January 9,1998
SEMI-ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT

For the period: July 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997

Grant Recipient: Washington State University,
Cooperative Extension,
Whatcom County

Project Title: Nooksack Watershed Integrated Pest Management Project

Project Period: Initial start up: February 15, 1995 with Grant Agreement through December 31, 1998

Educational/Task #1

Continue to develop and deliver region/crop-specific IPM educational material to the agricultural community. Continue with the summer "Pest Notes" newsletter.

Accomplishments

Written Materials
Major sections of the Raspberry IPM Manual have been updated based on experience with the mentoring program this past summer and comments from growers and advisory committee members. Key pest insect and disease identification sheets which supplement the text and decision making matrix portions of the manual are close to completion. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has recently made a major in-kind contribution to this effort by providing fifty computer-scanned images in addition to those provided by WSU researchers and the Nooksack IPM Project.

Two final monthly issues of the seasonal newsletter, "Pest Notes From the Field", have been sent to 150 plus farmers and farm-related businesses since July of this year. This is the primary method of communicating research findings, meeting notices and pest activity to a broader grower audience. A total of six seasonal newsletters were sent out between April and October of this year.

Additional materials highlighting on-farm research efforts this season were developed and added to the Nooksack Watershed IPM Project display board. This display was used during the "Waterweeks" celebration, placed in Lynden and at the WSU Lynden Satellite research station open house at the Curt Maberry Farm.

1997 results of the mentoring program and on-farm research efforts were compiled into two separate handouts made available to Raspberry and Apple growers. These are titled: "Apple or Raspberry Project Activities 1997". Project descriptions and findings were formatted in a grower-friendly manner to facilitate improved understanding of these efforts. This format has also been shared with WSU researchers with the suggestion that they pursue a similar format when communicating their research results to farmers.

Electronic Materials
Whatcom County Cooperative Extension successfully launched a WEB page in July. The internet address is:( www.whatcom.wsu.edu). Key components of the Nooksack IPM Project including: the advisory committee members, project overview, "Pest Notes" newsletters, on-farm research results, and the manual written under this grant titled: Integrated Pest Management, Decision Making Tools for Farmers are available in this format.

Phone Recording
The weekly updated phone recording was expanded this season to serve raspberry growers as well as apple growers. Recordings began on April 14 and continued through September 8.

Public Speaking
WSU Lynden Satellite Station Open House - September 18th Western Washington Small Fruit Workshop - December 12th Skagit County Berry Growers Breakfast Meeting - October 7th

Plans

Complete the Raspberry IPM Manual by April 1, 1998 and continue work on the Apple IPM Manual with a projected completion date of December 31, 1998 if not sooner. This date coincides with this Grant Expiration Date.
Three public speaking engagements are scheduled from January through March, 1998.

Research Needs/Task #2

Identify and communicate pest-specific research needs to commodity commissions and research institutions

Accomplishments

WSU Satellite Research Station
The Nooksack IPM Project has continued to work closely with the WSU Satellite Research Station, which was funded for the second time, serving raspberry growers this season. We have cooperated by helping them identify sites for research trials, linking them with grower cooperators, and sharing lab equipment. They have contributed as well to this project by attending IPM Forum breakfast meetings and providing updates on their activities in this forum as well as in the monthly "Pest Notes" newsletter.

On-Farm Research Projects

We have completed several IPM farmer-driven research projects and communicated these results to growers through formal meetings, written materials and the IPM Forum. These projects have involved growers in all aspects of conducting on-farm research from initial design, through application of materials, development of evaluation methods, and finally data collection and analysis. Growers have a new appreciation for field research and are in a better position to steer future IPM related research conducted either by themselves or by WSU researchers. As mentioned above, summaries of these efforts were written up this fall and are available upon request. Each one of these projects has improved our understanding of alternative strategies and has influenced future traditional research direction. Projects included:

Raspberries:
Year 2 of predator mite release/augmentation as a spider mite control tactic Liquid lime sulfur(Sulforix) rate and timing trials

Apples:
Year 2 of codling moth modeling program Apollo miticide trial for European red mite control and impact to predator mites Mite counting and Pyramite miticide trial for twospot mite control and impacts to predators

Research Needs Assessment and Communication

Facilitated a meeting with raspberry growers(9/26/97) to identify and prioritize IPM research needs. These were communicated via the research committee of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission to WSU and other university researchers.

Plans

Incorporate observations and findings from on-farm research projects into manuals as appropriate. No further research projects will be conducted under this grant as this task is completed. A meeting with apple growers is scheduled for January 12 to introduce and assess grower support for a research proposal being submitted by Dr. Jim Rahe, Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada. This proposed experiment addresses infection timing and disease development of anthracnose canker, a major threat to area apple orchards in Whatcom County.

IPM Forum/ Task #3

Continue the IPM Forum allowing farmers to exchange IPM strategies and report on informal on-the-farm research.

