Rootstocks A Key Topic in Wine Grapes
Extension Viticulturist Michelle Moyer has been spreading the word about non-vinifera rootstocks and their contribution to overcoming biotic (e.g., phylloxera, nematodes) and abiotic (environmental, salt, pH, drought) stresses in wine grape plantings. Washington State has a history of using own-rooted Vitis vinifera (wine grape) plants, but pest pressures in recent years have caused researchers and growers to change course. A Rootstock Field Day was held July 15 to familiarize growers with use and advantages of rootstocks in their future plantings.
The annual WSU / Washington State Grape Society Viticulture Field Day was held August 11 at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser. Attendees represented approximately 25% of total wine grape acreage in the state. Moyer and her team and colleagues presented information about the emerging and invasive Japanese beetle and about sprayer alternatives including drone-based spraying, no-residue machines, and solid set sprayer designs.
Kudos to Moyer and co-authors Katherine East, Inga Zasada, and Julie Tarara on formal industry-wide recognition of their 2021 article Field Performance of Winegrape Rootstocks and Fumigation during Establishment of a Chardonnay Vineyard in Washington, which won the 2002 Best Viticulture Paper award from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.
On-Farm Outreach to Diverse Olympic Peninsula Growers
It has been a busy season for small farm visits in Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap counties. Regional Horticulture and IPM Specialist Laurel Moulton consulted one-on-one with farmers on topics including:
- Troubleshooting root disease in high tunnel tomatoes
- Diagnosing crane fly and flea beetle infestations
- Organic IPM options for mummy berry and soil issues in raspberry and blueberry
- Creating an IPM plan for diverse high tunnel crops to reduce pesticide use and avoid pest rebound problems.
- Using AgWeatherNet as a resource for IPM planning
- Identifying weeds and discussing management options
Moulton organized a Dirt Talk Farm Walk on Chi’s Farm in Sequim on July 15. Dirt Talk is a farmer-to-farmer networking and learning series presented by WSU Regional Small Farms Program in which program staff collaborate with a local farmer willing to share expertise on a given topic. Moulton and farm owner Scott Chichester focused on high tunnel growing techniques and pest and disease prevention and management strategies.
In continuing collaboration with fellow Extension IPM Team member Carol Miles and her team, Moulton worked with two small farms on the Kitsap Peninsula to plant and grow wireworm-resistant sweet potatoes for Miles’ trials.
Moulton also gave a talk entitled “Inspiring Master Gardeners Around New Initiatives: Climate Action” at the WSU Master Gardener Advanced Education Conference, held September 28-October 1 in Olympia.
BDM Updates and NWREC in the News
Vegetable Horticulture Specialist Carol Miles was interviewed for the Summer 2022 edition of Washington State magazine. The article, Seeds Sown, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC), for which Miles serves as Director. The center’s roots are in vegetable seed pathology, but today’s NWREC scientists also conduct research and outreach in vegetable and small fruit horticulture and pathology, soil science, horticultural crops, forestry entomology, and IPM for conventional and organic production systems. Their research includes herbicide substitutes; pollination improvements; new ways to control diseases affecting potatoes, cruciferous seed crops, and blueberries; and use of soil-biodegradable mulches. “We do what we did at the start,” Miles says in the article. “We continue to help growers solve their problems.”
Miles and graduate research assistant Srijana Shrestha continue their outreach on soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) as a sustainable alternative to polyethylene (PE) mulch for weed control, soil temperature modification, soil moisture retention, earlier harvest, and improved soil quality. A new fact sheet, Plastic Mulch Use and Management: In-Field Biodegradation of Soil-Biodegradable Mulch (pdf) was released this quarter, along with the first issue of a quarterly e-newsletter, BDM Updates. Both outline the benefits of BDM use, explain the international biodegradability standard, and provide additional science-based information and resources.
To receive BDM Updates, along with the semiannual Sustainable Mulch Management, go to the WSU Plastic Mulches subscription page.
In-Field Outreach to Onion and Potato Growers
Regional Vegetable Specialist Tim Waters and colleagues Carrie Wohleb and Matthew Blua held a Potato IPM Workshop on June 30. The workshop, co-sponsored by WSU Extension, the Washington State Potato Commission, and the Washington State Potato Foundation was intended for potato growers, field scouts, crop consultants, and processing company representatives interested in IPM. Topics included basic principles of IPM and steps for diagnosing problems in the field. Sessions took place both inside and outside the WSU Othello Research Unit.
Twelve editions of WSU Potato Alerts were issued to subscribers in July, August, and September, for a total of 19 issues in the 2022 growing season. Topics included potato psyllids, beet leafhoppers, aphids, lygus bugs, beneficial insects, nematodes, Colorado potato beetles, potato tuber worm, spider mites, late blight, blackleg, and use of the WSU Potato Decision Aid System.
WSU Onion Alerts this quarter provided information on workshops, field days, and other events for onion growers and stakeholders, including the WSU Extension Onion Field Day, which was held August 25. Participants heard presentations by WSU onion researchers and were able to examine 53 onion cultivars in the field.
Parties interested in subscribing to the Potato or Onion Alerts or information about other crops and systems can do so at the WSU Extension subscription page.
