2021 Berry School:

A two-day, on-line berry school was scheduled for Feb 18-19, but was rescheduled for March 4-5 because of weather.  The flier is linked here with more information. Follow this link to register for the 2021 Virginia Berry School, https://www.ext.vsu.edu/events/2021/02/18/berry-school. This two day event will provide information about the production potential, and health benefits of berry crops, including blueberry and blackberry. Please share this information with interested individuals.

Spotted lanternfly a new invasive concern: Update on range expansion

Spotted lanternfly egg first hatch was reported on 22 April.  This new invasive pest of small fruit crops and vineyards moved into eastern Pennsylvania in 2014, and has been spreading.  The Pennsylvania quarantine zone for 2020 added 12 new counties, bringing the total to 24 counties in that state.  This infestation now reaches the Ohio border.  In 2017, the range increased from 6 to 13 Pennsylvania counties, and also into Delaware, New York and northern Virginia.  Specimens of dead adults and egg masses were found in Winchester in January 2018 (actually 2017 individuals).  In 2020, the Winchester infestation became more intense, and spread to Gore in the western part of Frederick County, and into central Clarke County in November.   This included the first collection at a commercial vineyard.  There is a reproducing population in Augusta County, with individual insects found in Warren and Page counties.  The quarantine has been expanded to include Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties. Spotted lantern fly is now established in New Jersey and Maryland, and has been reported from two counties in West Virginia.  This pest poses an important risk for grape, orchard and tree crops.  Click here for a recorded talk on this species.  A fact sheet is available from Virginia Tech (a USDA fact sheet is available in Spanish).  In addition, there is a Virginia Tech Pest Alert, with additional information on recognition and reporting (this is also available in Spanish).  Specific fact sheets for vineyards and residential areas have been posted.  Now that spotted lanternfly has been found in Virginia, it will be important to follow its spread through the state.   For a current Virginia map, click here.    To report a suspected find, please follow this link: https://ask2.extension.org/widget.html?team_id=1981?default_location=VA?default_county=All.


Periodical cicada broods active in 2020 and 2021

There are 15 broods of periodical cicada.  Two of these will be affecting Virginia fruit growers this year (Brood 9) and next Brood 10).  Emergence of adults is expected in early-mid May.  Adults first started appearing in Patrick County apple orchards on 17 May.  The egg-laying behavior of females will lead to death of pencil-diameter branches, and can be devastating to young orchard and vineyard blocks.  In addition to the web page linked in the title, check out this recorded 20-minute presentation.

VDACS establishes quarantine for spotted lanternfly

Late Tuesday afternoon (5/28), Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced the establishment of a quarantine for spotted lanternfly (SLF), an invasive pest insect that was found in Winchester in January 2018 (ext.vt.edu/spotted-lanternfly).  This insect threatens to be a major pest of fruit crops, forest trees, and other plants in Virginia.  Despite an eradication effort in 2018, SLF increased its distribution from about 1 square mile to 16 square miles.  This year, the overwintering eggs began their hatch on April 27, earlier than last spring..

The press release on the SLF quarantine linked here.  A direct link to the quarantine document is linked here as well.  The regulated area includes the City of Winchester and Frederick County.  Some of the key provisions of the quarantine are:

1) Regulated articles (plants, outdoor industrial materials, shipping containers, outdoor household articles, and others) may be moved from the quarantine area if they have been inspected, and are accompanied by a permit;

2) Regulated articles may be moved within the quarantine area following an inspection; a certificate is not required.

3) From April 1-Dec 31, regulated articles may be moved through the regulated are without stopping, or stopping only for fuel or traffic conditions.

4) To obtain a permit to move regulated articles, a person doing business must complete a VDACS-approved training (see below) and agree to train employees on identification of SLF.

The training needed to obtain a SLF permit is available online.  There is a $6.00 fee.
For questions on the quarantine and related issues:
For questions about the quarantine or movement of material or trucks, or the compliance agreement, call VDACS.  Call the Richmond number (804-786-5525) even if its a question about the Winchester area.
For questions about the training for the SLF Detection Credentials, go to:  ext.vt.edu/spotted-lanternfly.  Look for a purple button the right side of the page to start the process.

For suspected finds of SLF, go to either the detection portal:

I'll be posting more on this later.

Fruit Insect Blog for current information of fruit insects! 
Visit https://virginiafruitinsectupdates.blogspot.com/.

2021 Revisions to Fruit Pest Management recommendations:

The revised Pest Management Guide for Home Fruit, Commercial Vineyards, Commercial Small Fruits, and Hops, are now available.  The tree fruit manual, separate from the Pest Management Guide series, is in production, and we hope to have it ready for our fruit schools.

The guides are available free online in PDF, and will also be available for purchase.

• 2021 Pest Management Guides (click on Preview, and Download Version)
• 2021 Commercial Horticultural and Forest Crops (including Commercial Small Fruit, Commercial Vineyards, Commercial Hops)
  
• 2021 Home Grounds and Animals (including Home Fruit)
• 2021 Field Crops

• 2021 Spray Bulletin for Commercial Tree Fruit Growers (click on Preview, and Download Version; hard copy may also be ordered here ($17.00))

Brown marmorated stink bug and Virginia fruit: See StopBMSB.org web site!    A new addition to the stink bug complex is brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål).  Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has recently been introduced from Asia into the northeastern U.S.  It was first detected in 1998 in Allentown, Pennsylvania (see NAPIS map; this map underrepresents the situation in Virginia).  It was later found in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, and in October 2004 it was found in Montgomery County, Virginia, and in Tennessee in 2008.  Injury in tree fruits can be severe, exceeding 25% (individual blocks have been estimated to have much higher levels of fruit injury).  Externally, fruit may have multiple reddish dents at feeding sites, resembling hail strikes.  Upon cutting into fruit, corky areas are seen in the flesh of the fruit.  In vineyards, a unique problem is posed.  Stink bugs may be harvested along with clusters and be transported to the winery in lugs or bins, where the wine can be imparted with a "stink bug taint".  Research is underway to test short-residual insecticides to knock down BMSB from clusters at harvest.  For further information and images, see the Brown marmorated stink bug page.  A working group on organic management of BMSB has been established, with their own web site.  There is opportunity to participate in grower forums.  Listen to Adobe Presenter presentation on BMSB in vineyards and caneberries (14 min.).

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.