Integrated
Cranberry
Crop
Management
for Wisconsin
C r a n b e rr y
C ro p M a n a g e m e n t N ew s l e t t e r
University of Wisconsin-Extension
Volume XXV Issue 5
July 20, 2012
AIR CONDITIONING--DO YOUR CRANBERRIES NEED IT?
By Suzanne Arendt
RedForest Crop Consulting, LLC
Like all plants, cranberries need to produce ener-
This Issue:
Air Conditioning— 1
Do Your Cranberries
Need It?
Observations from
the Field
DANGER: Pesticides in Use
2
3
er that did not. Those that did used a temperature
healthy growth and productivity. Photosynthesis, cap-
gun (infrared gun) to monitor the canopy tempera-
turing light energy and converting it to sugar energy in
ture throughout the day. When the canopy temper-
the presence of chlorophyll (which is found in the
ature reached about 95 degrees F, the pumps were
leaves) is how cranberries produce and store energy.
started for approximately 15-20 minutes. Canopy
Respiration, the process of metabolizing sugars for
temperatures were reduced by about 15 degrees
growth and reproduction is how cranberries burn the
and stayed reduced for about 45 minutes to an hour.
energy. So, if the cranberries have a decreased rate of
These growers typically irrigated for heat stress
photosynthesis, the stored energy will be reduced and
about 6 times per day from 11am until 6pm on the
there won’t be enough energy for the plant to maxim-
hottest days. Other growers who heat stressed, just
ize health and vigor.
wanted to give the vines some breaks throughout
High temperatures can reduce a plant’s ability to
Terrapin
(Cranberry)
Station
4
Irrigation….Timing 5
is everything!
Wisconsin State
Cranberry Growers Summer Field
Day
photosynthesize. In tomatoes, for example, at 96
degrees F the rate that the plant uses energy surpasses the ability of the plant to store energy (Respiration
UW-Madison Hires 5
New Fruit Crops
Entomologist/
Pollination
Ecologist
the day and started their pumps for 15 minutes every 1.5 hours as long as the canopy temperature was
95 degrees or higher.
Those that did not irrigate for heat stress said
is greater than Photosynthesis), plant growth stops
that they never have and don’t see a need to do it.
and the tomatoes loose their sweetness.
For some, they just increased their normal irrigation
In 2011, researchers from Rutger’s University
found that under heat stress the cranberry plants
rate of photosynthesis decreased. Varieties looked
at were Demoranville, M. Queen, C. Queen and the
5-6
tioning the vines during bloom and fruit set and oth-
gy, store energy, and then use energy to maintain
Stevens varieties. They found that the Stevens variety
duration from ½ hour to an hour more than what
their normal program would require, but this being
more because fruit was present and not so much because of the air temperature.
Whose right? I walk acreage on both types of
had the lowest photosynthetic rate especially after 5
programs/philosophies and cannot see any significant
days of heat stress. The temperature where they
difference between growers. But, every marsh is dif-
saw the most reduction of photosynthetic rate was
ferent and comparisons between marshes are not
at 95 degrees F. They irrigated once for 10 minutes
really applicable. I did not have any growers who only
and the leaf temperature went back up within 1
heat stressed part of their marsh, but it would be
hour. When they irrigated the vines for 10 minutes
interesting to do so if the opportunity arises in the
every half hour from noon to 4pm, both the air and
future. Can we relate a bbl/ac increase to preventing
leaf temperature was significantly dropped compared
photosynthesis shutdown? At suppressed cranberry
to areas not irrigated.
prices and lower fuel costs, it wouldn’t be hard to
This year, I had some growers who were air condi-
economically justify. Or, if it doesn’t matter, we can
save time, fuel, and water.

Volume XXV Issue 5
July 20, 2012
Page 2
Observations from the Field
By Jayne Sojka
Lady Bug, IPM, LLC
July 10, 2012. We are already seeing a bud developing across most of Wisconsin Cranberry Growing areas. Growers are wondering how to fertilize with this kind
of phenomenon going on. In all honesty, if you have a
healthy crop under that bud you need to feed it. We certainly cannot afford to have the vines go dormant this early in the season. Over the years, I have seen a second
bloom on top of a harvestable crop. I have yet to see an
actual 2nd crop above. Then, again, I have never seen a
year like this one, so it could happen.
In Hot Spots of BHFW, I expect to see a third generation within the next week. On Tuesday, we were finding
flight with some egg laying going on already. Keep a close
eye out there as things are happening quicker than
“normal” because of the HEAT.
