MN Fruit & Vegetable IPM News - Vol. 3, No. 1

Strawberries are blooming early. In southern Minnesota , a few blocks are already at 10% bloom. In the Twin Cities metropolitan area, buds have emerged from the crowns in most fields, and a few flowers are open on southern slopes. There is no bloom reported north of the Twin Cities.

The early bloom has increased the potential for frost damage. Strawberries are more vulnerable to frost injury than other fruit crops because the flowers are close to the ground, and the air temperature in a strawberry field with straw will be five degrees colder than the air temperature over bare ground. Buds are susceptible to frost injury almost as soon as they emerge from the crown. Buds that are about to open can be killed if the air temperature in the field drops to 28ºF.

Site	Stage	Tarnished Plant Bugs
Faribault	5% bloom	0
Anoka	Scattered flowers	0
Monticello	20% bud emergence	0

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison (hutch002@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Management and Development Division, and Suzanne Wold-Burkness (woldx018@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota

The Newsletter is published weekly from May through August, cooperatively, by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota (U of MN). Reports are posted on the U of MN and MDA web sites on Fridays. If you have suggestions and/or comments, please send your contributions by 4 p.m., Wednesday to Jean Ciborowski, 651-201-6217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us, MDA, 625 Robert St. North, St. Paul, MN 55155-2538. You can access the Newsletter at the U of MN web site in htm format at: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/mnindex.htm and at the MDA web site in pdf format at: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ipm/ipmnews/

Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (MFVGA) and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA). These institutions are equal opportunity providers.

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