Warm and wet conditions across much of the state have continued to drive pest and disease activity in both fruit and vegetable crops. As we hit peak summer production, timely scouting and integrated pest management remain your best tools for maintaining crop health and quality.
Fruit Crops:
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) remains a top concern for small fruit growers. This invasive fruit fly lays eggs inside ripening berries, with larvae feeding internally causing soft fruit, collapse, and post-harvest losses.
To manage SWD, growers should monitor fields using baited traps placed within the fruiting zone. Traps should be checked regularly, ideally weekly, to assess fly presence. It’s important to harvest fruit frequently and remove any overripe or dropped berries to reduce egg-laying sites. At the first signs of fruit color change, apply protectant insecticides, rotating among different chemical classes such as spinosyns, pyrethroids, and organophosphates to delay resistance development. Post-harvest, rapid cooling of fruit and maintaining cold chain storage can significantly slow larval development and help protect product quality.
Sun Scald was reported in brambles following the extreme heat conditions. White or pale drupelets may appear on raspberry fruit due to intense sun exposure, a condition known as sun scald. While this disorder affects visual quality and salability, it has limited impact on flavor or nutritional value. To minimize sun scald, growers should maintain a healthy canopy by using proper pruning techniques that allow leaves to shield developing fruit. In extreme heat, consider deploying shade cloth or temporary row covers. Consistent irrigation is also critical to reduce plant stress and support recovery from heat damage.
Other pests in small fruit & orchards being reported are leafhoppers, aphids including woolly apple, green, and rosy aphids and spider mites (such as two-spotted and European red). These pests are showing up in scouting reports across the state. These pests often thrive during hot, dry spells and can cause significant foliage and fruit damage if left unchecked.
Source : osu.edu