When you receive an Apple Insect E-Weather product from SkyBit (email or fax) , the top of the form will look like the example below:
Information is provided on the current date, where the form originated, who the email or fax is being sent to, and what the product is. Additional information is supplied giving the state, county, location of the site for which the product is being generated.
The information below is a sample of how the rest of the form will look:
Let's break this down by sections
This column indicates the month and day
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0601 = June 1st 0602 = June 2nd 0603 = June 3rd |
This next section gives general weather data relevant to a pest activity under the variable headers of maximum temperature (TMX), minimum temperature (TMN),and precipitation (PREC).
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TMX= | Maximum temperature in degrees Fahrenheit |
| TMN = | Minimum temperature for that day in degrees Fahrenheit | |
| PREC = | Amount of precipitation in inches |
This section is a reference (REF) degree-day calculation (DD) and accumulation (ADD) that serves as a "yardstick" for the year. The reference degree-day calculations use a 43 F base and begin on January 1. You can choose to begin accumulating degree days for base 43 F on any day after January 1 by subtracting the listed total on the day of interest.
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The third vertical section of the IPM Apple Insect product lists the six insects being tracked in the 1998 season. They are indentified by their headers: Oriental fruit moth (OFM), codling moth (CM), tufted apple bud moth (TABM), obliquebanded leafroller (OBLR), spotted tentiform leaf minor (STLM), and apple maggot (AM). The insect stage requiring control treatments is listed below each species header. Below the stage needing control is the biofix date. For example, under most of the insects shown in the IPM Apple Insect product, "HATCH" has been listed as an important insect stage needing control measures. The critical stage identified for apple maggot (AM) is adult emergence (EMER). An example of a biofix date associated with a stage, such egg hatch, at a particular site could be April 9, 1998, which would be shown as "980409" on the product just under the "HATCH" header.
There are two columns beneath the insect
headers for name, control stage, and biofix date. The two columns represent the percent
(%) development of the insect stage needing treatment and the pest window (PW). Under the
"%" column, models in the product track each development stage and label those
that are not in need of control with a "0." As a pest enters into a critical
stage requiring control treatments, the numbers reported under the "%" column
will steadily increase in value until they reach 100%. At 100%, the insect has reached the
end of itscontrol stage and continues on with its life cycle, and possibly, itsnext
generation.
The second column under the species header is the pest window (PW). The pest window (PW),
through the use of symbols, is a measure of insect activity. A negative (-) symbol
indicates a "wait" pest window. A "wait" window means there is no
insect activity expected for the prevailing weather conditions on that day. A positive (+)
symbol represents a "watch" pest window. A "watch" window means that a
insect has become active but has not reached a treatment stage based on weather conditions
up to that day. A double positive (++) symbol indicates a "warning" pest window.
A "warning" window means that an insect has reached a stage, which must be
controlled in order to prevent injury to a crop. The pest windows are defined at the
bottom of the product for easy reference.
The positive or active symbol (+) in the beginning of the season marks the period when
monitoring traps should be placed in an orchard. For pests with multiple generations, the
active symbol (+) identifies between-generation life stages that are not generally
targeted with control measures.
Information for Ornamental Fruit Moth (OFM)
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HATCH = | Insect Control Stage |
| 980420 = | Biofix Date | |
| % = | % Development of the insect stage needing treatment | |
| PW = | Pest Wait/Watch/Warning - = not active + = active but no infection ++ = possible infection & damage |
Information for Coddling Moth (CM)
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HATCH = | Insect Control Stage |
| 980507 = | Biofix Date | |
| % = | % Development of the insect stage needing treatment | |
| PW = | Pest Wait/Watch/Warning - = not active + = active but no infection ++ = possible infection & damage |
Information for Tufted Apple Bud Moth (TABM)
 |
HATCH = | Insect Control Stage |
| 980515 = | Biofix Date | |
| % = | % Development of the insect stage needing treatment | |
| PW = | Pest Wait/Watch/Warning - = not active + = active but no infection ++ = possible infection & damage |
Information for Obliquebanded Leafroller (OBLR)
 |
HATCH = | Insect Control Stage |
| 980530 = | Biofix Date | |
| % = | % Development of the insect stage needing treatment | |
| PW = | Pest Wait/Watch/Warning - = not active + = active but no infection ++ = possible infection & damage |
Information for Spotted Tentiform Leafminer (STLM)
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HATCH = | Insect Control Stage |
| 980331 = | Biofix Date | |
| % = | % Development of the insect stage needing treatment | |
| PW = | Pest Wait/Watch/Warning - = not active + = active but no infection ++ = possible infection & damage |
Information for Apple Maggot (AM)
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EMER = | Insect Control Stage |
| % = | % Development of the insect stage needing treatment | |
| PW = | Pest Wait/Watch/Warning - = not active + = active but no infection ++ = possible infection & damage |
Please remember that the insect models used to generate the percent development (%) and pest window (PW) symbols are experimental. They assume that every insect is present in your orchard. The model results should be used only as a guideline. You should rely on other sources of information when making a management decision.
