IPM in the News
Washington State IPM Coordinator and Extension Entomologist Doug Walsh has had an active season out outreach activities in a variety of specialty crops. In addition to conducting Field Days in mint (June 5) and alfalfa seed (June 21), he took part in several interviews resulting in popular press articles and mainstream media broadcasts.
- Mint, a crop under duress appeared in the Western Farmer-Stockman, in which Walsh discusses the stealthy and devastating effects of mint root borer and a possible pheromone-based approach to their management.
- The Spokesman-Review presented an overview of modern hop farming in the nation’s #1 hop-producing state in Washington hops bring the flavor to booming craft beer industry.
- Another Spokesman-Review article, Hop science driven by flavor trends, highlights the breeding science producing new and sought-after aroma hop varieties.
- Oregon Public Broadcasting aired Native Bees and Alfalfa Seed Farmers, A NW Love Story on June 28, 2018, a broadcast (also available as a transcript with photos) explaining the fascinating relationship between alfalfa seed production and ground-dwelling, native alkali bee
- An article in Brewbound: Craft Beer News, Events & Jobs announced the designation of WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center as the USDA-ARS and Brewers Association operating partner facility for their public hop breeding program.
Bee Proactive: Monitor Pest Mites
Honey Bee Health Specialist Brandon Hopkins has been working with commercial honey beekeepers throughout the Pacific Northwest to better understand and monitor varroa mites, a leading cause of Colony Collapse Disorder. His team has visited four large-scale beekeepers and conducted training sessions on use of a field shaker device to spot-check for the presence of the aptly named Varroa destructor. Hopkins’ goal is to further the basic IPM principle of monitoring prior to treatment to help forestall development of resistance among the mite pests to the limited number of available controls.
Hopkins also enjoys helping wider audiences understand bees and the roles that they play in our lives and our environment. He was recently interviewed for the educational website Ask Dr. Universe, where he helped Dr. Universe and young readers understand How Bees Make Honey.
Stinky Science
Tree Fruit IPM Extension Specialist Betsy Beers was also active in youth education with a Dr. Universe interview in June. An 11-year-old reader posed the question, “Why Do Stink Bugs Stink?” and Beers had the answer. As a continuing part of her team’s grassroots outreach on brown marmorated stinkbug (BMSB), Beers explained the source of the “stink” (spoiler alert: a gland in the BMSB thorax) and also helped young readers learn to identify BMSB, understand why it’s a problem in fruit production, and even become citizen scientists by finding BMSBs and sending photos (along with date and location) to the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center’s “Report BMSB” email for possible inclusion in the TFREC BMSB sightings database. Grown-ups wanting to know more about this invasive pest can go to Beers’ Brown Marmorated Stink Bug web page.
Giving Thanks for Cranberry IPM
WSU’s Long Beach Research and Extension Unit (LBREU) has a decades-long history of providing IPM information and training to cranberry growers, thanks in large part to the efforts of Pacific County Extension Director Kim Patten. Growing an aquatic crop in a sensitive marine environment presents a host of challenges. Patten’s spring 2018 Cranberry IPM workshop included specific information on improving insect monitoring and explained how a strong IPM program can positively impact a grower’s bottom line.
Also available to cranberry growers as they started their season was the 2018 Cranberry Pest Management Guide, an annually updated publication. Patten and co-author Catherine Daniels provide information on all aspects of cranberry IPM, including when and how to use pesticides safely and effectively and how to identify the insects, diseases, and weeds important in production of this unique aquatic crop.
Weed Whacking in Peas & Lentils
Small Grains Extension Specialist Drew Lyon and his team have produced an Herbicide Mechanism of Action (MOA) tool for pulse crop growers. Pulse (chickpea, lentil, dry pea) growers can learn how (and why) to use this tool by viewing the 8-minute webinar posted on the US Dry Pea and Lentil Council’s (USDPLC) website. The tool is searchable by trade name, active ingredient, MOA group, or resistant weed. Lyon appears on the video, which his team recorded for use at USDPLC’s annual grower meeting and beyond. The team has also made recent updates to their popular Herbicide MOA Tool for Wheat, available through the WSU Small Grains website.
Hands-On IPM in Wine Grapes
Extension Viticulturist Michelle Moyer continued her outreach in fungicide resistance and powdery mildew management with presentations to wine grape growers on Red Mountain (April 11), in Walla Walla (April 27), and at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE) Annual Grower Meeting (June 5). She also hosted SMWE viticulture technicians and interns on June 20 for training in canopy management and to participate in developing a powdery mildew resistance monitoring protocol. Moyer wrapped up the quarter by hosting a full-day Western Washington Vineyard Workshop on June 27 featuring sprayer demonstrations and in-field scouting training with graduate student Margaret McCoy (PhD 2020). Moyer’s group, led by graduate student Katherine East (PhD 2019) and research technician Maria Mireles, hosted a tour of State Legislative Representatives (also on June 27) to view and discuss IPM in vineyards.
Grafting Goes Gangbusters
Vegetable Extension Specialist Carol Miles has been making great strides in vegetable grafting outreach. This quarter marked the release of the online Vegetable Grafting Manual in cooperation with The Ohio State University, University of Florida, Purdue University, USDA-ARS, and the World Vegetable Center, as well as a Guide for Hosting a Vegetable Grafting Workshop produced by Miles and her team of graduate students and research assistants at WSU. Together, these documents provide a solid foundation for modern growers interested in exploring this age-old technique for enhanced production (including pest/disease management) in certain vegetable crops. Articles publicizing these resources have appeared in Vegetable Growers News, Whatcom Ag Monthly, and other publications.
Graduate students Pinki Devi (PhD 2020) and Abigail Attavar (MS 2019) developed and delivered a lesson focusing on grafting as an effective biological disease management strategy. Their class was delivered to 13 graduate students in Dr. Lindsey du Toit’s Field Plant Pathology class on June 15, 2018 at WSU Mount Vernon Northwest Washington Research and Extension Center. Students also learned the disease cycle of Verticillium dahliae, which causes verticillium wilt in solanaceous and cucurbit crops, and were asked to differentiate two species of Verticillium under a microscope based on morphological features.
Out Standing in His (Potato) Field
Regional Vegetable Specialist Tim Waters spoke at the WSU Potato Field Day on June 21. Approximately 300 individuals attended the event. Waters’ topics included:
- Discussion of a current research project determining whether Lygus bugs are an economic pest of potatoes in our region
- Evaluating the impact of the growing season on the longevity of insecticides (specifically neonicotinoids) applied at planting
For more information, visit the Potatoes at WSU website.