Accomplishments
A total of ten breakfast meetings were held for raspberry and apple growers between April and September of this year. Four raspberry meetings and six apple grower meetings were held. This proved to be a very useful forum to discuss: timely pest management strategies, basics of insect and disease identification and biology, current season pest activity, results of on-farm research projects, comments from cooperators in the mentoring program, and Satellite Station updates. Growers who attended these meetings received credit towards their Washington State Pesticide Licenses. These breakfast meetings have been identfied as a key/valuable component of the Nooksack IPM Project by both commodity groups because they are well organized and facilitated in a way which is useful and not available through other existing programs.

Plans
This past season was the third and final season for this specific task as outlined in the work plan. The task is completed.

Temperature Data Loggers/Task #4

Install and maintain five data loggers to monitor weather in the field with cooperating farmers. Weather data will be correlated to beneficial insect, pest , and crop development. This technology will be used to support and enhance the on-farm research and education components of this project.

Accomplishments
Six temperature loggers (Optic StowAways) are still in place in area orchards and raspberry fields. These loggers supported the second year of our evaluation of the codling moth degree day program which allows orchardists to fine-tune their pesticide application needs and timing. We have also correlated obliquebanded leafroller moth flight to codling moth degree day units this year in raspberries. These loggers have proven to be very useful for apple growers and have potential as a predictive tool for managing weevils in raspberries as well as certain diseases in both crops.

Plans
Data will be downloaded from this equipment through March 1998 or thereabouts. There appears to be interest from apple growers for transferring this technology to individual farms but there is no ongoing funding mechanism to maintain the existing route established in this program nor to download and compile data for a broader audience during the 1998 season.. We will attempt to transfer this technology to orchardists or farm supply companies so that it can be carried on after completion of the Nooksack IPM Project. Loggers used in raspberry fields will likely be incorporated into ongoing research efforts associated with the WSU Satellite Research Station.

IPM Mentoring Project/Task #5

Use local and regional expertise to help aspiring, uninitiated farmers design and set up personal farm IPM management plans.

Accomplishments
We worked closely with three raspberry growers and three apple growers during the '97 growing season. With the help of cooperating growers, fields were scouted regularly beginning in mid-April and continuing through early September on an as-needed basis. This project educated growers on systematic sampling procedures, data collection, and record keeping which was used to help them make decisions regarding the need for and timing of pesticide applications. It also provided us with an opportunity to "field-test" the Raspberry IPM Manual. Results of the mentoring program are summarized in the "Project Activities 1997" handouts mentioned above.

Growers communicated this experience to other farmers informally through the IPM Forum as described in the 6/30/97 progress report. Since that time, raspberry growers have mentored through written contributions to "Pest Notes" and one grower gave a formal presentation at the December 12 Western Washington Small Fruit Workshop. This grower summarized his experience and described the benefits of regular scouting to over 100 berry growers in attendance. The Raspberry Mentoring Program was recently written up in both the Capital Press(September 26) and the Bellingham Herald(December 6) which fairly accurately characterized IPM as "Smart Farming", a term coined by one of the cooperators who was featured in both articles.

The mentoring program has been identified by growers as a key/valuable component of the Nooksack IPM Project and there is significant grower interest to continue this effort. It has empowered them to better identify both pests and beneficials and improved their decision making abilities. In addition, chemical farm supply fieldmen have expressed support for this program because cooperating growers are more informed and take more leadership and responsibility regarding spray needs, methods, and timing.

Plans
Grower comments will be incorporated into IPM Manuals. The active field scouting portion of this task has been completed as described in the work plan for year 3.

Project Evaluation/Task #6

Continue evaluating the project by documenting changes in IPM knowledge and application by the agricultural community using grower surveys and the Bennet Heirarchy system, as recommended by the advisory committee.

Accomplishments
The Raspberry Pest Management Survey was mailed to approximately 80 raspberry growers in Whatcom County in November. Twenty one surveys have been returned to date. Results of the recent survey will be compared to 1995 results as one method to evaluate this project.

Plans
Complete project evaluation task by April 1, 1998. In addition to comparing survey results, the Bennet Heirarchy will be used to document changes in people involvement, attitudes, and practices among raspberry and apple growers.

Performance Measures Not Achieved (if any)/ Why?:

The project is on track regarding continuation of tasks as identified in the work plan and grant agreement.

Future Challenges to Performance and General Comments:

Upon the completion of this third and final growing season it is evident that there is significant momentum underway by growers to continue pursuing an IPM approach to pest management in these commodities. Core raspberry growers have identified 4 components of this project which they feel have been very valuable and should be continued. These are the "Pest Notes Newsletter", the IPM Forum, expansion of the Mentoring program to serve more growers, and assistance with on-farm research efforts. Some growers are taking the initiative to identify funding mechanisms which will support these efforts for the 1998 growing season.

All of the field-related tasks, which have been the backbone of this project are now completed. My efforts for the remainder of this project in Year 3 will focus on project evaluation, and the completion of crop-specific IPM manuals which will assist growers in field scouting and decision-making, which is the foundation of IPM.

Contact:
Geoff Menzies
Nooksack Watershed IPM Project Manager
WSU Cooperative Extension, Whatcom County
1000 N. Forest Street
Bellingham, WA, 98225
360-384-9135
e-mail: Geoff Menzies