant sprays I 
do them separate! If I am spraying for insects I don't even add sticker. 
Because when I have done that, I had problems. Photo toxicity I think, from 
the  spray on the leaf when it is hot in the summer. I have never seen the 
fruit damaged by sprays except the combo of "Seven" I think is the one that 
has something (carbaryl) that causes fruit thinning in the first 30 days 
after blossom/petal drop. This is what the fruit looks like when they self 
thin or when you spray, the thinning sprays! Or yes it could be the insects.
Jim 
zone 6-7 ID

http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=240_42
Terbacil at 200 ppm was effective as a fruit thinning spray but caused 
temporary leaf damage and some leaf drop. Treatments that included a carbaryl 
spray increased the proportion of larger size fruits. A single spray mixture 
of carbaryl (1 200 ppm) and NAA (10 ppm) increased the proportion of Golden 
Delicious apples in commercial sizes by 36%. Some thinning sprays reduced the 
weight of crop harvested in commercial sizes on Red Delicious and Granny 
Smith. 
 

>>> John Barbowski <jbarbowski@gmail.com> 6/4/2009 12:16 PM >>>
Speaking of pears, I have lost 95% of my Clapp's Favourite. I had profuse
blossoms and perhaps 150 'fledgelings' developing just after petal fall. At
that time they were sprayed with a Wilson's Fruit Tree spray (Phosalone 4%,
Ferbam 15% - to whick I added Malathion).

I now have a handful remaining! The majority shriveled into a black, hard,
nut-like ball. Some of the mal-formed have obvious insect damage.

This occurred two year's ago on about two dozen of the fruit - however - the
fruit had a bit more development to about quarter size. There was insect
damage, and when I split the fruit, I had some small black larva. I
suspected coddling moth - but wasn't sure.

Last year, following my usual procedure, I had a good crop with almost no
damage.

This thread on pear spraying twigged my delema and I posted four pics on
photobucket. Advice would be helpful.

http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc149/JBarbowski/ClappsPears/ 

jmb
Canadian zone 6b (just north of Toronto)






> > Bill,  Some pears get leaf spot, some don't.  I wouldn't worry about it.
> They sometimes get some codling moth, but not enough to worry about.  Apart
> from fire blight they don't have too many serious problems.  I did find a
> borer in one once.  Donna
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