“Pest Activity and Scouting Tips for Raspberry and Apple Growers”
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Project Update We are winding down what has been a very busy summer season in this third and final year of the Nooksack IPM Project. It is hard for me to believe that this project is ending so soon. Although we are on schedule with all of the activities as outlined in the project, it seems that the momentum towards implementation of practical IPM methods by farmers is just getting underway. True application of IPM occasionally requires some adjustment in a farmer's daily activities. We all know that most change is slow to occur. Considering that most IPM systems are based on many years of research and testing both in the field and the lab, with less than 3 years behind us, we have collectively helped to shape the future of IPM for raspberry and apple growers in Whatcom County. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the growers, fieldmen, and researchers who have supported this project through significant contributions of both their time and their knowledge. Your efforts continue to be greatly appreciated. Advisory Committee Meeting The Nooksack IPM Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, Nov. 3rd at the Curt Maberry Farm lunchroom from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. This is just a reminder to members of the committee. We don't meet very often, but your attendance at this meeting is very important as this may be your last chance to influence work that will be carried out this winter, primarily the completion of written IPM manuals. MARK YOUR CALENDARS. IPM Manuals Completion of raspberry and apple IPM scouting and decision making manuals will be the major focus of my efforts this winter. These manuals are organized by crop development stage and are intended to bring together insect, mite, and disease pest management information from various sources into one document that addresses key pests affecting these crops in Whatcom County. The Raspberry IPM manual (April 97 draft) has been through an initial technical review by WSU and BC researchers and was used to support our mentoring program this summer. I plan to incorporate comments from the advisory committee, mentors and other growers and fieldmen who are interested. If you have questions about these manuals and how you might become involved, please contact me. |
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Raspberry Growers
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Raspberry IPM Survey Evaluation of the Nooksack IPM Project will be based partially on grower responses to a survey that was taken in December 1995 and then again near completion of the project. The initial survey was filled out during the 1995 WSU Small Fruit Workshop held in Lynden. The final survey is being mailed out soon with the notice for the upcoming December 12, WSU Small Fruit Workshop held at Peoples Place at the Lynden Fairgrounds. You will receive a $10 discount from the workshop fee if you fill out and return this survey when you register for the workshop. Please call Geoff Menzies if you have any questions at 384-9135. |
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IPM Mentoring Project, A Grower`s Perspective PRACTICAL FARMING by Tena Ondeck The IPM Mentoring/Monitoring Project is the result of farmers uniting with IPM to develop common sense farming techniques with growers as the foundation of the project. Few people realize the extent of valuable information that can be gained from monitoring but when used consistently, results of data collection can provide the farmer with valuable knowledge. This approach focuses on careful observation of diseases, insect pests, and predators in order to achieve a more effective approach to controlling them. Using a manual based on crop stage and pest development, a magnifying lens and beating tray, we scouted our fields from early April through the first week in September- usually twice during each stage from dormancy through post-harvest. Four to five sites were monitored in each of the fields. Disease and insect pressure was evaluated by examining the plants and using beating trays to knock pests from the canopy. Results from each scouting were recorded in a one-page report. These " snapshots in the field" gave us valuable information to make decisions about our maintenance program. In our case, the Mentoring/Monitoring program highlighted the need to deal with a specific pest problem, the rough strawberry root weevil. We cooperated with folks at the Satellite Station to help determine when this weevil begins laying eggs. This allowed us to determine the optimum time to spray. We also experimented with a lower canopy spray of Brigade, which reduced our material cost by 80% versus a full canopy treatment, and gave great control. Using a beating tray to sample for fruitworm, we were also able to improve our spray timing compared to last season and got by with one spray instead of two. I have enjoyed the chance to work with
other farmers and found this to be an excellent opportunity to
do further research on our own farm. It is our hope that this
mentoring project and breakfast meetings will continue and expand
to include other interested farmers. In summary, this mentoring
project helped me: IPM Research Needs Assessment - or - What Do We Do Next? Following the WSU Satellite Station Open House, a small group of growers, fieldmen, researchers and extension folks met to discuss research needs for the coming year. We expanded on some of the usual main topics in an effort to build on field and lab research that has been done over the past two years. Input from this meeting was included in a list of research interests sent by the Raspberry Commission Research Committee to researchers at WSU, Puyallup. Thanks for contributing. Proposals from researchers are due back to the commission in mid-November. The research committee will then hear presentations on ongoing projects and new proposals at a December 10 meeting at the WSU Research and Extension Center in Puyallup and projects will be finalized the following day. |