Everyone is asking when the flea beetles are going to
invade our cranberry vines. Typically, we see them
emerging late July. On some marshes, they are here already; that is just how this season is going. Keep in mind
that if we do not mow our dikes they may chose to feed
there instead of inside the bed. They do like pigweed,
smart weed, goldenrod, loosestrife, hardhack; stick tight
and other tasty morsels that you may wish to allow to live
within the bed instead of using roundup on all weed spe-
cies. In any
event, it seems that this pest is one that keeps on
coming we can see them from July until harvest.
Look for a brown tint to the cranberry leaves as this
pest feed on the tissue in a skeletonizing methodologytypically feeding on the underside of leaves and
leaving the veins and the upper skin of a leaf. When
the populations are intense, you will see a brown
look to the bed almost like BHFW burn.
We have talked about Umbrella Hook, Umbrella
Bloom and now I would like to show you Umbrella Set.
Several of our marshes are showing injured Stevens vines
with a set of three berries. I would not have believed
this possible had I not seen it myself. Look at the consistent size! The other slide shows what we typically see
Address Correction
If you have any address corrections, additions, or
deletions, please let us know. Please call 715-421-8440
or e-mail: [email protected]
Page 3
C r a n b e rr y C ro p M a n a g e m e n t N ew s l e t t e r
.DANGER:
Pesticides in Use
Suzanne Arendt, RedForest Crop Consulting, LLC
It’s NOT ok to say:
“We thought you’d be here tomorrow”. Please comply with the Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides.
TIPS TO PREVENT HUMAN EXPOSURE:
Please post area BEFORE you spray.
Please remove posts after the REI is expired.
No matter when you think people outside your operation will be on your marsh or off your
marsh, the LAW states that you must post each entrance to your property prior to certain pesticide applications. Certain exposure risks may not matter to some, but it does matter too many
people.
It is really one of the nicest things you can do for the people who visit your property.
References to products in this publication are for your convenience and are not an endorsement of one product over similar products. You are responsible for using
pesticides according to the manufacturer's current label directions. Follow directions exactly to protect the environment and people from pesticide exposure.
Failure to do so violates the law.
Volume XXV Issue 5
July 20, 2012
Page 4
Terrapin (Cranberry) Station
By Suzanne Arendt
RedForest Crop Consulting, LLC
Painted turtles on a log
Geologists state that 200 million years ago,
half the world died. It marked the end of the Triassic period and the end of Pangaea. The dinosaurs didn’t survive, but TURTLES did! And they
reside in success on our cranberry marshes. I find
that to be amazing and obscure. A piece of prehistoric history resides with us on our cranberry
marshes. Although, the species are different today than in the Triassic period, the turtle has not
change much in appearance and are one of the
longest living creatures around.
There are 11 species of turtles found in the
state of WI that represent 4 different families of
turtles. WI cranberry marshes have turtles from 3
of the 4 families! I personally have seen almost
50% of the species found in WI on cranberry
marshes, including the ornate box turtle, which is
listed as Endangered and the Blanding’s turtle,
which is Threatened. Our marshes provide excellent habitat for turtles which include terrestrial
areas, swampy areas, wetland areas, and rivers,
ponds or streams. We also have an abundance of
food for turtles to dine on such as worms, crickets,
minnows, crayfish, and leafy vegetation—(not including cranberry leaves ;-)).
All turtles lay their eggs on land. It takes
about 60-90 days to hatch and the sex of the turtles
is determined by the incubation temperature. At
higher temperatures, females are produced and
males at lower temperatures. I think we’ll have a
lot of female turtles this year! Turtles seem to
love the sun and there is a good reason why.
They are cold-blooded and need to get body
heat from outside sources. Turtles also absorb
vitamin D from the sun to aid in digestion and
absorption of Calcium from food. Nearly all of
WI turtles overwinter in WI turtles overwinter
in the water. Some bury themselves at the bottom and others remain motionless on the surface
of the bottom.
Habitat loss is the main threat to WI turtles.
Wetland loss, shoreline development, urban
sprawl and road construction has taken away
nesting sites and habitat from the turtles. Foxes,
raccoons, and skunk populations have increased
over time, too, which has escalated the threat to
the turtle survival. And,
cars have also killed
many turtles each year as
they cross our roads to
find nesting sites.
Cranberry growers
have helped protect our
Blanding’s Turtle
WI turtle species by providing all things necessary for them to survive and thrive in this world
today. I often see that growers will specifically
place a fallen tree on the shoreline of their
ponds/reservoirs to provide a warming spot for
the turtles to enjoy. If you haven’t done this yet,
please do. It’s great to see so many turtles on
our cranberry marshes!

