What's HOT in Caneberry Production and Research

(Updated 27 January 2010)

Upcoming Meetings|Pesticides and Pests | Horticultual Topics |Miscellaneous Topics |

2010 Revisions to Pest Management Guide for Commercial Small Fruits:

The revised Pest Management Guide for Commercial Small Fruits now available. (The Pest Management Guide is available on-line for free. Hard copies are also available for $6.00 plus $5.27 shipping.  Call 540-231-1322). Tables of recommendations for commercial caneberries are also available in the fruit web page.

2010 Revisions to Home Fruit Spray Guide:

The revised Pest Management Guide for Home Small Fruits is now available. (The Pest Management Guide is available on-line for free. Hard copies are also available for $5.00 plus $5.27 shipping.  Call 540-231-1322).  Recommendations for home caneberries are also available in the web page.

New edition!
Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide - Produced by Penn State, Rutgers Univ., Univ. Delaware, West Virginia Univ., Univ. Maryland and Virginia Tech. Order through Penn State for $20.00.

Upcoming Meetings:
3rd Annual Virginia Berry Production and Marketing Conference - Thursday, March 11, 2010 (9:00-4:30), at the L. Douglas Wilder Building at Viirginia State University.  Contact Reza Rafie for further information. (2nd Annual Conf.)

Pesticides and Pests:

bifenthrin - Capture 2EC has been approved by EPA as a drench treatment for raspberry crown borer.  Apply post-harvest (fall) or pre-bloom (spring), as a drench application directed at the crown of plants in a minimum of 200 gal water/A. Greater efficacy is observed at higher water gallonages up to 400 gal/A, or in an application prior to a significant rainfall event. Do not make a prebloom foliar and prebloom drench application. See supplemental label.

carbaryl - EPA announces Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED - this pdf exceeds 300p. See also 6-page fact sheet) for carbaryl on 10/27/04.  On 30 March 2005, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) requested that EPA revoke all tolerances for carbaryl.  NRDC's letter to EPA is posted (html).  EPA's assessment of human health and environmental risks of carbaryl, and finding on whether the tolerances for carbaryl comply with the safety standard in FFDCA section 408, as amended by the FQPA, are contained in the IRED document for carbaryl, which is available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, under docket number OPP-2003-0376. (More information on risk assessment is available).  The e-docket for this issue has several items listed (NRDC letter, notice of EPA of public comment period, public input, and an opportunity to provide input.  Public comments must be received by May 31, 2005. On 13 Oct 06, EPA announced a petition from Washington Toxics has been received to cancel all tolerances of carbaryl.   In the Regulations.gov page, search on ID no. EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0801.  Following that link, one can also find a link to the carbaryl IRED (Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision).  Public comments are requested and must be received by 13 Nov 06.

spinetoram - A new active ingredient in the same class as spinosad (SpinTor, Entrust) has been registered for fruit crops. Delegate WG is registered on pome and stone fruits, bushberries, caneberries and grape.  Radiant SC is the formulation registered on strawberries.

For some industry discussion on FQPA changes and issues, see Issues section of the CropLife America web site.


Horticultural Topics:
Shift-trellises for Brambles:
The late Dr. Herb Stiles published two experiment station bulletins on trellising systems for brambles (Va. Agric. Exp. Stn Bull. 95-2 and 99-1). Abstracts are available here for publications on Shift trellis and Limited Arm Rotation Shift Trellis systems. For the entire publications, go the the Horticultural Topic sections.

Miscellaneous Topics:

New name for NABGA:  The North American Bramble Growers has changed its name!  It is now the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association, NARBA.  There is new contact information as well.  The new e-mail is info@raspberryblackberry.com, and the new phone is 919-542-4037.

New!  A new active ingredient has been labeled on fruit crops.  See rynaxypyr, or Altacor, listed below under pesticide registrations

New!  The College of Agriculture and Life Science at Virginia Tech has established a new on-line Master's in Agriculture and Life Sciences.   This curriculum has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education and is now accepting applications for Fall semester 2007.  In this program, you can earn a master's degree in agriculture while working in your current job - emphasis is on education for place-bound learners, and all courses are taken on-line.  In addition to a core area, there are courses offered in five areas of concentration: (1) Biosecurity, Bioregulations and Public Health, (2) Education, (3) Environmental Science, (4) Food Safety, and (5) Plant Science and Pest Management.  In addition to course work, the student completes a project decided upon in consultation with your major advisor.  Lists of courses within each concentration may be found in the web site linked above.  This program was recently the subject of an interview by Jeff Ishee with Virginia Public Televsion's Virginia Farming.  For more information, contact Doug Pfeiffer (dgpfeiff at vt.edu) or Sharon Proffitt (sproffit at vt.edu) (see 2008-2009 Extended Campus tuition rates).


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Send comments by e-mail to: Douglas G. Pfeiffer