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Apple Growers
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Anthracnose Canker Jim Rahe, plant pathologist at Simon Fraser University, is our resident expert on this disease of apples in Whatcom County and the lower mainland BC. He should have a research proposal written up in late October to conduct field and lab work with this disease here in Whatcom County. The purpose of this research is to determine when and under what specific conditions spring and summer air- discharged spores (ascospores) are released and may be infectious. He has monitored overwintering cankers this season and his work suggests that ascospores are likely discharged under our orchard conditions from late March through the summer, and this discharge is favored by wet conditions. The specific role of this spore type in the infection and development of the disease is unknown. Jim's work, if funded at least in part by Whatcom and Skagit apple growers, should help us better understand and manage this threatening disease. Apple growers will be notified as soon as I have his proposal in hand. |
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Research Topics
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On-Farm Research Based on on-farm research at Tom Sewell's orchard described in the August newsletter, Apollo looks like a good choice for controlling both European red mites (ERM) and apple rust mites in Galas, our most mite-sensitive variety. Following a mid-April application estimated to cost about $10/acre in materials, red mites never exceeded .5/leaf and rust mites peaked at 67/leaf versus 325/leaf in non-treated neighboring Jonagolds. There was no significant difference in predator mite (T. occidentalis) populations between the plots which built from late July through late August up to 2 predator mites/leaf. Although this trial did not compare Apollo treated to untreated within the Gala variety alone, a comparison to last years' counts is interesting. The same block was treated with Vendex once ERMs reached 16/leaf and rust mites reached 700/leaf in late July. Of course it is difficult to make comparisons between years when conditions are different. This one should be studied again next season, but looks pretty good so far. Pyramite After a late July mite counting workshop at the Belisle orchard, we decided to follow this orchard closely, collecting and brushing leaves on a weekly basis through early September, often with the help of Dorie Belisle. This young Jonagold block had a building twospot mite population without the desirable array of predator mites, which is somewhat typical of young orchards in our area. The twospot count jumped rapidly within a week from 16- 70 mites/leaf in mid-August with an accompanying low ratio of predators. There was a predator mite response but it was too light and too late. Although pyramite (pyridaben) was applied later than what might have been optimum timing, when applied on 8/22 it provided good control (90% reduction) of spider mites 17 days after application. This material blocks cellular respiration causing spider mites to lose coordination and eventually collapse. With the recent loss of Omite, this material looks good. IPM Mentoring Project Using information from temperature loggers and trap catch data, growers have been able to fine-tune their codling moth program. There is significant variation in codling moth pressure between orchards and using the model we are able to respond to these variations. The combination of field scouting and leaf brushing for spider mites and their predators showed that summer sprays for spider mites were not necessary in these predominant Jonagold blocks. Spider mites reached densities of up to 15/leaf in early August, but usually with a corresponding predator mite count in the range of .5 to 2/leaf, a favorable ratio for biological control. Thiodan was used successfully as a spot treatment in one block to suppress rust mites in early July, when they had reached densities of well over 500/leaf. Brushing and counting mites under a scope proved to be a useful method to gain insight into population trends, which are difficult to determine with field scouting alone, and helped in decision making. There is some interest from growers to explore ways to continue this service next season. Our major nemesis this year was apple scab. Primary infections were not adequately controlled in some orchards which resulted in significant fruit infection and lost value at harvest through cullage. Disease intensity is variable even within a block, but the hardest hit block averaged 40% fruit infection at harvest. In addition to damaged fruit, some growers were forced to increase fungicide spray frequency through the summer to suppress secondary scab. This experience confirms the importance of controlling primary scab with either a well timed eradicant program based on site-specific weather modelling or a protectant strategy through the primary scab infection period. We will be investigating a temperature model for ascospore maturity (primary infection) this winter for field application next season. |
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Lepidoptera:Olethreutidae Laspeyresia pomonella (L.) |
Codling Moth Program As of Friday,
October 3, heat accumulation in area orchards was as follows: For Information Contact: Geoff
Menzies, Project Coordinator |
| Funding for this newsletter is provided by Washington State Department of Ecology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. | |
Codling
Moth