Page 5
C r a n b e rr y C ro p M a n a g e m e n t N ew s l e t t e r
UW-Madison Hires New Fruit Crops
Entomologist/Pollination Ecologist
The Department of Entomology at the University of
Wisconsin will be hiring a new Fruit Crops Entomologist/
Pollination Ecologist this fall. Her name is Dr. Christelle
Guedot, and she comes to us from the Pacific Northwest
where she has been doing a postdoc with the USDA
Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers
Summer Field Day
August 8, 2012
The Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Summer Field Day
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 presents an excellent opportunity to visit with other growers and commercial exhibitors. Three mini sessions held in the morning will provide
opportunity to update yourself on renewable energy, pest
management and soil moisture monitoring.
The field day will be at:
(Yakima Area Research Laboratory). Her past research
has focused on pollinator biology and behavior, and
more recently on tree fruit IPM. She will start October
Owen Rock Cranberries
561 County Hwy W
1st, 2012, and will be based in Madison.
Hancock, WI 54943

Irrigation….Timing is everything!
By Rebecca Harbut
UW-Extension Fruit Crops Specialist
Mini Sessions
The WSCGA Education Committee and UW Extension
Faulty will be conducting three mini sessions in the morning.
They will be held in the lunch area. The third session is a
bedside demonstra­tion. The group will meet at the lunch
room and then go out on the marsh.
9:30 a.m.
It would just seem wrong to not write something
about irrigation given that I can hear the hum of the
pumps all the way down here in Madison! The high temperatures and lack of rain have certainly created the
need for both evaporative cooling in addition to meeting
crop demands for water. There have been plenty of
days where the irrigation has been on multiple times
Renewable Energy Generation for Cranberry Farms Thinking
Outside the Box – Tod Planer, WSCGA Project Specialist,
Session Chair
This session will feature a poster pre­sentation on recently
completed hydro projects, small wind velocity systems and
solar powered portable pumping stations. The workshop will
discuss tra­ditional wind and solar systems as well as low volume wind systems, hydro and new solar technologies.
during the day resulting in several hours during which
10:00 a.m.
the canopy is wet. If we couple that with the high tem-
Insect Pest Management in the 2012 Growing Season –
Shawn Steffan, USDA Agricultural Research Service Cranberry entomologist
peratures, we have rather ideal conditions for disease to
develop. While much of the conditions are beyond our
control, we can reduce the wetting hours by avoiding
evening/night irrigation when the water does not evaporate from the canopy as quickly and results in a greater
number of hours the canopy is saturated. The ideal time
to irrigate is early in the morning.

The session will cover the unusual spring temperatures of
2012 and how important Degree Days were in predict­ing
insect emergence. A secondary topic will be the way that
flooding physically removes insects (within the trash).
(continued next page)
Page 6
Volume XXV Issue 5 July 20, 2012
Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Summer Field Day (Continued p. 5)
By Matt Lippert
Wood County UW-Extension Agricultural Agent
10:30 a.m.
The Latest on Soil Moisture Monitoring - Rebecca
Harbut, UW Extension Fruit Crop Specialist Session Chair
The session will begin with a discussion on the impact of the unusual spring weather and how it relates to plant physiology. Following the presentation there will be a field demonstration of evaluating irrigation uniformity using a catch can system
as well as differ-ent technologies to track soil moisture. Leroy Kummer of Ocean Spray and Julie Ammel of NRCS will be present at the bedside portion
of the session.
NAME_____________________________________
Address____________________________________
Phone______________________________________
Indicate number of tickets for appropriate time slot(s):
Time Period
___# of Tickets
11: 00 a.m. –11:30 a.m.
____________
11:30 a.m. —12 Noon
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12:30 p.m.-1 p.m.
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Send your check ($10 per ticket) payable to:
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Advance Lunch Ticket Order Deadline: July 27, 2012
54495-0365 by July 27, 2012
Cost is $10 in Advance or $13 at the door. Please order tickets in advance to ensure a meal is available.
UW-Extension Cranberry Specialists
Jed Colquhoun
UW-Extension Fruit Crops Weed Scientist
1575 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 890-0980
[email protected]
Matthew Lippert, Agricultural Agent
Wood County Courthouse
400 Market Street; P. O. Box 8095
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-8095
(715) 421-8440
[email protected]
Rebecca Harbut
UW-Extension Fruit Crops Specialist
297 Horticulture; 1575 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-6452
[email protected]
Shawn Steffan, Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
UW-Madison, Dept of Entomology
1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1598
(608) 262-3227
[email protected]
Patty McManus
UW-Extension Fruit Crops Specialist
319B Russell Labs; 1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 265-2047
[email protected]
Juan E. Zalapa, Research Geneticist
299 Horticulture, 1575 Linden Drive
USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research
Madison, WI 53706
608-890-3997
jezalapa @wisc.edu
University of Wisconsin, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and Wisconsin counties co-operating. UW-Extension provides
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