Warmer temperatures make for a bearable winter in Georgia. But scale insects enjoy them, too. That is a problem for the state’s peach producers.
Now is a good time for growers to make appropriate chemical applications, according to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension peach blog.
Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, advises growers to apply dormant horticultural oil at a rate of 1.5% oil to water. If growers are applying the delayed-dormant application to pre-pruned trees, they need to aim for 150-to-200 gallons per acre. This is needed to achieve effective coverage, especially in areas of orchards with a history of scale pressure.
The rate can be decreased to 100 gallons per acre for orchards with trees that have already been pruned.
Producers can also combine an insect grower regulator, such as Centaur or Esteem with the oil to improve the control of scale. Growers can also combine Venerate with the delayed-dormant oil application to significantly suppress populations compared to just the oil by itself.
Do not apply oil sprays within two weeks of (before or after) making a spray that contains sulfur.
For more information, please see the updated peach management guides.
