diff --git a/src/main/java/no/bioforsk/vips/model/applescabmodel/AppleScabModel.java b/src/main/java/no/bioforsk/vips/model/applescabmodel/AppleScabModel.java
index 21e865c00002a0981a37c2e5d54202a465203634..6e40d18b278c1d890b54987c1b5ef1ca910b0819 100644
--- a/src/main/java/no/bioforsk/vips/model/applescabmodel/AppleScabModel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/no/bioforsk/vips/model/applescabmodel/AppleScabModel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package no.bioforsk.vips.model.applescabmodel;
 
+import java.text.DateFormat;
+import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Calendar;
@@ -198,7 +200,7 @@ public class AppleScabModel extends I18nImpl implements Model{
                 "\t\"modelId\":\"" + MODEL_ID.toString() + "\",\n" +
                 "\t\"configParameters\":{\n" +
                 "\t\t\"timeZone\":\"Europe/Oslo\",\n" +
-                "\t\t\"startDateAscosporeMaturity\":\"2012-03-25T00:00:00+01:00\",\n" +
+                "\t\t\"startDateAscosporeMaturity\":\"2012-03-25\",\n" +
                 "\t\t\"observations\":[\n" +
                 "\t\t{\n" +
                 "\t\t\t\t\"timeMeasured\": \"2012-03-25T00:00:00+02:00\",\n" +
@@ -238,9 +240,40 @@ public class AppleScabModel extends I18nImpl implements Model{
         
         initCollections();
         ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
-        this.startDateAscosporeMaturity = mapper.convertValue(config.getConfigParameter("startDateAscosporeMaturity"), new TypeReference<java.util.Date>(){});
+        
+        // Setting timezone
         this.timeZone = TimeZone.getTimeZone((String) config.getConfigParameter("timeZone"));
-                //mapper.convertValue(config.getConfigParameter("timeZone"), new TypeReference<java.util.TimeZone>(){});
+        
+        //this.startDateAscosporeMaturity = mapper.convertValue(config.getConfigParameter("startDateAscosporeMaturity"), new TypeReference<java.util.Date>(){});
+        String[] dateparts;
+        try
+        {
+            dateparts = config.getConfigParameter("startDateAscosporeMaturity").toString().split("-");
+        }
+        catch (NullPointerException ex){
+            throw new ConfigValidationException("startDateAscosporeMaturity not set");
+        }
+        try
+        {
+            Integer year = Integer.valueOf(dateparts[0]);
+            Integer month = Integer.valueOf(dateparts[1]);
+            Integer date = Integer.valueOf(dateparts[2]);
+
+            Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance(timeZone);
+            cal.set(year, month-1, date, 0, 0, 0);
+            cal.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0);
+
+            this.startDateAscosporeMaturity = cal.getTime();
+        }
+        catch(NumberFormatException | ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException ex)
+        {
+            throw new ConfigValidationException("Illegal date format for startDateAscosporeMaturity: " + config.getConfigParameter("startDateAscosporeMaturity"));
+        }
+        
+        
+        
+        
+        //mapper.convertValue(config.getConfigParameter("timeZone"), new TypeReference<java.util.TimeZone>(){});
         this.calculations = new AppleScabCalculations();
         List<WeatherObservation> observations = mapper.convertValue(config.getConfigParameter("observations"), new TypeReference<List<WeatherObservation>>(){});
         for(WeatherObservation o:observations)