Adult stinkbugs puncture fruit with their beaks to feed on the fruit flesh. Stinkbug damage in apples can occur beginning in mid-summer and accumulate through the harvest period when new adults move into the orchard from outside habitats.

Those expecting to export apples to Taiwan need to have their training updated every two years and use the sampling protocols negotiated with Taiwan. Three Orchard and Field Bin Sampling Protocol training sessions are scheduled for August.

Bin piles placed in the orchard are often a source of codling moth. Larvae spin up in the bins in the fall and emerge when the bins are placed in the field. Because the bins in the center of a pile are insulated from temperature changes, adults emerge from bins at different times than predicted by the model.

Around-the-clock and accurate weather data are at the core of DAS. But when they are missing, DAS cannot make model predictions. While insect and plant development models are less prone to disruption, disease models cannot run without the necessary weather input.

The Fire Blight (CougarBlight) model is a blossom infection model and intended for use during moderate temperatures (50-86°F) that usually occur during spring and early summer and when flowers are open. This blossom infection model attempts...