Blog Posts, Podcasts, and More for Wheat Growers
Small Grains Extension Specialist Drew Lyon continued his program of IPM outreach through the WSU Wheat & Small Grains website.
IPM-related posts in the Weeders of the West blog this quarter included:
- Waterhemp Is Here, Is Palmer Amaranth Next?, a sobering look at two troublesome amaranth weeds by University of Idaho’s Albert Adjesiwor
- A primer on identification of the dreaded pigweed, Palmer Amaranth is Lurking in Fields in the Pacific Northwest: Is It in Your Field?, by Oregon State University’s Joel Felix
- Observations and open-ended questions about the practical utility of basic weed biology, which is incremental and bordering on esoteric by nature, to practical weed management by OSU’s John Spring in What Is the Value of Weed Biology Research to Applied Management?
- Lyon’s own Herbicides Are Not the Solution, a word-to-the-wise on the necessity of IPM-based weed control
Other resources on the website include the Wheat Beat podcast, decision aid tools, and a link to Timely Topic articles such as Lyon’s on Wheat Harvest and Weeds.
Also this quarter, the 2022 Field Day Abstracts (pdf) were made available online. This 62-page document is packed with highlights of research progress by WSU, U of I, and OSU. Pages 48-60 focus specifically on pathology, weeds, and insects. Current and past abstracts can be found on the WSU Crop and Soil Sciences website.
Hands-On Help for Hop and Wine Grape Growers
Washington State IPM Coordinator and Extension Entomologist Doug Walsh was joined by USDA-ARS Plant Pathologist David Gent for a Hop IPM Strategies Field Day on July 13. The event, presented by Hop Growers of Washington, included both field and classroom discussions and demonstrations and was held at WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser. Participants received copies of the Field Guide for Integrated Pest Management in Hops, a collaborative effort between WSU, USDA-ARS, Oregon State University, University of Idaho, and Michigan State University. The guide contains 200+ color photos and detailed information on identification and diagnosis of pest problems in hops.
Walsh joined Melissa Hansen, Research Program Director for Washington State Wine Commission, for a press conference in Woodinville on August 25 highlighting the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grants for 2022. WSDA awarded $4.7 million in funding from the United States Department of Agriculture this year to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state. Twenty organizations were awarded funds, including $205,200 to the wine commission, which is partnering with Walsh and WSU to develop a strategy for controlling grapevine leafroll. The novel strategy, which has proven effective in pilot studies, involves use of mating disruption against grape mealybug, the primary vector of this disease in Washington State vineyards.
Orchardist Outreach Focuses on Pollinators
Honey Bee Health Specialist Brandon Hopkins took part in a Summer Field Day sponsored by the Okanogan Horticultural Association on August 3. The 2-hour educational event, held in a SugarBee apple orchard in Pateros, focused on two IPM-related topics relevant to orchardists: natural enemy releases (presented by Research Entomologist Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris of USDA-ARS) and optimizing pollinator success (presented by Hopkins’ team).
Schmidt-Jeffris presentation, Natural Enemy Releases for Integrated Pest Management, addressed the importance of natural enemies in the ecosystem and whether intentional releases work. A demonstration of natural enemy release by drone was conducted.
Hopkins brought an observation hive, a nucleus hive, and a full-size honey bee hive for his demonstration, Assessing Honey Bee Colony Strength and Improving Pollination. Attendees learned:
- How to assess a hive
- Best management practices (BMPs) to optimize pollination
- Pesticide BMPs to support native bees and honey bees
- Impacts of this year’s unusually cool spring weather on pollination and crop load
Participants had the option of observing the hives from a distance, but many took advantage of the learning opportunity (and the protective veils provided by the bee team) and moved in for a closer look at the hives. There were no stings, just a lot of great questions and interest in how to help the bees and improve pollination.
SLF and TOH Videos in Production for Washington Citizens
Urban IPM Coordinator Carrie Foss and WSU CAHNRS Communications Video Producer/ Director Darrell Kilgore finished filming videos about a potential invasive pest spotted lanternfly (SLF) and its preferred host tree of heaven (TOH). Experts interviewed for the videos included Joshua Milnes, Wendy DesCamp, and Cassie Cichorz (pdf) (WSDA Pest Program) and Doug Walsh (WSU Department of Entomology). A SLF life cycle graphic was completed by WSU CAHNRS Communications Creative Manager Gerald Steffen. Additional graphics including distribution maps of SLF and TOH are under development. Both videos are in post-production with anticipated release in late December.
With help from IT Assistant Craig Lawrence, the long-anticipated migration of the popular Hortsense website is now underway. Hortsense has been a go-to resource for research-based landscape and garden IPM information since 1994. Over the next several months, Foss and Lawrence will be migrating some 1,400 fact sheets and >2,400 images to the new platform, providing an updated user experience on Washington plant problems, pest identification and biology, effective non-chemical management methods, and registered home garden pesticides.
Also this quarter, Foss collaborated with Jennifer Marquis, statewide leader of the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program, in developing an agenda and finalizing speakers for Master Gardener Advanced Training on Pollinators, a webinar that will be offered in early 2023.